WWDC: What’s new in Apple’s iPadOS 17?

As I continue on my mission to look through everything Apple announced at WWDC 2023, we come to iPadOS 17, available now to developers and in public beta next week.

For Apple, the big hitting items in this release include a redesigned Lock Screen with interactive widgets, the Health app, and updates to Messages, FaceTime, and Safari. I think for people who work with iPads the new smart features in PDFs will be of most interest.

What Apple said

“iPadOS powers our most versatile device and enables users to do so many things on iPad, and now with iPadOS 17, we deliver an experience that’s even more personal and capable,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering in a statement.

“With interactive widgets on the Lock Screen, updates to PDFs and Notes, as well as enhancements to Messages and FaceTime, iPadOS gives users even more ways to get things done easier and faster than ever.”

Also read

• WWDC: What’s new and coming in iOS 17 for iPhone?
• WWDC: What’s new in macOS Sonoma?
• WWDC: What’s new in watchOS 10? A small watch is a big deal
• A first look at the Apple Vision Pro user interface and the tech inside
• WWDC: Apple introduces Vision Pro, its take on mixed reality

How has PDF handling on iPad improved?

It will be easier to use PDFs on an iPad because the device will use machine learning to identify fields in a PDF so that users can enter details, such as names, addresses, and emails from Contacts.

The Notes app also brings PDF handling improvements, including new ways to organize, read, annotate, and collaborate on them.

In iPadOS 17, PDFs appear full width, making it easy to flip through pages, make a quick annotation, or sketch directly in the document with Apple Pencil.

Users can now review and mark up PDFs and scanned documents in their note, and with live collaboration, updates appear in real time when users are sharing a note with others.

Safari gets pro

Safari Profiles mean users can keep their browsing separate between topics like work and personal. Each profile has their own history, cookies, Tab Groups, and Favorites, and it’s easy to switch between them.

Private Browsing lets users lock the window they’re viewing with Face or Touch ID, and removes trackers used for cross-site tracking.

Overall, Search in Safari is improved, it has become more responsive, relevant and easier to read.

Spotlight helps users find information and take action even faster by offering shortcuts to the next action, enhanced visual results, and video search.

Widgets and a better Lock Screen

Widgets get interactive in iPadOS 17. They can be made available on both the Lock and Home screens. It means that a widget with a check list can be checked off, a reminder ticked as complete, or the lights turned on in Home.

Apple has also updated WidgetKit, so developers can add interactivity into their own app widgets.

You get better Lock Screen customization, including the ability to use and stylize images, to choose dynamic photos or wallpapers. You can also choose fonts and colors and create designs. You also get Live Activities on iOS, so you can stay abreast of sports scores or food orders.

Messages improved

Messages offers new ways to connect, including emoji stickers, Live Stickers derived from user photos, and effects. You’ll also find these thanks to a new drawer situated in the keyboard.

Apple is also trying to ignite some interest in Messages, including an expandable menu for easy access to frequently used iMessage apps. The search experience is improved with filters — including people, keywords, and content types — that allow more specificity in finding exactly what users are looking for. Users can now easily jump to their last-read message in an active group chat, and replying to a message inline is even simpler and quicker by swiping on a message bubble.

Smart messages

Audio messages are transcribed automatically so users can read them in the moment or listen later. When a user shares their location in Messages, it shows up live in the conversation until the sharing session is over.

FaceTime improvements include

• In FaceTime, users can leave an audio or video message when someone doesn’t pick up the call.
• FaceTime gains Reactions, such as hearts, balloons, fireworks, laser beams, rain, and more.
• FaceTime now works with iPad or iPhone to give you calls via the Apple TV.

Health App Comes to iPad

iPadOS 17 brings a version of Health app optimized for an iPad. This will provide users with insights into their health data with Trends, Highlights, and detailed interactive charts. Health and fitness developers can now use HealthKit on iPad to build apps.

Additional iPadOS 17 updates include:

• Stage Manager provides better flexibility concerning window size and positioning, it also supports built-in cameras on an external display.
• Freeform offers new drawing tools; support for hover, tilt, and snap to shape; the ability to add connection lines and new shapes to any object; and Follow Along to guide collaborators around the board.

• Visual Look Up expands its recognition capabilities to food, storefronts, and signs and symbols on things like the laundry tags on clothes.
• Keyboard brings improvements to autocorrect. Inline predictive text helps users quickly finish sentences, and the new speech recognition model in Dictation improves accuracy.
• Siri can now be activated by simply saying “Siri.” Once activated, users can issue multiple commands back to back without needing to reactivate it.
• Sharing content using AirPlay is even easier with on-device intelligence now learning a user’s preferences. AirPlay will also work with supported TVs in hotels.
• Reminders makes shopping easier by automatically grouping related items into sections, and provides a new column view to display sections horizontally across the screen.
• Maps now allows users to download maps and use them while offline.
• Privacy updates include the expansion of Communication Safety, adding protections for children as well as a Sensitive Content Warning for adults. Updates to Photos and Calendar permissions help users make more informed choices about what data they share with apps. And a Lockdown Mode update enhances the protections for those who may be targeted by mercenary spyware.

New accessibility tools include:

• Assistive Access,  a customizable interface that helps users with cognitive disabilities use iPad.
• Live Speech helps nonspeaking users type what they want to say and have it read aloud during phone, FaceTime, and in-person conversations.
• Personal Voice gives users at risk of speech loss the option to create a personalized voice that sounds like them and integrates seamlessly with Live Speech.
• In Magnifier, Point and Speak helps users who are blind or have low vision interact with electrical appliances and other physical objects with small text labels.

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