IPadOS

History

The first iPad was introduced on April 3, 2010, and ran iPhone OS 3.2, which added support for the larger device to the operating system, previously only used on the iPhone and its smaller counterpart, the iPod touch. This shared operating system was rebranded as iOS with the release of iOS 4 in June 2010.

The operating system initially had rough feature parity running on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, with variations in user interface depending on screen size, and minor differences in the selection of apps included. However, over time, the variant of iOS for the iPad incorporated a growing set of differentiating features, such as picture-in-picture, the ability to display multiple running apps simultaneously (both introduced with iOS 9 in 2015), drag and drop, and a dock that more closely resembled the dock from macOS than the one on the iPhone (added in 2017 with iOS 11). Standard iPad apps were increasingly designed to support the optional use of a physical keyboard.

To emphasize the different feature set available on the iPad, and to signal their intention to develop the platforms in divergent directions, at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2019, Apple announced that the variant of iOS that runs on the iPad would be rebranded as "iPadOS". The new naming strategy began with iPadOS 13.1, in 2019.

On June 22, 2020, at WWDC 2020, Apple announced iPadOS 14, with compact designs for search, Siri, and calls, improved app designs, handwriting recognition, better AR features, enhanced privacy protections, and app widgets. iPadOS 14 was released to the public on September 16, 2020.

On June 7, 2021, at WWDC 2021, iPadOS 15 was announced with widgets on the Home Screen and App Library, the same features that came to iPhone with iOS 14 in 2020. The update also brought stricter privacy measurements with Safari such as IP Address blocking so other websites cannot see it. iPadOS 15 was released to the public on September 20, 2021.

On June 6, 2022, at WWDC 2022, iPadOS 16 was announced with a Weather app and Stage Manager, along with most of the features included in iOS 16, excluding a customizable lock screen.

On June 5, 2023, at WWDC 2023, Apple announced iPadOS 17 with support for widgets for the lock screen, a feature originally launched with iOS 16, along with the majority of features announced included in iOS 17. In addition, iPadOS 17 now includes the Apple Health app.

On June 10, 2024, at WWDC 2024, Apple announced iPadOS 18.

On June 9, 2025, at WWDC 2025, Apple announced iPadOS 26.

Features

Many features of iPadOS are also available on iOS; however, iPadOS contains some features that are not available in iOS and lacks some features that are available in iOS.

iPadOS 13

iPadOS 14

Scribble

Introduced in iPadOS 14, Scribble converts text handwritten by an Apple Pencil into typed text in most text fields.

iPadOS 15

Widgets

Beginning with iPadOS 15, widgets can be placed on the home screen.

Translate

Beginning with iPadOS 15, Translate is available. The feature was announced on June 7, 2021, at WWDC 2021. Translation works with 11 languages.

iPadOS 16

Weather

Beginning with iPadOS 16, the Weather app was added to iPad. The application had previously only been available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The feature was announced on June 6, 2022, at WWDC 2022.

Stage Manager

iPadOS 16 adds a new feature called Stage Manager that automatically sorts windows by app.

iPadOS 17

Lock Screen

iPadOS 17 allows users to personalize their Lock Screens with widgets and fonts. Interactive widgets can be placed on both the Lock Screen and Home Screen for quick access to customizable information, such as weather and reminders.

Health

The introduction of the Health app on iPad provides a central location to view and manage health data.

Messages and FaceTime

New communication features for Messages and FaceTime are introduced, such as audio/voice messages (like a voicemail) if your call is not answered on FaceTime, and using your Apple TV for FaceTime calls with your iPad acting as a camera. Messages introduces the combining of search filters and content types when searching through your messages, as well as transcriptions for audio messages.

Accessibility

New accessibility features like Screen Distance and improved Voice Control expand usability options for a wider range of users.

App Updates

Several core apps receive updates, including Photos, Safari, Notes, and Reminders. These updates bring new functionality and improvements to enhance the overall iPad experience.

iPadOS 18

iPadOS 26

iPadOS 26 has a new Liquid Glass design, new apps, and more.

References

References

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10. Fathi, Sami. (June 6, 2022). "iPad Finally Gains Weather App With iPadOS 16".
11. Baxter, Daryl. (July 16, 2022). "iPadOS 16 Public Beta hands-on: Solving multitasking with an old solution".
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16. "iPadOS 14 introduces new features designed specifically for iPad". Apple.
17. "iPadOS 15".
18. Peters, Jay. (2022-06-06). "Apple's Weather app is finally coming to iPad".
19. Potuck, Michael. (2022-10-24). "Stage Manager on iPad: How it works in iPadOS 16 - 9to5Mac". 9to5Mac.
20. Schroeder, Stan. (2023-06-30). "How to get the most of your iPad's Lock Screen in iPadOS 17".
21. "iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 Now Available With New Features and Accessibility Enhancements {{!}} AppleVis".
22. Clover, Juli. (2023-09-15). "iOS 17 Notes and Reminders Features".