Here’s Every New Feature for iPadOS 16

WWDC 2022 has come and gone, and we now have a much better idea of the new features coming to Apple devices this year. That includes a big update to iPadOS with its 16^th version on the way. If you’ve got an iPad, you’ll want to know about these interesting new features that are making the iPad more useful – and a better companion for other Apple products. Let’s take a look at everything unveiled for iPadOS 16.

In-App Collaboration

iPad is getting a new collaboration feature that essentially ties content apps to communication apps, so you can fluidly move between conservations and working on a document. Apple’s own example was the ability to tie a Pages document to a Messages conversation, so that everyone can literally be on the same page when going over a work project. This ability also works with FaceTime and other Apple apps, and will automatically switch tabs so people following the content will see what you’re currently looking at.

That’s a boon to offices and classes that use Apple’s apps for content creation or rely on them to talk to colleagues, but there’s a lot more potential here. Apple is also offering an API for this collaboration feature, so developers will be able to add it to a variety of devices.

Better Gaming Experiences

If you like gaming on your iPad, there’s a lot to look forward to, especially if you have a newer iPad that includes Apple’s M1 chip (it’s still a little vague, but some of these features appear to be coming to all iPads no matter the processor).

Expect new optimization that will upscale games to make them look their best thanks to Metal 3 software, along with direct storage capabilities that should help games run faster. There will also be a feature that lets games download purchased items in the background so that players can access them faster while still playing.

The Game Center is also getting an update with a Activity section that shows your current scores for the games that you play with friends, allowing you to focus a little more on competition if you want. SharePlay will also allow you to play a game against friends, presumably even friends on other Apple devices.

Productivity Improvements

There aren’t a lot of changes here, but you can expect some quality of life changes for Apple’s most commonly used apps. The Files app update will allow people to change file extensions on the fly, choosing whatever extension is most compatible with your plans and switching back if needed. Calendar has been updated with the ability to quickly show your availability, a nice feature for those with packed schedules. And Contacts has some new organization tricks, including a new ability to quickly create lists. But Mail may have gotten the biggest update of all, with its new features like taking back a mistakenly sent email (similar the way Gmail’s system works), schedule emails, and reshuffle to prioritize emails that need a quick replay or set reminders and notifications to address a specific email later.

There are a number of other minor productivity and visual improvements across iPadOS 16, as Apple essentially said it was making fixes based on the most popular requests it has received.

iPadOS Stage Manager

Store Manager is a new feature designed to make iPads friendlier for those who would prefer to use them like laptops, especially our iPad Pro friends. It’s a pack of multitasking capabilities that includes things like the ability to resize windows, use a dock like you would in MacOS, and format the layout of your favorite apps based on what you want to see and how large you want each app to be (even if they overlap). There are also drag-and-drop features to quickly move content around while you’re working. Oh, and you can hook this all up to an external display for a more computer-like experience if you don’t have any Mac devices handy.

The Weather App

Instead of just a widget, iPadOS 16 is getting the full weather app, with animations and graphics included so you get a closer at the weather in your area, a map of precipitation and pressure fronts, and a variety of forecast information from when to expect rain (hourly, daily, weekly, etc.) to how windy or sunny it is. The app can also send alerts about severe weather, air quality, and more.

Shared Photo Library

iPadOS 16 will also have access to the iCloud Shared Photo Library, a feature that allows you to share photos with up to six family members. All six will have the ability to add, edit, or delete photos in the shared library. Categories like Memories and Featured Photos allow the family to prioritize certain kinds of photos when they’re building a slideshow or looking for images from a particular event.

Live Text and Visual Lookup

Apple’s latest Live TExt and Visual Lookup tools are also getting their advanced features on iPadOS 16. That includes the ability to recognize and pull text from videos as well as images, with intelligent options to quickly convert amounts, currencies, or languages. It can also recognize objects, with the ability to select specific objects for a closer look and even recognize its general category – i.e., a bird, a statue, and so on.