7 Things Apple Needs to Add to the iPad Pro in iOS 13

Even with recent updates and upgrades, the iPad Pro isn't a Mac. But Apple sure wants it to be a viable competitor for the two-in-one PC hybrids that are saturating the market.

Apple has clearly been taking steps in the right direction to make that happen. But there still are many things that prevent the iPad Pro from replacing a Mac or other computer entirely. The Cupertino tech giant may do away with many of these limitations eventually, but there are seven things they should fix as soon as possible. Continue reading to learn about 7 Things Apple Needs to Add to the iPad Pro in iOS 13.

7 Support for More File Types

This is one of the biggest things hampering the iPad Pro's ability to be a viable alternative for a computer: it can’t read generic external storage. That means, unfortunately, you can’t plug in any USB-C flash drive and edit a document. This has long been a limitation of iOS.

But if the iPad Pro is going to become a serious PC competitor, that limitation needs to dealt with before the next round of iPad hardware updates. Apple must do away with the restrictions on file types and make the Files app able to read and open a variety of files in external media. Until then, the iPad Pro won’t be able to replace computer entirely.

6 Better iOS Multitasking

Workflows on iOS and macOS are pretty vastly different. But Apple took a step toward making iOS more like macOS when it added multitasking features as iPad-specific updates in iOS 11. There are some rumors that better multitasking is coming in iOS 13 — and Apple needs to make it happen.

Users should be able to run two different versions of the same app in Split View (having two browser windows side-by-side is pretty basic). But Apple could go even further than that with small but significant additions like tabs for certain apps, akin to Safari or Files in macOS.

5 Generic Mac-Like Features

Apple isn’t going to merge iOS and macOS anytime soon — and we’re not asking them to. But it would certainly help users if Apple adds several Mac-like features to the iPad Pro, specifically when it comes to handling peripherals.

While you can hook up an iPad Pro to an external display, there needs to be a better solution for using it in that mode. You could make an argument for a cursor that pops up when you plug in a mouse or trackpad. Don’t make the iPad Pro a Mac, but make it able to mimic a Mac if needed.

4 More Pro Apps

You could argue that the era of the pro apps on iOS has arrived with Photoshop. But the progress doesn’t have to stop there — and Apple should do its best to catch up to Adobe before it releases its iOS 13 update sometime next year.

At this point, the iPad Pro is lacking several significant professional-grade apps despite its “pro” designation. In other words, Apple needs to release iPad Pro versions of Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro X. The workflow possibilities, when you think about Apple’s Handoff and Continuity features, are pretty exciting.

3 Multiple User Accounts

Tablets, by nature, are much more likely to be shared among family members or coworkers than smartphones. While you can have multiple accounts and guest accounts on a Mac, Apple’s iOS has always seemingly been a single-user operating system.

Different user accounts could have different apps or app layouts on them, and parents could instill controls on accounts for their children. That would make sharing an iPad amongst family members much more seamless and convenient. It’s not the most critical change, but it would do well for many iPad and iPad Pro users.

2 Make Safari More Like macOS

Many people browse the web on their smartphones — which has led to mobile-specific versions of sites becoming commonplace. But that’s no excuse for the fact that the iPad Pro also displays these mobile sites when it shouldn’t.

Safari on the iPad version of iOS should behave much more like Safari on macOS (it only makes sense due to the iPad Pro’s massive display). At the very least, it should display the desktop versions of sites. But Apple could also add more native support to browser-based tools akin to the Chromebook lineup.

1 A Systemwide Dark Mode

Truthfully, a systemwide dark mode isn’t an iPad-specific feature on our iOS 13 wishlist. But it’s something that a good chunk of users have been wanting Apple to introduce to iOS for years. The Clock app redesign was a tease and the Smart Invert feature doesn’t count.

And it makes even more sense now that macOS Mojave has a dark mode. The iPad and Mac aren’t merging, but Project Marzipan will make it easy for developers to create apps that will work cross-platform. There are already a ton of Dark Mode macOS apps. Adding Dark Mode to iOS just makes sense.