iPadOS 17 Review
Well it is that time of the year , Apples WWDC 2023 Keynote happened on Monday. Appled showed off the next versions of all their major softwares MacOS, IOS, iPadOS, and WatchOS as well as they unveiled an update Mac Studio with M2 Max and Ultra chips and finally a Apple Silicon Mac Pro. As well as the biggest this the soon to come AR/VR head set Apple Vision Pro. Which i have to say for someone with no interest in headsets like that it was really really cool.
But i am here to review IPadOS 17 the newest software for the iPad and while most of the software updates this year were nothing earth shattering in terms of huge new features with exception of WatchOS which got the biggest overhaul. Most of Apples software this year got some changes and a lot of nice refinements , most will be upset that Apple didn't over haul every platform this year i felt was a good quality of life updates and refinements building on last year updates , especially for the iPad.
Some of the changes this year to iPadOS this year is the customizable Lock Screen and Lock Screen widgets like we got for IOS last year. When in landscape which a lot of people use their iPad's especially with a keyboard you get a column on the left you can fill with widgets. Widgets across all platforms are now interactive, you can now use external cameras with your iPad for face time and video calls connected to the iPad via usb-c or if you have a studio display. Also messages got some updates with more options for app stickers and updates to Stage Manager Multitasking. Most updates to Apples core apps reminders , messages , mail were pretty uniform across all their platforms this year.
Some of the best and biggest changes to iPadOS 17 was the ability for external webcams , and some updates is with Audio routing when hooked up to an external display you can now choose where audio will play , before you couldn't do this you had to use the speakers in your monitor , now you can change it to play to your HomePod or Bluetooth speakers connected to your iPad which is very nice. One very welcome one will be Stage Manager update that gives you a lot more freedom to more windows around you are not restricted to the certain sizes and placement you had last year. You can now size them how you want and move them any where , the system will not shift an open App to another part of the screen when you move one around. It's not 100% free moving but id say 90-95%5 compared to last year. Also now when you want to open a new application into your stage you can hold the shift key when you click the app and it will open in your current stage and not move open apps to the side and start a new stage. Both these are very welcome and very huge paid points with Stage Manager in IPadOS 16
When hook to an external Display you still can't sleep your iPad and still work on the external display which was something rumored that could be coming this year. Maybe will come later in the Beta process over the summer or maybe we will have to wait till next year. I hope with the Lock Screen customization we are getting this year they add that and will make it nice to have to take advantage of the Lock Screen widgets while working on an external display. Time will tell and we will see with this
Safari got some new features allowing you to set up profiles where you can have one for personal and work and have certain pages for work and for personal as well as extensions to separate those aspects of your life in Safari. If you use the private browsing it will not lock and need FaceID to unlock your private pages.
Widgets can now be interactive meaning if you have a reminders widget you can click on a reminder to check it off with out having the widget take you in the application then having to check off that it is complete, the music widget will let you play what you chose with out opening the music app. These have been very nice to use so far and sure will be more useful when third party app developers update their apps between now and the official release in the fall. Right now this only works with most of apples first part widgets Reminder , Music , Podcasts
These are some of the big changes coming this year in iPadOS 17 some things and features can change or be improved over the summer during the Beta period based of beta user feedback. I have used it for 2 days now and over all been very stable only a few small issues but thats to be expected being the first beta release. But considering it has been very stable which is encouraging over all. Right now iPadOS is available for people with a developer account which Apple this year has made it if you have a free developer account you can get the beta now with our paying the developer fees. The public Beta's will release in July at some point. But be careful if you choose to put a beta especially a developer beta on a daily drive or critical device that is something crashes or doesn't work as it should its not critical to your use. This is a first beta release , if you want to try the new software early best to wait till the public bets next month where it will be even more stable then it is now
Any question's please leave a comment i will try and answer or address , only thing i have not been able to try out yet is the external web cam being i do not ave one but i have been using most the other features and so far its been a nice update 2023 Keynote happened on Monday. Appled showed off the next versions of all their major softwares MacOS, IOS, iPadOS, and WatchOS as well as they unveiled an update Mac Studio with M2 Max and Ultra chips and finally a Apple Silicon Mac Pro. As well as the biggest thing the soon to come AR/VR head set Apple Vision Pro. Which I have to say for someone with no interest in headsets like that it was really really cool.
But I am here to review IPadOS 17 the newest software for the iPad and while most of the software updates this year were nothing earth shattering in terms of huge new features with exception of WatchOS which got the biggest overhaul. Most of Apples software this year got some changes and a lot of nice refinements , most will be upset that Apple didn't over haul every platform this year i felt was a good quality of life updates and refinements building on last year updates , especially for the iPad.
Some of the changes this year to iPadOS this year is the customizable Lock Screen and Lock Screen widgets like we got for IOS last year. When in landscape which a lot of people use their iPad's especially with a keyboard you get a column on the left you can fill with widgets. Widgets across all platforms are now interactive, you can now use external cameras with your iPad for face time and video calls connected to the iPad via usb-c or if you have a studio display. Also messages got some updates with more options for app stickers and updates to Stage Manager Multitasking. Most updates to Apples core apps reminders , messages , mail were pretty uniform across all their platforms this year.
Some of the best and biggest changes to iPadOS 17 was the ability for external webcams , and some updates is with Audio routing when hooked up to an external display you can now choose where audio will play , before you couldn't do this you had to use the speakers in your monitor , now you can change it to play to your HomePod or Bluetooth speakers connected to your iPad which is very nice. One very welcome one will be Stage Manager update that gives you a lot more freedom to more windows around you are not restricted to the certain sizes and placement you had last year. You can now size them how you want and move them any where , the system will not shift an open App to another part of the screen when you move one around. It's not 100% free moving but id say 90-95%5 compared to last year. Also now when you want to open a new application into your stage you can hold the shift key when you click the app and it will open in your current stage and not move open apps to the side and start a new stage. Both these are very welcome and very huge paid points with Stage Manager in IPadOS 16
When hook to an external Display you still can't sleep your iPad and still work on the external display which was something rumored that could be coming this year. Maybe will come later in the Beta process over the summer or maybe we will have to wait till next year. I hope with the Lock Screen customization we are getting this year they add that and will make it nice to have to take advantage of the Lock Screen widgets while working on an external display. Time will tell and we will see with this
Safari got some new features allowing you to set up profiles where you can have one for personal and work and have certain pages for work and for personal as well as extensions to separate those aspects of your life in Safari. If you use the private browsing it will not lock and need FaceID to unlock your private pages.
Widgets can now be interactive meaning if you have a reminders widget you can click on a reminder to check it off with out having the widget take you in the application then having to check off that it is complete, the music widget will let you play what you chose with out opening the music app. These have been very nice to use so far and sure will be more useful when third party app developers update their apps between now and the official release in the fall. Right now this only works with most of apples first part widgets Reminder , Music , Podcasts
These are some of the big changes coming this year in iPadOS 17 some things and features can change or be improved over the summer during the Beta period based of beta user feedback. I have used it for 2 days now and over all been very stable only a few small issues but thats to be expected being the first beta release. But considering it has been very stable which is encouraging over all. Right now iPadOS is available for people with a developer account which Apple this year has made it if you have
a free developer account you can get the beta now with our paying the developer fees. The public Beta's will release in July at some point. But be careful if you choose to put a beta especially a developer beta on a daily drive or critical device that is something crashes or doesn't work as it should its not critical to your use. This is a first beta release , if you want to try the new software early best to wait till the public bets next month where it will be even more stable then it is now
Any question's please leave a comment i will try and answer or address , only thing i have not been able to try out yet is the external web cam being i do not ave one but i have been using most the other features and so far its been a nice update. Also leave a comment if you be interest in a video walk through once the public betas release