The iPadOS Versions Guide

iPadOS is the operating system for Apple’s wildly successful tablets. iPadOS 13 was the first iteration of the OS, and iPadOS 17 is the latest. Get the details about each version.

iPadOS 18: AI, Calculator App, and Game Mode

Release date: Expected in mid-September 2024

This upcoming iPadOS update departs heavily from prior versions with the inclusion of Apple Intelligence, the company's AI. It will work across the whole system (M1 iPads and later) for things like email summaries, image and text generation, and enhanced Siri functionality.

iPadOS 18 will finally bring the Calculator app to the iPad. It includes Math Notes, which lets you solve equations by writing them out.

Another new app coming to the iPad is Passwords. Much like other password managers, it will store your login credentials in one place and let you access them anywhere else you sign in. In addition to the iPad, it will work on other Apple devices (Vision Pro, iPhone, and Mac) and also Windows computers via iCloud.

Several other changes include: handwriting recognition features, audio transcription, and highlighting for the Notes app; a table of contents for easy reading in Safari; annotations for when you're sharing your screen in SharePlay; text styling and scheduled deliveries in Messages; Game Mode for easily transferring system resources to gaming instead of other tasks; new controls in Control Center (for supported apps); and more customization options for the Home Screen, like placing apps anywhere and wallpaper-matching color options for your apps.

iPadOS 17: Widgets, Health App, and PDFs

Released: September 18, 2023

This update to iPadOS isn't as huge as some others, but it still contains some cool and useful features.

The Health App is available for the first time on Apple's tablets, which means those handy graphs you're used to looking at on your iPhone or Apple Watch have more room to breathe. Health data will sync through your other devices using your Apple ID, so you can move seamlessly between them.

PDFs are easier to use and create in iPadOS 17; you can make one automatically if you take a picture of a form. The iPad is also better at working with PDFs, which usually end up in your Files app and are read-only.

The last major update is with the widgets that already appeared on the iPhone in iOS 16. In iPadOS 17, you can pull your widgets over to the large screen and make updates in an app directly from your widget.

iPadOS 16: Editing Comes to iMessages, Email Reminders, and a Weather App

Released: October 24, 2022

2022's update to iPadOS introduced some much-requested updates to Messages, including the ability to edit texts sent to other Apple users. You have a 15-minute window after you send a message to make changes, and an edit history is available. Similarly, you have two minutes to un-send a text you've sent by mistake. You can also mark conversations as unread so you can get back to them later and recover conversations you've deleted recently.

Mail also lets you un-send messages, and you can set up reminders to reply to important emails. You can also schedule ones you want to send later, add links, and keep outgoing communication at the top of your inbox for easy reference.

Safari has added translation support for Arabic, Dutch, Indonesian, Korean, Polish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Tab groups have also received an overhaul. For example, you can share a group of Safari tabs with friends, and then use them to collaborate. They'll update automatically as people add to or subtract from the group. Additionally, you can use a tab group as a start page and customize the background.

Other notable app updates include the previously iPhone-only Weather app coming to iPad, a new Home app for smart devices, new search features and context menus, and Live Text functionality in videos.

iPadOS 15: New Multitasking Features and App Redesigns

Released: September 20, 2021
Final version: iPadOS 15.8.2

iPadOS 15 debuted a newly designed Home screen featuring integrated widgets and an App Library. App redesigns include a new tab bar design for Safari and new FaceTime features like voice isolation and spatial audio. New system features include QuickNote, which lets you jot down notes quickly and easily no matter what application you're using, and Live Text, which lets users recognize text in photos.

iPadOS 15 focuses on multitasking, introducing a multitasking menu that lets users easily enter Split View or Slide Over to get more done quickly and work more efficiently within multiple apps. In addition, enhanced widget options allow users to place widgets with apps on their Home screens. Users can also access the App Library from the Doc to effortlessly access and organize apps.

Other notable iPadOS 15 changes include the introduction of Focus, which lets users filter notifications and apps so they can focus on the task at hand, and the Translate app, which can detect when someone is speaking in another language and automatically translate what they're saying. If you're a power user, you can now use your iPad to build apps and submit them directly to the App Store.

iPadOS 15 offers many improvements to the user interface, general controls, and built-in apps that create an enhanced user experience.

iPadOS 14: Redesigned Widgets and a New Scribble App

Released: September 16, 2020
Final version: iPadOS 14.8. 1

This version of iPadOS featured several refinements to the interface, redesigned apps, and augmented reality. It also added more privacy information in the App Store and delivered a privacy report for the websites you visit. When using AirPods, iPadOS 14 offered battery notifications and let you switch seamlessly from your iPad to your iPhone and vice versa.

iPadOS 14 introduced the Scribble app, which converts handwriting to text, and let you use your Apple Pencil in any text field. It also introduced the ability to scratch to erase and circle to select text

Apple's Today View widget was redesigned to fit more information on your home screen. Apps were enhanced with sidebars and pull-down menus for easier navigation.

iPadOS 14 introduced the feature where when you make or receive calls through your iPhone, Facetime, and other calling apps, the call information displays in a compact design that takes up very little of the screen.

The Messages app got pinned conversations, inline replies, and the ability to type a name to send them a direct message. Finally, cycling directions and electric vehicle routing were conveniently added to Maps.

iPadOS 13: Widgets, Dark Mode, Gestures, and More

Released: September 24, 2019
Final version: iPadOS 13.7

iPadOS 13 lets you fit more apps on the screen at once and introduces the Pinned Widgets feature. 

This version also added improvements to Slide Over and Split View. You can have several apps open in Slide Over, making it much faster to switch between them in the right-side column Apple puts them in. Split View was able to bring up two “Spaces” with the same app, so you could, for example, open two Pages documents at once.

iPadOS 13 introduced improvements to Apple’s fancy stylus, the Apple Pencil. The latency of the device was decreased for less lag between when you put the tip down on your iPad and when the screen is affected. It also debuted a whole new palette for Apple Pencil, handy for full document markup, and made extending the screen of your macOS Catalina-powered Mac more useful.

iPadOS 13 added a few more gestures, specifically tailored to text editing. Users could use the three-finger pinch to copy, three-finger spread to paste, and three-finger swipe to undo. Double three-finger pinch and you could cut text just as easily.

The Safari browser was also redesigned to identify itself to web servers as a Mac to bring users a computer-optimized website the first time around. This was a fantastic addition for users of web apps like Google Docs or WordPress. 

The much-anticipated Dark Mode arrived in iPadOS 13, and not just for inverting colors. It was created from the ground up and integrated across the whole system. 

iPadOS 13 came with Apple Arcade, a premium game subscription service, a new Siri voice, smarter maps and ways to share your stuff with other people, improved Notes, an all-new Reminders app, and the ability to add fonts, privacy-focused Sign In with Apple, and much more.