There are some juicy features in the new iPadOS 16 that are just for iPad users, and don’t appear on the iPhone. So here is your at-a-glance guide to the most exciting enhancements coming to iPadOS soon.
Gaming updates
In iPadOS 16, Apple introduces Metal 3, which brings the same MetalFX upscaling and fast resource loading API to iPad as macOS. There will also be a new API that lets games download large assets in the background, enabling you to multitask while the download completes. The Game Center dashboard will also get a redesign to allow new ways for you to connect with friends.
Collaborate in Messages
Updates to Messages will make it easy to collaborate and manage shared content across Files, Notes, Reminders, Safari, as well as Pages, Keynote and Numbers. When users send an invitation to collaborate via Messages, everyone in the thread is automatically added to the document, spreadsheet or project, and updates are shared with everyone at the top of the thread.
Weather comes to iPad
A strange omission for so long, Apple is now bringing its Weather app to iPadOS, taking full advantage of the larger display for more information and more special effects. When you call up the weather app, an animated background will reflect the weather conditions for your current location – be they gently drifting clouds or a fullon thunderstorm.
New Freeform app
Designed as a tool to capture ideas on the fly while in FaceTime calls, Freeform is basically a blank canvas to which you can add almost anything, that everyone can view and collaborate on. Perfect for brainstorming, when your colleagues start adding content to the board you can see their live cursors on the board, showing you right where they’re working.
Sportier News
Apple is adding My Sports to News, which allows you to follow your favourite teams, leagues and athletes, and see curated and personalised stories from hundreds of the best local, national and international sports publications all in one place. You’ll need a News+ subscription to maximise this feature, but it’s a nice touch.
A smarter Siri
Apple’s digital assistant will be able to run shortcuts from apps with no setup required and is now capable of inserting emojis when sending messages. Siri can also process more types of requests offline without an internet connection and users can now hang up a call completely hands-free by saying, “Hey Siri, hang up�
