iPadOS 16 is available today
iPadOS 16 takes the versatility of iPad even further, introducing new ways to collaborate via Messages, big updates to Mail, iCloud Shared Photo Library, passkeys and new collaboration features in Safari, the Weather app, pro features including Reference Mode and Display Zoom, and an entirely new multitasking experience with Stage Manager. iPadOS 16 is available today as a free software update.
New Ways to Share and Connect in Messages
New features in Messages make it possible to edit, undo send, and mark conversations as unread, making everyday messaging even better.1 With iPadOS 16, users can invite friends and family to SharePlay via Messages, and enjoy a shared activity — like a movie, TV show, workout, or game — in sync while they chat in a Messages thread.
In addition, new collaboration features make working with others quick and seamless. When users send an invitation to collaborate via Messages, everyone on the thread is automatically added to the document, spreadsheet, or project, and when someone makes an edit to the shared document, activity updates appear at the top of the thread.
Mail Introduces New Smart Tools
Being more productive is easier than ever with new tools introduced in Mail. Users can set reminders to come back to a message at a later date with Remind me, receive automatic suggestions to follow up on an email if they haven’t received a response, and get automatic alerts when they’ve forgotten to include a recipient or attachment in an email. Users can also cancel delivery of a message before it reaches a recipient’s inbox and schedule emails to be sent at the perfect moment.2 With the biggest update to search in years, Mail uses state-of-the-art techniques to deliver more relevant, accurate, and complete search results.
Additional iPadOS 16 Features
Dictation offers a new on-device experience that allows users to easily move between voice, touch, and Scribble with Apple Pencil. Users can type with the keyboard or write with Scribble, tap in the text field, move the cursor, and insert QuickType suggestions, all without needing to stop Dictation. Dictation also features automatic punctuation and emoji dictation.5
Siri adds the ability to run shortcuts as soon as an app is downloaded without requiring upfront setup. Users can add emoji when sending a message, choose to send messages automatically — skipping the confirmation step — and hang up phone and FaceTime calls completely hands-free by simply saying “Hey Siri, hang up.”6
The Home app gets an all-new design that makes it easier to navigate, organize, view, and control smart home accessories at a glance, as well as Matter support — a new smart home connectivity standard that allows compatible accessories to work together seamlessly across different ecosystems, and provides more choice and interoperability — all while maintaining the highest level of security.7
Desktop-class apps enable new capabilities optimized for the iPad display, so apps are more capable with new elements and interactions, including a consistent undo and redo, a redesigned inline find-and-replace experience, a new document menu, customizable toolbars, and the ability to change file extensions, view folder size in Files, and more.
Apple News introduces a new My Sports section, where users can easily follow favorite teams and leagues; receive stories from hundreds of top publishers; access scores, schedules, and standings for the top professional and college leagues; and watch highlights right in the News app. Favorites will sync with the Apple TV app to offer a seamless sports experience.8
Notes allows users to create neater handwritten notes with the ability to automatically straighten the handwriting, use their iCloud password to lock personal notes, add screenshots in Quick Note, and take organization even further with powerful Smart Folders and filtering capabilities.
Game Center makes it easy for users to play with or compete against their friends through the redesigned dashboard that shows friends’ games activity and accomplishments all in one place.
Handoff in FaceTime allows users to start a FaceTime call on one of their Apple devices and seamlessly hand it off to another Apple device nearby. When switching to a different device, the connected Bluetooth headset transitions simultaneously so users don’t miss any of the conversation.
- New accessibility tools include Live Captions in FaceTime;9 a new Magnifier mode that delivers richer descriptions of the surroundings;10 Hover Text, which helps users to easily read input fields, menu items, button labels, and other text on iPad; support for over 20 additional languages in VoiceOver and Spoken Content; and more.
