Last newsletter, I talked about iOS 17 and watchOS 10, but this week I'm talking about iPadOS 17! iPadOS 17, similar to iOS 17 and even macOS Sonoma, was a bit of a catch-up update! It added some features that were already on the iPhone, as well as adding some new smaller features!
3 Big Updates
Lock Screen Overhaul: This is definitely the biggest update in iPadOS 17, and it is similar to what was given to the iPhone is iOS 16. With this update, you are now able to customize your iPad's lock screen. You can change the background to a variety of options and add lots of widgets. These lock screen widgets are really helpful because they allow you to see info at a glance! One of my favorite parts of the lock screen is that you can link them with focus modes, which is extremely useful! Finally, Live Activities has come to iPad, allowing you to see current music, a timer, or a variety of other things from your lock screen! Overall, this lock screen overhaul is a great upgrade!
Interactive Widgets: Apple announced this in iOS 17 as well, so I won't spend too much time on it. Interactive widgets allow you to take actions with your apps on your home screen. You can play music, check off tasks, and more! I really like widgets and find this very helpful!
Health App: While this might not seem like a major upgrade, it is the first time the Health app comes to iPad! It isn't much different than the iPhone health app, but it is on a much bigger screen! Because of this, you can view all your health info on a larger screen (this is especially great for graphs). I think Apple did a great job with the iPad Health app!
5 Little Updates
Stickers: I already talked about stickers last newsletter with iOS 17. They also came to the iPad and can be used in relatively the same way.
Profiles in Safari: This is actually more useful than it may seem like at first. Safari now has profiles, which you can switch between at any time. These profiles allow you to have different settings, cookies, etc. on the same websites! For example, I have 3 profiles: personal, school, and newsletter. If I go to my website from any of these profiles, it will show a different account than if I log in from another. It is super useful because it means I don't have to switch between accounts so often!
Link Notes: This is a feature that has long been requested in Apple Notes. You can now link notes in Apple Notes, which is pretty useful!
Auto Correct: Apple also upgraded the infamous Auto Correct in this update, and it is better than I thought it would be! It now makes better corrections and can make in-line predictions for what you are going to say. All you have to do is tap the space bar, and it will add that to your line of text. The Auto Correct was overdue for an upgrade, and I would say this upgrade is pretty solid.
Crossfade: This is a super minor feature, but I want to mention it. If you use Apple Music, you can change this feature in settings which allows you to fade between songs. I really like this since it cuts off the last few seconds of the song where it is silence, clapping, etc and transitions into the next song. This update is small, but useful!
There are SO many more features in iPadOS 17! You can go to Apple's website if you would like to learn more! So far, this update seems to be pretty stable. I have noticed some glitches and a bit of battery drain, but it isn't terrible. If you have any questions, be sure to drop them down in the comments!