Samuel Axon
Final yr, Apple launched a meaty iOS replace for iPhones, however among the greatest modifications did not make it over to the iPad. This yr, the iPhone replace is modest—so does that imply that the iPad replace is the large one this time round?
Nicely, that is determined by your standpoint. iPadOS 15 brings nearly every part iOS 15 dropped at iPhones, but it surely additionally brings these main iOS 14 omissions from final yr to the pill. Because of this, iPadOS 15 seems like a major replace if you have not been utilizing an iPhone recently, however should you’ve already used iOS 14’s new house display and app library options, it as a substitute finally ends up feeling prefer it’s late to the social gathering.
We printed a prolonged, iPhone-focused review of iOS 15 earlier this week. Think about this a brief addendum to that evaluation that places the highlight on the iPad. Consult with the sooner evaluation for particulars on new options like Focus that are not iPad particular or for an inventory of iPads which might be supported by iPadOS 15.
The house display
Let’s begin with the house display, which noticed the most important transformation this yr, although nearly every part totally different about it was already obtainable on iPhones when iOS 14 launched in late 2020.
Arguably essentially the most important introduction to iPadOS 15 is the app library view, which iPhones obtained final yr. Swiping all the best way to the best on the house display will take you right here, the place you will discover a search discipline and a number of other folders that comprise each app you might have put in in your iPad. Sadly, as in iOS 14, you may’t outline these folders your self; the software program generates them mechanically.
The true benefit right here is that the house display is not the one place you may retailer apps, which suggests you may take away apps from the house display whereas nonetheless protecting them accessible each by way of Highlight search and by visiting the app library display.
So if in case you have an app that you just use every now and then however not day by day—like one to examine in in your funding portfolio, maybe, or an ordering app for a selected restaurant—you may preserve that app put in and use it everytime you need however preserve your private home display clear and centered.
Samuel Axon
If you attempt to delete an app on the house display, you will be requested whether or not you wish to absolutely delete the app or simply relegate it to the app library.
Additional, now you can cover or present house display pages, which performs properly with Focus mode (see the iOS 15 evaluation for particulars about that; it really works the identical on the iPad) to present you extra house display customization than you have ever had earlier than.
The iPad additionally will get one thing that the iPhone did not: entry to the app library from the dock, which is rather more handy than swiping to the final web page on the house display.
Widgets
The opposite main addition to the house display is free-form widget help. The scenario with widgets has been a bit unusual; home-screen widgets debuted on iPadOS a few years previous, however this extra strong replace hit the iPhone first a few yr in the past and is simply simply making its technique to the iPad with iPadOS 15.
Whereas you may beforehand place widgets in a predefined place on the very first home-screen web page, now you can place them wherever on the house display and in a number of totally different sizes, together with variations for sure widgets that weren’t obtainable on the iPhone.
You may both place widgets side-by-side on the house display alongside app icons, or you may place them in a stack that solely occupies as a lot area as a single widget; you may swipe your finger on it to swap between widgets in that place. That is all simply as we noticed it on the iPhone after we reviewed iOS 14.
Samuel Axon
Sadly, arranging icons and widgets on the house display nonetheless is an actual ache. The “wobble mode” icon-and-widget placement method and the house display’s cascading record format have gotten to go; their limitations have solely turn out to be extra obvious as extra customization and options have been added.
Nonetheless, should you can undergo by the frustration of breaking your format many instances over as you attempt to get every part the place you need it, the mix of widgets and the app library utterly modifications the best way the house display works on the iPad, if you need it to. (For those who do not, you may simply ignore all of it and use the iPad’s house display simply as you at all times have.)
Multitasking
When Apple introduced iPadOS 15, it put multitasking entrance and middle. The brand new stuff right here is generally includes extra intuitive methods to entry options that existed earlier than, however they’re all welcome.
The brand new multitasking button
For instance, utility home windows which might be in full-screen or split-view mode now have a three-dot ellipsis button on the high. Tapping or clicking that produces a small panel that lets you choose both full-screen, break up view, or slide over.
Tapping full display does simply what you’d count on; it makes the app full-screen. Tapping break up view makes the app occupy half of the display, then deposits you on the house display the place you may choose one other app to take up the opposite half.
Samuel Axon
Beforehand, the best way into break up view was arduous. You’d have one app in full display, you then’d swipe up from the underside of the display to convey up the dock, and you then’d long-press an app within the dock and drag it to the aspect of the display till it clicked into break up view. For sure, this methodology was not the best. The brand new setup is healthier, and it has the advantage of being intuitive, which the previous means wasn’t. You’d most likely by no means determine the previous means should you weren’t proven.
Lastly, tapping or clicking the slide-over button dumps the app into slide over, which places it in an iPhone app form and hovers it over your full display or split-view apps. You may nonetheless swipe between slide-over apps, or transfer them off display and again on once more at will.
