Skip to main content

iPadOS 13

See All Stories

Arguably the biggest software surprise of WWDC 2019 was iPad receiving its own platform. Apple announced iPad would be splitting off from iOS and will run on iPadOS going forward. They announced a developer beta for iPadOS 13.

iPadOS 13 Features

Apple announced a number of new features for iPadOS 13. Users can now have multiple windows per open application, in split views. There’s also new link previews when long-pressing. iPadOS 13 supports external disk drives and SD cards natively; just plug in and access from the Files app.

iCloud Drive now supports folder sharing, not just files. The new Files app includes column view which resembles macOS. Directories from attached storage show up in the Files app. For cameras, there’s a way to launch your favorite third-party image editor — like Lightroom — automatically.

Apple is also bringing “desktop-class” browsing to the iPad, with better compatibility for web-apps like Google Docs, Squarespace, and WordPress. In iPadOS 13,  Safari is also gaining new keyboard shortcuts and a download manager.

Apple is also adding custom font support to iPadOS. You can download font libraries from the App Store.

Apple Pencil latency is dropping from 20 milliseconds to 9 milliseconds for even more responsive interactions when using a digital stylus. Markup is integrated system-wide, so you can annotate a screenshot or an entire document. A PencilKit API is also available for third-party apps.

There’s a new compact layout keyboard mode for the iPad, which shrinks down the keyboard to only occupy a fraction of the screen space.

Mouse Support on iPadOS 13?

One of the rumored iOS 13 features was support for mouse input as an Accessibility option. While Apple didn’t mention it on stage, iPadOS 13 does indeed support mouse input as an AssistiveTouch option.

Mouse input in iPadOS 13 works much like you would expect it to, especially when you consider that it is an AssistiveTouch feature. The mouse cursor resembles other Assistive Touch input options, simulating a finger over the interface.

Mouse input on the iPad works with USB mice connected to the iPad’s Lightning or USB-C port. This includes Apple’s Magic Trackpad, allowing you to navigate through iPadOS without actually touching the display. It is enabled via the Accessibility menu in the iPadOS Settings app.

iPadOS 13 Release Date

iPadOS 13 is currently in beta, but the final version will be released for users this fall. It will be available for the following iPad models:

  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro
  • 11-inch iPad Pro
  • 10.5-inch iPad Pro
  • 9.7-inch iPad Pro
  • iPad (6th generation)
  • iPad (5th generation)
  • iPad mini (5th generation)
  • iPad mini 4
  • iPad Air (3rd generation)
  • iPad Air 2

Top Stories about iPadOS 13

Google Pixel tablet may be a half-decent iPad alternative, and I welcome it

Front and rear images | Google Pixel tablet may be a half-decent iPad alternative

For years now, Google hasn’t seemed particularly interested in the tablet market, but yesterday the company announced that it’s working on what might be the company’s first real iPad alternative – a new Pixel tablet due for launch sometime next year.

Apple getting some serious iPad competition could be just the thing we need to finally spur the company into taking iPadOS more seriously, and having the software catch up with the hardware …

Expand Expanding Close

Hands-on: What’s new in iOS 13.4? An awesome productivity update for iPad users [Video]

Today Apple officially released iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4. Although its version number indicates that this is an incremental release, coupled with the upcoming release of the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro, it’s actually one of the biggest updates for the iPad that we’ve seen in quite some time.

The big news in iPadOS 13.4 is the arrival of advanced mouse and trackpad support for the iPad, features that 9to5Mac reported about in advance. Users can now pair a Magic Trackpad 2, Magic Mouse 2, or other third party pointing devices via Bluetooth, and instantly change the way they use their iPads.

Although the most outstanding things about this update are the aforementioned iPad changes, the iPhone gets some love as well. New features include the long-awaited release of iCloud Drive Folder Sharing, new Animoji Stickers, and more. Watch our brief hands-on video walkthrough as we discuss what’s new in iOS 13.4
Expand
Expanding
Close

Feature Request: Let me resize the iPad floating keyboard

iPad floating keyboard

This is a very simple feature request: I’d like the ability to resize the iPad floating keyboard.

Currently, Apple gives us only two options: full width, or an iPhone-sized floating keyboard. On my 12.9-inch iPad Pro, the full-width one takes up too much screen space, while the floating one feels cramped. I’d like to be able to arbitrarily zoom it to any width…


Expand
Expanding
Close

Review: iPad 7 is one of the best values in tech [Video]

iPad 7

The iPad 7, the latest generation entry-level iPad for the masses, is one of the best deals in tech at only $329, and often found for much less on sale. It’s the first entry-level iPad to feature Smart Connector support, allowing users to conveniently connect a Smart Keyboard. It also features a larger display with more on-screen real estate.

In this hands-on review, I discuss why the iPad 7 is indeed the best iPad for most people, and why it’s $329 entry-level price point is a steal given the amount of features packed inside this slab of aluminum and glass.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Comment: Multitasking on iPad should borrow from Mac, not reinvent the wheel

Multitasking on iPad should borrow from Mac

There was an interesting concept last week, exploring possible improvements to multitasking on iPad.

The argument made by Ryan Christoffel was that the multitasking capabilities of an iPad lack discoverability, and are unnecessarily hard to use even once you know how they work.

I think he’s absolutely right, and I like his context menu idea. However, I also think we shouldn’t necessarily be reinventing the wheel when it comes to a multitasking user interface…


Expand
Expanding
Close

iOS 13 Dark Mode support arrives for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote

Microsoft Office iOS Dark Mode

Back in August, Microsoft teased that it was working on Dark Mode support for its full Office suite for iOS and as it rolled out support for the feature with Outlook. The plan was to have Office Dark Mode support in time for the launch of iOS 13. Even though it’s coming about a month later, it’s great to now see system-wide Dark Mode support arrive for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for iPhone and iPad.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Ulysses writing app gets the iOS 13 treatment with Dark Mode, multi-window iPad support, more

Well-rated iPhone and iPad writing app, Ulysses, has received an update today to leverage the new functionality possible with iOS 13 and iPadOS 13. New features include Dark Mode, multi-window iPad support, iOS 13-styled icons, new context menus, full integration with the Shortcuts app, Dropbox support, and more.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Djay iPadOS 13 Files external drive support

Djay for iPadOS 13 now lets you load songs directly from USB drives with Files app integration, much more

Now that iPadOS 13 has been released, Djay users can now take advantage of some great new features in the latest release. With iPadOS 13, Djay now offers support for the Files app that lets users take advantage of external media like flash drives and hard drives, there’s a new portrait orientation, and much more.


Expand
Expanding
Close

iPadOS 13.1: Hands-on with the top new features and changes for iPad [Video]

This is a monumental week for Apple and the iPad. After 9 years of existence, the iPad finally gets its own dedicated operating system in iPadOS 13. Why is that such a big deal? It means that software development for the iPad can now truly be iPad-first.

iPadOS 13 is a huge release that gives the iPad more room to grow and evolve into the platform that it’s capable of becoming. Even in this initial release, users are greeted with huge features like multi-window support for the same app, improved multitasking, enhanced copy and paste, and much more. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough as we step through the top new iPadOS 13.1 features, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple releases iPadOS 13.1 featuring Dark Mode, new Home Screen and multitasking, Arcade, and more

Apple today released iPadOS 13.1 for iPad. Head to Settings -> General -> Software Update to get the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system for your tablet. Also, Apple’s latest iPad is shipping tomorrow, with iPadOS.

iPadOS includes all of the same features as iOS 13 like Dark Mode, the redesigned Photos experience, Messages profiles, and a new Reminders app. iPadOS also boasts some tablet-exclusive changes like updates to the Home screen, new multitasking capabilities, and much more…


Expand
Expanding
Close

Comment: How “desktop-class” is Safari in iPadOS 13?

One of the tentpole features of iPadOS 13 was a desktop version of Safari. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been saying that Mobile Safari on the iPad was a significant weakness. Even when the iPad had the power of a laptop, it was still running a web browser that was limited. For the past few weeks, I’ve been testing Desktop Safari on the iPad to see if it’s genuinely a desktop browser. Is the iPad finally ready to be on the same level as the Mac? Does iPadOS 13 make it easier to go iPad only? Let’s dive in on a review of Desktop Safari on iPadOS 13.
Expand
Expanding
Close