The iPadOS 17 update borrows several features from iOS 17 as Apple once again tries to bridge the gap between its smartphone and tablets. The highlight feature of iPadOS 17 is the customizable lock screen which is similar to what Apple introduced for iPhones with iOS 16.
iPadOS 17 new features
On the new lock screen, users can customize wallpaper, choose clock styles, set their favorite image on the lock screen, and play with different font styles and colors to completely customize the experience. With iPadOS 17, the lock screen now also supports interactive widgets as Apple brings Live Activities to iPads. Interactive widgets can be added on the lock screen as well as on the home screen. On the lock screen, the widgets blend in the wallpaper thanks to the new adaptive tinting feature. Apple also said that it will further improve the Stage Manager feature that allows users to work on two apps alongside. The company promised to bring improved app resizing and positioning controls with iPadOS 17. In a major announcement, the Health app is now available for iPads with iPadOS 17. The app will now display your health data on a bigger screen and help you keep track of your vitals right from your iPad. The new iPadOS 17 also brings improvements in the Notes app and PDF annotation. It uses machine learning to help users input text in fields quickly. Also, Apple has announced updates for its native Notes app which can now display PDFs in full width, allowing easy annotations and sketching using Apple Pencil. Some of the iOS 17 features that Apple has also introduced to iPadOS 17 include the new Live Sticker feature that can help users create stickers from photos by lifting a subject from the background, FaceTime messages, and different profiles in Safari.
iPadOS 17 Availability
Now, if you are wondering when you will get your hands on iPadOS 17, the first developer beta of iPadOS 17 has now been released. If you have enrolled yourself in the Apple Developer Program, you can access iPadOS 17 right now. Otherwise, Apple says iPadOS 17 public beta will be released next month, and going by Apple’s history, we can expect the stable release sometime in the fall of this year.
