iPadOS 18: The most important update for students; check compatible iPads

Apple on Monday announced iPadOS 18 at the WWDC 2024 event. The latest software skin for iPads brings in a slew of features useful for both students and working professionals. Some of the major features of the OS include an advanced Calculator app with Math Notes support and an updated Notes app with new handwriting tools support. Additionally, there’s a new Tab Bar in iPadOS 18 that stays at the top of the screen, allowing you to easily switch between different apps. Let’s see everything new with iPadOS 18.

iPadOS 18

Home screen customization and Control Centre

Firstly, iPadOS 18 borrows the customization features of iOS 18. This includes the ability to place apps and widgets anywhere on the screen. Users can also change the colour scheme of the apps. The control centre has also been revamped with four different sections (all controls, Music, Home, and network) that can be customized as per users’ needs.

Photos app and Tapbacks for Messages 

Another change is the redesigned Photos app. Again, this one also comes from iOS 18. The Photos app has a new UI making it easier for people to search their photos. It creates different albums at the bottom and all other photos above it. Interestingly, the albums have a carousel view, which means that the content will dynamically keep on updating.

Further, the Messages app has received Tapbacks, letting users react to a message with any emoji or sticker. Additionally, the Messages app also has some other new features such as scheduled messaging, text formatting, and more.

New Tab Bar for navigation 

With iPadOS 18, users can notice a new Tab Bar that floats above app content, which complements the sidebar, and lets users switch between different apps easily. Users can customize the Tab Bar for different apps with the Sidebar.

Calculator and Notes app with Math support 

Coming to one of the major updates, the Calculator app with Math support. Users can switch between basic and scientific calculators in the Calculator app, which is arriving for the first time for iPads. The Math Notes Calculator lets users type or write out mathematical expressions and see them instantly solved. So if you change variables of sin or cos, the problem will be changed in real time.

The Notes app for handwritten notes has received a new update. Any text that you copy from somewhere and paste it in the handwritten notes, the copied text will be converted into handwritten notes. Also, to erase handwritten notes, you no longer need to always use the eraser tool. Instead, you can scratch out a sentence and it will be automatically erased.

Apart from this, there are some updates to Safari, AI tools on supported iPads (M1 iPads and later), and game support. As for the latter, Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Resident Evil 7 Biohazard will be coming to supported iPads later. Lastly, there’s also a new Passwords app that is powered by iCloud Keychain, which stores all your passwords in one place.

iPadOS compatible devices

– iPad Pro 2018

– iPad Pro 2020

– M1 iPad Pro

– M2 iPad Pro

– M4 iPad Pro

– iPad Air 3

– iPad Air 4

– M1 iPad Air

– M2 iPad Air

– iPad mini 5

– iPad 7

– iPad 8

– iPad 9

– iPad 10

The beta update for iPadOS 18 is already live for developers. The stable built, however, will be released later this year.