Samuel Axon
Final 12 months, Apple launched a meaty iOS replace for iPhones, however a number of the greatest adjustments did not make it over to the iPad. This 12 months, the iPhone replace is modest—so does that imply that the iPad replace is the massive one this time round?
Effectively, that relies on your standpoint. iPadOS 15 brings nearly all the things iOS 15 dropped at iPhones, nevertheless it additionally brings these main iOS 14 omissions from final 12 months to the pill. Because of this, iPadOS 15 looks like a major replace if you have not been utilizing an iPhone these days, however in case you’ve already used iOS 14’s new residence display screen and app library options, it as an alternative finally ends up feeling prefer it’s late to the celebration.
We revealed a prolonged, iPhone-focused evaluate of iOS 15 earlier this week. Take into account this a brief addendum to that evaluate that places the highlight on the iPad. Check with the sooner evaluate for particulars on new options like Focus that are not iPad particular or for an inventory of iPads which can be supported by iPadOS 15.
The house display screen
Let’s begin with the house display screen, which noticed the most important transformation this 12 months, despite the fact that nearly all the things totally different about it was already out there 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 12 months. Swiping all the way in which to the proper on the house display screen will take you right here, the place you will discover a search subject and several other folders that comprise each app you could have put in in your iPad. Sadly, as in iOS 14, you possibly can’t outline these folders your self; the software program generates them mechanically.
The actual benefit right here is that the house display screen is not the one place you possibly can retailer apps, which suggests you possibly can take away apps from the house display screen whereas nonetheless protecting them accessible each through Highlight search and by visiting the app library display screen.
So in case you have an app that you simply use from time to time however not every day—like one to examine in in your funding portfolio, maybe, or an ordering app for a selected restaurant—you possibly can hold that app put in and use it everytime you need however hold your house display screen clear and targeted.
Samuel Axon
If you attempt to delete an app on the house display screen, you will be requested whether or not you need to totally delete the app or simply relegate it to the app library.
Additional, now you can cover or present residence display screen pages, which performs properly with Focus mode (see the iOS 15 evaluate for particulars about that; it really works the identical on the iPad) to offer you extra residence display screen customization than you’ve got 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 screen.
Widgets
The opposite main addition to the house display screen is free-form widget assist. The state of affairs with widgets has been a bit unusual; home-screen widgets debuted on iPadOS a pair years previous, however this extra sturdy replace hit the iPhone first a few 12 months 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 anyplace on the house display screen and in a number of totally different sizes, together with variations for sure widgets that weren’t out there on the iPhone.
You may both place widgets side-by-side on the house display screen alongside app icons, or you possibly can place them in a stack that solely occupies as a lot area as a single widget; you possibly can swipe your finger on it to swap between widgets in that place. That is all simply as we noticed it on the iPhone once we reviewed iOS 14.
Samuel Axon
Sadly, arranging icons and widgets on the house display screen nonetheless is an actual ache. The “wobble mode” icon-and-widget placement method and the house display screen’s cascading checklist format have gotten to go; their limitations have solely change into extra obvious as extra customization and options have been added.
Nonetheless, in case you can endure via the frustration of breaking your format many occasions over as you attempt to get all the things the place you need it, the mix of widgets and the app library utterly adjustments the way in which the house display screen works on the iPad, in order for you it to. (For those who do not, you possibly can simply ignore all of it and use the iPad’s residence display screen simply as you all the time have.)
Multitasking
When Apple introduced iPadOS 15, it put multitasking entrance and heart. The brand new stuff right here is usually contains extra intuitive methods to entry options that existed earlier than, however they’re all welcome.
For instance, utility home windows which can 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, cut up view, or slide over.
Tapping full display screen does simply what you’d anticipate; it makes the app full-screen. Tapping cut up view makes the app occupy half of the display screen, then deposits you on the house display screen the place you possibly can choose one other app to take up the opposite half.
Samuel Axon
Beforehand, the way in which into cut up view was arduous. You’d have one app in full display screen, then you definitely’d swipe up from the underside of the display screen to convey up the dock, and then you definitely’d long-press an app within the dock and drag it to the facet of the display screen till it clicked into cut up view. Evidently, this technique was not the best. The brand new setup is best, and it has the advantage of being intuitive, which the outdated approach wasn’t. You’d most likely by no means determine the outdated approach in case 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 screen or split-view apps. You may nonetheless swipe between slide-over apps, or transfer them off display screen and again on once more at will.
