About iPadOS 18 Updates
iPadOS 18 brings a big update designed for the distinct capabilities of iPad and new ways to get things done that have been reimagined with Apple Pencil. Customise your iPad further by arranging your Home Screen, Lock Screen and Control Centre in all-new ways, and Photos delivers the biggest redesign ever. Smart Script in Notes refines your handwriting in real-time and makes your handwritten notes as flexible as typed text. Calculator comes to iPad with Maths Notes — a new way to create, visualise and interact with equations using Apple Pencil. iPadOS 18 also brings new features to Safari, Messages, Freeform, SharePlay and so much more.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100
iPadOS 18.0.1
This update enables iPad Pro with M4 to update to iPadOS 18 and provides important bug fixes and security updates for your iPad, including:
Messages may unexpectedly quit when replying to a message with a shared Apple Watch face
Performance may be impacted due to an issue with memory allocation on some iPad models
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100
iPadOS 18
Home Screen
Flexible arrangement to place app icons and widgets in any open position on the Home Screen, such as along the bottom or off to the side, to create the ideal layout for each page
Dark icons give your Home Screen look a darker aesthetic, and can automatically adjust when your iPad enters Dark Mode, or always appear dark
Colour tinting lets you apply any colour to app icons and widgets or have iPadOS suggest a colour that complements your wallpaper
Larger icons allow you to make all the app icons and widgets on your screen appear larger, removing the name underneath
Photos
Photos app redesign features the biggest update ever with a simplified layout that puts everything into a single view
Collections automatically organise your library by helpful topics that you can browse in a collage, grid, as a memory or on a map
Customisation options let you reorder, add and remove Collections rows, and add just the items you want to Pinned Collections to keep within easy reach
Groups in People and Pets include photos of your favourite people or pets who appear together frequently
Trips automatically organises your travels into collections so you can relive each trip
Recent Days lets you view your recent photos organised by day without clutter such as screenshots
Filter button in the grid helps you reduce clutter by filtering to specific media types or your favourites, or by hiding screenshots from the view
Video speed control lets you slow down high frame rate video content with in and out points
Utilities includes additional helpful collections like Documents, Receipts, QR codes and more, and items you’ve recently edited, viewed and shared
Recovered album in Utilities surfaces images that are on your device but were not previously visible due to database corruption in a locked album
Messages
Text effects bring your conversations to life by visually amplifying any letter, word, phrase or emoji in iMessage with dynamic, animated effects like explode, ripple and nod
Text formatting lets you add bold, underline, italics and strikethrough to any letter, word or phrase in iMessage
Emoji and sticker Tapbacks allow you to react to a message using any emoji or sticker, giving you access to the Tapbacks you and your friends send the most, with just a swipe
Send Later enables you to compose a message now and schedule it to send later
Control Centre
Redesigned Control Centre features convenient groups of controls, the ability to arrange controls just the way you want them, and support for controls from third-party apps
Groups of controls can be accessed by continuously swiping from the right edge, including your most used controls, Home controls, Media Playback and Connectivity, with the option to build out entirely new groups too
Controls gallery displays the full set of available controls, including controls from third-party apps, that you can add directly into the group you choose
Resizable controls let you drag from the lower right of a control from within Control Centre
Lock Screen
Custom Lock Screen controls let you choose controls from your favourite apps in the controls gallery
Font options allow you to customise the time with 10 new numeral scripts in Bangla, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Kannada, Malayalam, Meitei, Odia, Ol Chiki, Telugu and Urdu
Notes
Handwriting Refinement automatically refines your handwritten text in real time to be smoother, straighter and more legible (iPad models with A14 Bionic, or M1 and above)
Paste as Handwriting lets you copy text from a web page, document or email and paste it in your own handwriting (iPad models with A14 Bionic, or M1 and above)
Handwriting Reflow allows you to paste in the middle of paragraph or add some space and have your written text automatically reflow to fit your content
Check Spelling for Handwriting underlines spelling errors and can fix them while keeping your own writing style (iPad models with A14 Bionic, or M1 and above)
Maths in Notes lets you enter expressions and equations while typing or writing with your Apple Pencil to have them solved in your note
Maths notes from Calculator automatically sync to the Maths Notes Smart Folder in Notes
Audio recordings can be started directly from inside a note, and kept with related comments, checklists and documents
Live transcriptions show as you record audio, and transcripts are fully searchable so you can always find what you need (iPad models with A14 Bionic, or M1 and above)
Collapsible sections help you simplify and hide text in long notes; just tap next to a section header to lighten up your most text-heavy notes
Highlight text in your note with a choice of five colours to make your text stand out
Calculator
Maths Notes lets you evaluate expressions, assign variables and even draw graphs by simply typing or writing out maths
Solve written maths naturally by writing out an equation horizontally or even vertically using Apple Pencil, and Maths Notes will solve your expressions inline as soon as you write an equals sign
Solve typed maths in Maths Notes, or type out maths in other apps like Messages and Mail to see results as suggestions in your keyboard
Variables let you assign a value to letters and words like “x=10”, which can then be used to quickly solve an expression or graph and equation
Graphs help you visualise written or typed equations, and can be zoomed in on, panned around, resized or combined to show multiple equations at the same time
History shows you your previous calculations so you can quickly get back to them or copy results to use in other apps
Unit Conversions allow you to quickly convert categories of units like length, weight, currencies and more
Gaming
Game Mode minimises background activity to sustain the highest frame rates, and dramatically improves responsiveness with wireless accessories like game controllers and AirPods
Safari
Distraction Control helps you hide items on a web page that you find disruptive to your browsing
Passwords
Passwords app lets you see all your credentials for websites and apps in one place, making it even easier to access your passwords, passkeys, Wi-Fi passwords and verification codes
Verification codes for two-factor authentication can be set up directly in Passwords so you can easily copy them or autofill them in Safari without opening an authenticator app
Secure syncing ensures your accounts saved in Passwords sync seamlessly with iCloud with end-to-end encryption so you can access them on your other devices
Windows support through the iCloud Passwords app so you can access your passwords on Windows devices
SharePlay
Ask to Share lets someone share their screen with you from Messages or while in a FaceTime call
Draw to highlight lets you tap and draw directly on the screen being shared with you, helping your friends and family take the right actions on their own screen
Remote control lets you assist more directly, you can ask for permission to remotely control their device and take the actions yourself. Only known contacts can request control, and the device owner’s actions will always take preference over remote ones
Freeform
Scenes allow you to organise your content into sections, then save, label and order them as you like
Send a Copy of your board with a link that anyone can use on their iPhone, iPad or Mac
Handwriting Recognition allows you to select, search, translate and copy the handwriting in your board as text
Improved Diagramming lets you join objects together with magnetic connection lines that can be anchored anywhere
Snap to Grid makes it easier to precisely align content of your board
Maths Results lets you write out a basic or scientific expression with an equals sign, and you’ll see results inserted or suggested inline on your board
Designed for iPad
Redesigned tab bar floats above your app’s content so you can focus on what matters and your favourite tabs stay within easy reach
Updated sidebar gives you access to more within your apps, you can easily switch from the tab bar to an updated Sidebar that lets you dive deeper into your apps functionality like your list of playlists in Music, or all your favourite channels in the Apple TV app
Updated Document Browser gives apps a distinct new look while also helping you jump back to your most recent documents more quickly in Pages, Numbers, Keynote and Swift Playgrounds
Refined Animations and fluid gestures in your apps make them feel even more delightful, responsive and fun
Privacy
Locked apps let you protect your sensitive apps and the information inside them by requiring Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode to open them and hiding the content from search, notifications and other places across the system
Hidden apps have the same protections as locked apps, plus they are placed in a new hidden apps folder that is locked, and you won't receive notifications or calls from the app
Improved Contacts permissions empower you to choose which contacts to share with an app
Improved Bluetooth pairing lets you pair accessories seamlessly while keeping them private
Maps
Custom walking and hiking routes can be created with just a few taps for hikes in the park, regular exercise routines in your neighbourhood, walking tours while on holiday and more
Places Library combines all your saved places, guides and hiking routes into one location for easy access
Apple TV app
InSight delivers real-time information for every live-action Apple TV+ movie and show, which complements what you’re watching onscreen
Enhance Dialogue enables you to hear what’s being said onscreen more clearly, especially when loud effects or music are playing
Subtitles appear automatically at just the right times, like when the content language doesn’t match your device language, when you mute the audio or when you skip back while watching a programme
This release also includes other features and improvements:
Calendar lets you create, view, edit and complete reminders alongside your events
Recently Deleted list in Reminders lets you view and retrieve deleted reminders
Guest access in Home app lets you provide visitors with date- and time-based access to locks, garage doors and alarm systems
Repair Assistant prompts you to configure the genuine Apple parts replaced on your device after a repair (iPad Air models with M2 and iPad Pro models with M4)
This release includes even more features and improvements. For more information, please visit this website: https://www.apple.com/uk/ipados/ipados-18
Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100