Though iOS 16 has been available since September, Apple delayed iPadOS 16 in order to add improvements to the Stage Manager feature. iPadOS 16 is finally available, so many iPad owners will be installing it for the first time today.
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For those who are new to iPadOS 16, we've rounded up the five best features worth checking out, plus a quick look at some upcoming additions that Apple plans to introduce in the future. Make sure to watch our video up above to see these features in action.
- Stage Manager - Stage Manager, a new Mac-like multitasking experience, is the reason iPadOS 16 was delayed. Stage Manager allows you to have four app windows open at once, swapping between them using a sidebar. Stage Manager has been criticized for a subpar, buggy experience, so it remains to be seen how it will be received by the general public. It is available on M1, M2, A12Z, and A12X iPads, though the External Display beta feature has been temporarily removed. Apple plans to re-add it later, but External Display support will be limited to M1 and M2 iPads.
- Display Modes - Apple added new reference modes for those who have iPad Pro models and need to use their devices in a professional capacity. Reference mode is designed to allow 12.9-inch iPad Pro users to display reference color in addition to SDR and HDR, while Display Zoom lets you choose options like more space or larger text, in addition to the default view. The options are available under the Display and Brightness section of the Settings app.
- Mail Updates - Apple overhauled the Mail app, adding useful features like Undo Send, which gives you up to 30 seconds to change your mind on an email you've sent out. You can also schedule messages and get reminders to follow up on an email you haven't heard back on.
- Messages Updates - In the Messages app, you can unsend a message or edit a message, so long as the person you're messaging is also using iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, or macOS Ventura. You can also retrieve deleted messages and mark a conversation as unread, plus the FaceTime SharePlay feature now works in the Messages app so you can watch movies, TV shows, and more while chatting with friends.
- Weather App - The iPad has a long-awaited Weather app for the first time. It's identical to the iPhone Weather app, providing 10-day forecasts as well as information on precipitation, air quality, UV index, wind speed, and more.
- Freeform (Coming Soon) - Freeform is an app that Apple plans to introduce later this year. It's a collaborative brainstorming app that you can use for jotting down notes, sketching, adding links, inserting documents, adding videos, and more. Multiple people can work on a document together using FaceTime or Messages to communicate.
For more information on everything that's new in iPadOS 16, we have a dedicated iPadOS 16 roundup that outlines every feature.
Related Forum: iOS 16
