Apple finally released iOS and iPadOS 18 for public beta testing on July 15th. This opens up the new updates to even more users who are willing to take a risk and install the new OS before its public release in the fall. The great thing for us risk-takers is that the public beta is completely free. Be sure to check out how to install it here. There are an abundance of new features to play with but here are the first 10 features you should try with iPadOS 18.
Be sure to check out our video below to get a real hands-on look at how to use all the features mentioned in this article:
Two more things I wanted to preface before we get started:
- Yes this is a public beta, but there is still some risk to installing. So please be fully aware that your device might have an issue after installation. I personally have not dealt with anything detrimental to my device. But it is a possibility.
- There are still no Apple Intelligence features. Apple has omitted any and all Apple Intelligence features for both the developer and public betas
Now, let’s get started!
1. The new iPad home screen
When you first go to your home screen after installing iPadOS 18 you might not noticing anything different. But there are an abundance of new features to try out.
- New tinted and dark mode icons
- New larger and nameless app icons
- Ability to place App icons anywhere on the screen
- Ability to change widget sizes on the fly with the new corner tab
- Ability to dim or brighten your wallpaper
When you enter wiggle (or jiggle) mode, you will see a new option at the top right-hand corner called ‘customize.’ This will allow you to customize your home screen with these new features. Give it a try and tag me on Twitter with posts of your new home screen!
2. New Control Center
The next big functional and visual change is the control center. Control center, for the most part, has lacked customization. You could choose from some different controls to add or remove, but it was pre-determined. But now it has become, almost like a whole other home screen. Here are some of the changes to try:
- A more circular look
- Multiple pages of controls
- New pages for media controls, Homekit management, and connectivity service (airplane mode, data, wifi, etc)
- Ability to add/remove new control widgets
- Ability to re-arrange the widget controls
- Ability to adjust the size of each control on the fly
- Much more robust library of Control Center widgets
- Ability to turn off iPad from the control center
3. iPad Calculator
This is one of the better new apps that Apple has given us. I will say, I wish this was out 12 years ago when I was still in Calculus class, but regardless its an amazing feature and app. Apple finally gave the iPad a dedicated calculator app. When you first open it, you are greeted with a calculator in its simplest form. You then can switch from basic to scientific, giving you all the input someone needs with a scientific calculator. But the best feature is Math Notes!
Math notes combine a notes canvas with the ability to solve math problems with your handwriting. So you can do something as simple as literally using your Apple Pencil to write ‘2+2=’ and the iPad will solve it for you in your handwriting. You can solve algebra problems, it will graph equations for you and it will even solve more complex physics problems as long as the variables are defined. It truly is amazing what it is doing and I’m excited to see the future use cases.
4. Lock and hide apps
iPadOS 18 introduced a new native feature that allows you to lock any app behind your faceID and add it to a hidden folder in your app library. It’s very simple to do.
- Long press on the app you want to lock
- Tap ‘require FaceID’
- This is where it will ask if you want to just require FaceID or send it to your Hidden folder.
- Decide which one
- It will ask you for your FaceID
- Boom, its done!
It was very easy to use, and apparently, it was a feature a lot of users wanted. So now we have it!
5. Format drives in the files app
This is a big one for us iPad users. Until now, iPads and iPhones could not format SSDs or any type of external storage. This is a key feature for anyone who is trying to use their iPad as their main computer. But it is finally here. This is how to format external storage.
- Make sure you have external storage connected
- Long press on the external storage
- Tap the ‘erase’ button (don’t worry, it won’t erase!)
- Then it brings up the different formatting options
- Tap on your preferred format and then tap erase.
- Done!
Other iPadOS 18 features
There are so many more features to play with, like FaceTime control, the new insights feature in the Apple TV app, or the new corrective handwriting in the Notes app. I go over all of these features in our video here. Be sure to stop by our YouTube channel to find out what else iPadOS 18 is bringing in the public beta!
Final thoughts
For me, the betas have been very stable. Of course, there are some lapses, some restarts that need to happen, and a few 3rd party app compatibility issues. However, I have not had a data loss or anything that has deterred me from getting my work done on my main machine. So again, please install at your own risk because there have been a few (not many) stories of people dealing with some bad software bugs.
Let me know your thoughts on iPadOS 18. Are you going to install it? Did you install it already? What is your favorite feature? Let’s discuss all this in the comments below!
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