iPadOS builds on the same powerful foundation as iOS, while offering distinct experiences designed just for the capabilities of iPad. And now iPadOS 15 pushes the platform even further, with powerful and intuitive updates to Apple Pencil, apps, augmented reality, and so much more.

What's New:

This update introduces enhanced Autofill for PDFs and enhancements to Messages and Weather. This release also includes other features, bug fixes, and security updates for your iPad.

PDF

  • Enhanced AutoFill identifies fields in PDFs and other forms enabling you to populate them with information such as names and addresses from your contacts

Messages

  • Catch-up arrow lets you easily jump to your first unread message in a conversation by tapping the arrow visible in the top-right corner
  • Add sticker option in the context menu lets you add a sticker directly to a bubble
  • Memoji updates include the ability to adjust the body shape of any Memoji
  • Contact Key Verification provides automatic alerts and Contact Verification Codes to help verify people facing extraordinary digital threats are messaging only with the people they intend

Weather

  • Precipitation amounts help you stay on top of rain and snow conditions for a given day over the next 10 days
  • New widgets let you choose from next-hour precipitation, daily forecast, sunrise and sunset times, and current conditions such as Air Quality, Feels Like, and wind speed
  • Wind map snapshot helps you quickly assess wind patterns and access the animated wind map overlay to prepare for forecasted wind conditions for the next 24 hours
  • Interactive moon calendar lets you easily visualize the phase of the moon on any day for the next month

This update also includes the following improvements:

  • Siri support for privately accessing and logging Health app data using your voice (iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), and iPad (8th generation and later))
  • Favorite Songs Playlist in Apple Music lets you quickly get back to the songs you mark as favorites
  • Use Listening History in Apple Music can be disabled in a Focus so music you listen to does not appear in Recently Played or influence your recommendations
  • A new Digital Clock Widget lets you quickly catch a glimpse of the time on your Home Screen or Lock Screen
  • New keyboard layouts provide support for 8 Sámi languages
  • Sensitive Content Warning for stickers in Messages prevents you from being unexpectedly shown a sticker containing nudity

Some features may not be available for 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/kb/HT201222

iPadOS 17.1.2 Release Notes:

Lock Screen

  • Redesigned Lock Screen gives you all new ways to personalize your Lock Screen by showcasing favorite photos, customizing font styles, displaying widgets, and more
  • A multilayered depth effect places the subject of the photo in front of the time
  • Multiple Lock Screens can be created and you can easily switch between them
  • Lock Screen gallery offers personalized suggestions as well as Apple curated collections, with new wallpapers like Kaleidoscope, Hello, and Lake
  • Motion effect for Live Photo wallpaper makes your Lock Screen feel more dynamic with Live Photos which settle into your Home Screen when unlocked
  • Live Activities make it easier to stay on top of things that are happening in real time, right from the Lock Screen
  • Notifications appear at the bottom of your Lock Screen and can be displayed in an expanded list view, stacked view, or count view

Widgets

  • Widgets on the Lock Screen let you glance at information like the weather, time, battery levels, calendar events, alarms and third party widgets
  • Interactive widgets let you take actions, like mark a reminder as complete, directly from the widget by tapping it on the Home Screen or Lock Screen
  • Undo on Home Screen lets you undo where you placed a widget by shaking iPad or using a three-finger tap

Messages

  • Stickers iMessage app brings all your stickers into one place including Live Stickers, Memoji, Animoji, emoji stickers, and your third party sticker packs
  • Live Stickers can be created by lifting the subject from photos or videos and stylizing them with effects like Shiny, Puffy, Comic, and Outline
  • Audio message transcription is available for audio messages you receive so you can read them in the moment and listen later
  • Search improvements help you find messages faster by allowing you to combine search filters such as people, keywords, and content types like photos or links to find exactly what you are looking for
  • Swipe to reply to a message inline by swiping to the right on any bubble
  • One-time verification code cleanup automatically deletes verification codes from the Messages app after using them with AutoFill in other apps

FaceTime

  • Leave a video or audio message to capture exactly what you want to say when someone does not pick up your FaceTime call
  • Enjoy FaceTime calls on Apple TV by using your iPad as a camera (Apple TV 4K 2nd generation and later)
  • Reactions layer 3D effects like hearts, balloons, confetti, and more around you in video calls and can be triggered with gestures
  • Video effects allow you to adjust the intensity of Studio Lighting and Portrait mode

Health

  • Health app on iPad is designed for the larger display, including the sidebar for quick navigation, rich details in Favorites, and interactive charts
  • Health and fitness data seamlessly syncs across your devices from your iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch, as well as compatible third-party apps and devices
  • Health Sharing lets you choose health data to share with those closest to you and receive important notifications about your loved ones' health and view things like their activity, mobility data, heart rate data, and trends
  • State of Mind reflection allows you to log your momentary emotion and daily mood, choose what factors are having the biggest impact on you, and describe your feelings
  • Interactive charts give you insights into your state of mind, how it has changed over time, and what factors may have influence such as exercise, sleep, and mindful minutes
  • Mental health assessments help you understand your current risk for depression and anxiety and if you might benefit from getting support
  • Screen Distance leverages the TrueDepth camera that powers Face ID to encourage you to increase the distance you view your device to reduce digital eye strain and can help reduce the risk of myopia in children

Notes

  • Inline PDFs and document scans are presented full-width in your note, making it easy to view and mark-up a document you're reviewing
  • Linked notes allow you to create hyperlinks to other notes to connect ideas, content, or any information
  • Block quote formatting makes it easy to visually offset a section of writing with a quote bar
  • Monostyled text formatting features monospace text inset with a distinct background
  • Open in Pages lets you create a Pages document from your note from the share menu

Safari and Passwords

  • Profiles keep your browsing separate for topics like work and personal, separating your history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and favorites
  • Private Browsing enhancements include locking your private browsing windows when you're not using them, blocking known trackers from loading, and removing identifying tracking from URLs
  • Password and passkey sharing lets you create a group of passwords to share with trusted contacts that stays up to date as members of the group make changes
  • One-time verification code AutoFill from Mail autofill in Safari so you can log in without leaving the browser

Keyboard

  • Improved autocorrect accuracy makes typing even easier by leveraging a powerful transformer-based language model (iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad (10th generation), iPad Air (4th generation and later), and iPad mini (6th generation))
  • Easier autocorrect editing temporarily underlines corrected words and lets you revert back to what you originally typed with just a tap
  • Enhanced sentence corrections can correct more types of grammatical mistakes when you finish sentences (iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad (10th generation), iPad Air (4th generation and later), and iPad mini (6th generation))
  • Inline predictive text shows single and multi-word predictions as you type that can be added by tapping space bar (iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad (10th generation), iPad Air (4th generation and later), and iPad mini (6th generation))

Freeform

  • Improved drawing with new tools, like fountain pen, ruler and watercolor as well as shape recognition
  • Follow Along allows you to guide collaborators around your board so that they can see what you see as you move around the canvas
  • Better diagraming helps you quickly build diagrams and flowcharts by dragging connector handles to connect objects
  • Share to Freeform lets you add content from other apps to your Freeform boards using the share sheet
  • PDF markup allows you to annotate directly on PDFs in your board
  • 3D interaction lets you preview 3D objects on your canvas with Quick Look

Stage Manager

  • More flexible window positioning lets you create your ideal window layout with larger draggable areas for precise selection and positioning of apps
  • External display cameras can be used for FaceTime and video calls

Visual Look Up

  • Expanded domains in Visual Look Up help you discover similar recipes from photos of food, Maps information from photos of storefronts, and the meaning of signs and symbols on things like laundry tags
  • Multiple or single subjects can be lifted from the background of photos and videos and placed into apps like Messages
  • Visual Look Up in Video helps you learn about objects that appear in paused video frames
  • Visual Look Up for subjects in photos enables you to look up information about objects you lift from photos directly from the callout bar

Siri

  • Option to say "Siri" in addition to "Hey Siri" for an even more natural way to make requests
  • Back-to-back requests can be issued without needing to reactivate Siri in between commands (iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), and iPad (8th generation and later))

AirPlay

  • Intelligent AirPlay device list makes finding the right AirPlay-compatible TV or speaker even easier by showing your devices in order of relevance, based on your preferences
  • Suggested AirPlay device connections are proactively shown to you as a notification to make it even more seamless to connect to your preferred AirPlay devices
  • Automatic AirPlay device connections are made between your iPad and the most relevant AirPlay-compatible device so all you have to do is tap "Play" to begin enjoying your content

AirPods

  • Adaptive Audio delivers a new listening mode that dynamically blends Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency to tailor the noise control experience based on the conditions of your environment (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
  • Personalized Volume adjusts the volume of your media in response to your environment and listening preferences over time (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
  • Conversation Awareness lowers your media volume and enhances the voices of the people in front of the user, all while reducing background noise (AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with firmware version 6A300 or later)
  • Press to mute and unmute your microphone by pressing the AirPods stem or the Digital Crown on AirPods Max when on a call (AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), or AirPods Max with firmware version 6A300 or later)

Privacy

  • Sensitive Content Warnings can be enabled to prevent users from unexpectedly being shown images containing nudity in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, and FaceTime messages
  • Expanded Communication Safety protections for children now detect videos containing nudity in addition to photos that children may receive or attempt to send in Messages, AirDrop, Contact Posters in the Phone app, FaceTime messages, and the system Photo picker
  • Improved sharing permissions give you even more control over what you share with apps, with an embedded photo picker and an add-only Calendar permission
  • Link tracking protection removes extra information from links shared in Messages, Mail, and Safari Private Browsing that some websites use in their URLs to track you across other websites, and links still work as expected

Accessibility

  • Assistive Access distills apps and experiences to their essential features in Phone and FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music, including large text, visual alternatives, and focused choices for users with cognitive disabilities
  • Live Speech lets you type what you want to say and have it be spoken out loud in phone calls, FaceTime calls, or for in-person conversations
  • Personal Voice enables users who are at risk of losing their speech function to privately and securely create a voice that sounds like them on iPad, and use it with Live Speech in phone and FaceTime calls
  • Point and Speak in Magnifier Detection Mode uses iPad to read text out loud on physical objects with small text labels, such as keypads on doors and buttons on appliances

This release also includes other features and improvements:

  • Pets in the People album in Photos surfaces individual pets in the album just like friends or family members
  • Photos Album widget lets you select a specific album from the Photos app to appear in the widget
  • Item sharing in Find My allows you to share an AirTag or Find My network accessory with up to five other people
  • Activity History in Home displays a recent history of events for door locks, garage doors, security systems, and contact sensors
  • Grid Forecast in Home shows when your electrical grid has cleaner energy sources available (Contiguous US only)
  • Grocery Lists in Reminders automatically group related items into sections as you add them
  • New Memoji stickers in Keyboard include Halo, Smirk, and Peekaboo
  • App Shortcuts in Spotlight Top Hit offer you app shortcuts to your next action when you search for an app
  • Email or phone number sign-in lets you sign into your iPad with any email address or phone number listed in your Apple ID account

iPadOS 16.3.0 Release Notes:

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

  • Security Keys for Apple ID allow users to strengthen the security of their account by requiring a physical security key as part of the two factor authentication sign in process on new devices
  • Support for HomePod (2nd generation)
  • Fixes an issue in Freeform where some drawing strokes created with Apple Pencil or your finger may not appear on shared boards
  • Addresses an issue where Siri may not respond properly to music requests

Freeform

  • Freeform is a new app for working creatively with friends or colleagues on Mac, iPad and iPhone
  • A flexible canvas lets you add files, images, stickies, and more
  • Drawing tools let you sketch anywhere on the canvas with your finger or Apple Pencil

Stage Manager

  • External display support with resolutions up to 6K available on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and later), and iPad Air (5th generation)
  • Drag and drop files and windows from your compatible device to your connected display, and vice versa
  • Support for using up to 4 apps on the iPad display and 4 on the external display

Apple Music Sing

  • A new way to sing along with millions of your favorite songs in Apple Music
  • Fully adjustable vocals let you duet with the original artist, sing solo, or mix it up
  • Newly enhanced beat-by-beat lyrics make it even easier to follow along with the music

Advanced Data Protection for iCloud

  • New option expands the total number of iCloud data categories protected using end-to-end encryption to 23 --- including iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos --- protecting your information even in the case of a data breach in the cloud

Game Center

  • SharePlay support in Game Center for multiplayer games so you can play with the people you are on a FaceTime call with
  • Activity Widget allows you to see what your friends are playing and achieving in games right from your Home Screen

Home

  • Improved reliability and efficiency of communication between your smart home accessories and Apple devices

This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:

  • Improved search in Messages allows you to find photos based on their content, like a dog, car, person, or text
  • Tracking Notifications alert you if an AirTag separated from its owner is nearby and has recently played a chime to indicate it is moving
  • Reload and Show IP Address setting enables iCloud Private Relay users to temporarily disable the service for a specific site in Safari
  • News articles in Weather display information relevant to the weather in that location
  • Participant Cursors in Notes allow you to see live indicators as others make updates in a shared note
  • AirDrop now automatically reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes to prevent unwanted requests to receive content
  • Fixes an issue that causes some notes not to sync with iCloud after updates are made
  • Fixes an issue that may cause Multi-Touch gestures to become unresponsive while using the Zoom accessibility feature

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Previous release notes:

iPadOS 15.6 includes enhancements, bug fixes and security updates.

  • TV app adds the option to restart a live sports game already in-progress and pause, rewind, or fast-forward
  • Fixes an issue where Settings may continue to display that device storage is full even if it is available
  • Fixes an issue that may cause braille devices to slow down or stop responding when navigating text in Mail
  • Fixes an issue in Safari where a tab may revert back to a previous page
  • Fixes an issue where iPad mini (6th generation) may not detect a charger or other USB-C accessory
  • Some features may not be available for 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/kb/HT201222

Previous Notes:

This update includes the following bug fixes for your iPad:

  • Battery may drain more quickly than expected after updating to iPadOS 15.4
  • Braille devices may become unresponsive while navigating text or displaying an alert
  • Made for iPad hearing devices may lose connection within some third-party apps

Universal Control

  • Universal Control allows you to use a single mouse and keyboard across iPad and Mac
  • Text can be typed on either iPad or Mac and you can drag and drop files between them

Emoji

  • New emoji including faces, hand gestures, and household objects
  • Handshake emoji allows you to choose separate skin tones for each hand

FaceTime

  • SharePlay sessions can be initiated directly from supported apps

Siri

  • Siri can provide time and date information while offline on iPad Pro with A12Z Bionic and later
  • Siri now includes an additional voice, expanding the diversity of options

This release also includes the following enhancements for your iPad:

  • Volume controls can be set to adjust as you rotate your iPad, on iPad (5th generation and newer), iPad mini (4th and 5th generation), iPad Air 2, iPad Air (3rd and 4th generation), and iPad Pro
  • iCloud custom email domains can be managed from Settings
  • Safari webpage translation adds support for Italian and Chinese (Traditional)
  • Podcasts app adds episode filters for seasons, played, unplayed, saved, or downloaded episodes
  • News offers enhanced discovery of audio content in the Today feed and Audio tab
  • Camera in keyboard can be used to add text to Notes and Reminders
  • Shortcuts adds support for tags in Reminders; add, remove, or query tags when creating and editing Shortcuts
  • Security recommendations can now be hidden
  • Saved passwords can now include your own notes in Settings

This release also includes bug fixes for your iPad:

  • Keyboard may insert period between typed numbers
  • News widgets in Today View may not open articles when tapped
  • Photos and videos may not sync to iCloud Photo Library
  • Speak Screen Accessibility feature may quit unexpectedly within the Books app
  • Live Listen may not turn off when switched off in Control Center

Previous Notes:

  • iPadOS 15.3.1 includes bug fixes and security updates for your iPad and is recommended for all users.

Previous Notes:

  • iPadOS 15.2.1 contains bug fixes for your iPad including the following:
    • Messages may not load photos sent using an iCloud Link

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Previous Notes:

iPadOS 15.2 adds Apple Music Voice Plan, a new subscription tier that provides access to music using Siri. This update also includes the App Privacy Report, new safety features for children and parents in Messages, and other features and bug fixes for your iPad.

Apple Music Voice Plan

  • Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
  • Just Ask Siri suggests music based on your listening history and likes or dislikes
  • Play it Again lets you access a list of your recently played music

Privacy

  • App Privacy Report in Settings lets you see how often apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts and more during the last seven days, as well as their network activity

Messages

  • Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
  • Safety warnings contain helpful resources for children when they receive photos that contain nudity

Siri and Search

  • Expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight and Safari Search to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations

Apple ID

  • Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death

TV app

  • Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place
  • This release also includes the following enhancements for your iPad:
  • Notes setting to access Quick Note with a swipe from the lower left or lower right corner of the screen
  • Hide My Email is available in the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers to create unique, random email addresses
  • Reminders and Notes now allow you to delete or rename tags
  • This release also includes bug fixes for your iPad:
  • Siri may not respond while VoiceOver is running and iPad is locked
  • ProRAW photos may appear overexposed when viewing in third-party photo editing apps
  • Calendar events may appear on the wrong day for Microsoft Exchange users

Some features may not be available for 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/kb/HT201222

Previous notes:

AirTag and Find My

  • Support for AirTag to keep track of and find your important items like your keys, wallet, backpack and more, privately and securely in the Find My app
  • Precision Finding uses visual, audible, and haptic feedback to guide you directly to your nearby AirTag using Ultra Wideband provided by the U1 chip on iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models
  • AirTag can be located by playing a sound via the built-in speaker
  • The Find My network with hundreds of millions of devices can help you find your AirTag, even when it isn't nearby
  • Lost Mode notifies you when your AirTag is found, and you can enter a phone number where you can be contacted

Emoji

  • Support for separate skin tones for each individual in all variations of the couple kissing emoji and couple with heart emoji
  • New face emojis, heart emojis, woman with a beard emoji

Siri

  • Siri now includes more diverse voice options
  • Incoming calls can be announced with Siri, including who is calling, when you're wearing your AirPods or compatible Beats headphones, and you can answer hands-free
  • Group FaceTime calls are supported by asking Siri to FaceTime a list of contacts or a group name from Messages
  • Emergency contacts can be called by asking Siri

Privacy

  • App Tracking Transparency lets you control which apps are allowed to track your activity across other companies' apps and websites for ads or sharing with data brokers

Apple Music

  • Share your favorite lyrics using Messages, Facebook, and Instagram Stories, and subscribers can play the snippet in Messages without leaving the conversation
  • City charts showcase what's popular in over 100 cities from all over the world

Podcasts

  • Podcasts Show Pages are redesigned to make it easier to start listening
  • Option to save and download episodes, automatically adding them to your Library for quick access
  • Download behavior and notification settings can be customized on a show-by-show basis
  • Top Charts and popular categories in Search help you discover new shows

5G improvements

  • Dual SIM support enables 5G connectivity on the line that's using cellular data on iPhone 12 models
  • Smart Data Mode improvements further optimize your experience on 5G networks for better battery life and data usage on iPhone 12 models
  • 5G international roaming enabled on supported carriers on iPhone 12 models

News

  • Redesigned News+ tab enables Apple News+ subscribers to quickly find, download, and manage magazine and newspaper issues
  • All-new Search experience that helps you find relevant topics, channels, and stories

Maps

  • Accidents, hazards, or speed checks along your route can be reported by telling Siri on your iPhone or on CarPlay
  • Estimated time of arrival (ETA) can be shared when cycling or walking, in addition to driving, by asking Siri or tapping on the route card at the bottom of the screen, then tapping Share ETA

Reminders

  • Ability to sort reminders by Title, Priority, Due Date, or Creation date
  • Option to print your reminder lists

Translate

  • Translation playback speed can be adjusted by long pressing the play button

Gaming

  • Xbox Series X|S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense™ Wireless Controller support

Fitness+

  • Ability to stream audio and video content from Apple Fitness+ workouts to AirPlay 2-enabled TVs and devices

CarPlay

  • ETA in Apple Maps can be easily shared while driving with new Siri or keyboard controls in CarPlay

This release also fixes the following issues:

  • Messages at the bottom of the thread may be hidden by the keyboard under certain circumstances
  • Deleted messages may still appear in Spotlight search
  • Messages may persistently fail to send texts in some threads
  • Mail would not load new emails for some users until restarting the device
  • Call blocking and identification section may not appear in Phone settings
  • iCloud Tabs may not appear in Safari
  • iCloud Keychain could be prevented from turning off
  • Reminders created via Siri may be unintentionally set for early morning hours
  • Battery health reporting system will recalibrate maximum battery capacity and peak performance capability on iPhone 11 models to address inaccurate estimates of battery health reporting for some users (https://support.apple.com/HT212247)
  • Optimization to reduce the appearance of a dim glow that may appear at reduced brightness levels with black backgrounds on iPhone 12 models
  • AirPods audio routing to incorrect device for Automatic Switching
  • AirPods Automatic Switching notifications might be missing or duplicated

For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Previous version iOS 14.3 2020-12-15:

Previous version iOS 14.2 2020-11-05:

Previous version iOS 14.0 2020-09-15:

Previous versions:

Previous version iOS 10.1.1 2016-11-01:

Previous version iOS 10.1 2016-10-25:

Previous version iOS 10.0.2 2016-09-23:

Previous version iOS 10.0.1 2016-09-14:

Previous version iOS 9.3.5 2016-08-25:

Previous version iOS 9.3.4 2016-08-05:

Previous version iOS 9.3.3 2016-07-20:

Previous version iOS 9.3.2 2016-05-17:

Previous version iOS 9.3.1 2016-04-01:

Previous version iOS 9.3: