Apple Updates iWork Apps for iOS With Support for Scribble, New Image Picker, Editable Shapes and More

Apple today updated its iWork apps designed for iOS devices, introducing new iOS 14 features and support for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

iworkappsios
All three of the apps now support the Scribble feature that was introduced in iPadOS 14, allowing Apple Pencil owners to handwrite anywhere in any text field within the iWork apps, with the written text then converted right into typed text.

The new feature will let ‌Apple Pencil‌ users write out Pages documents, Numbers spreadsheets, and Keynote presentations without having to swap over to the keyboard to fill in data.

Apple has also added new editable shapes in each of the apps along with support for the redesigned iOS and iPadOS 14 image picker. Full release notes for each app are below:

Pages

  • Use Scribble to write by hand with ‌Apple Pencil‌, and your words will automatically convert to text. Requires iPadOS 14.
  • Select from new report templates to help you get started.
  • Enhance your documents with a variety of new, editable shapes.
  • Easily find pictures and videos using new zoom and search capabilities in the redesigned image picker. Requires iOS 14 or iPadOS 14.

Keynote

  • Use Scribble to write by hand with ‌Apple Pencil‌, and your words will automatically convert to text. Requires iPadOS 14.
  • Use the new Outline View to focus on the structure and flow of your content without other distractions.
  • Play YouTube and Vimeo videos right in your presentations.
  • Movie export now supports a wide selection of formats and frame rates.
  • Hold the option key while dragging an object to duplicate it.
  • Easily find pictures and videos using new zoom and search capabilities in the redesigned image picker. Requires iOS 14 or iPadOS 14.
  • Enhance your presentations with a variety of new, editable shapes.

Numbers

  • Use Scribble to write by hand with ‌Apple Pencil‌, and your words will automatically convert to text. Requires iPadOS 14.
  • Forms are now easier to create and customize. Add a form to any table or use the new Basic Form template.
  • Improved performance when working with large tables.
  • Easily find pictures and videos using new zoom and search capabilities in the redesigned image picker. Requires iOS 14 or iPadOS 14.
  • Enhance your spreadsheets with a variety of new, editable shapes.

Apple has also updated the Mac versions of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers with new report templates and editable shapes.

All of the new updates are available from the iOS App Store and macOS ‌App Store‌ as of this morning.

Apple's iWork apps for Mac and iOS are free downloads for all users.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...

Top Rated Comments

techpr Avatar
68 months ago
Apple Keynote is light years ahead of PowerPoint. Now with this update you can play YouTube/Vimeo videos! Can’t remember if you can play YouTube videos in PowerPoint.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gaximus Avatar
68 months ago
I've always loved Pages. It's so much better for me. Word can do a lot more, but unless your a power user using most of the features, I think its probably better and easier to use than Word. Plus you can export it as a `.doc` and remain compatible with the rest of the world. At my last job they insisted that everyone use Word, I never even installed it and my bosses never knew.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Konigi Avatar
68 months ago
So it looks like even the 1-day notice before iOS 14 release was too sudden for Apple's own developers. Took them a few days to implement the new features into their apps?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
68 months ago
I like that the iWorks suite is now free (they weren’t a few years ago) but they are so behind other suites, I wish Apple invested more on them to at least be on par with the competition.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
68 months ago

When was the iWork suite not free? It's always been included with a new Mac. That is still considered free especially since Microsoft Office 365 doesn't come free when you buy a PC.
They were paid apps! They were 80 bucks... then reduced to $20 in the Mac and $10 in iPhone EACH...
Even iMovie and Garage Band you had to pay for them, then they made it free for new iPhones and Macs, later (only a couple of years ago) for older devices free as well.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4jasontv Avatar
68 months ago
iWork is this amazing piece of software that I forget about until that one person shares a keynote file and a dozen people email me asking how they can open it in PowerPoint.


So it looks like even the 1-day notice before iOS 14 release was too sudden for Apple's own developers. Took them a few days to implement the new features into their apps?
Their app developers get pulled to work on the OS near GM, so they rarely get it done on time.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)