Apple Updates Pages, Numbers, and Keynote With New Features

Apple today updated its iWork suite of apps, introducing new features for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote on both iOS devices and Mac. These are minor version 12.1 updates, and each app has received a few new features, as outlined below.

iWork macOS Trio Feature

Keynote

The Keynote apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad include an option to add subtle movement and visual interest to presentations with dynamic backgrounds that move as you transition from slide to slide.

There are new animated themes that feature dynamic backgrounds, and there is an option to skip or unskip all slides in a collapsed group.

Numbers

Numbers for ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Mac got the fewest updates, with Apple improving performance when inserting rows and columns in large tables.

Pages

Pages for ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and Mac gains a new feature that allows mail merge to be used to create personalized letters, cards, and envelopes for multiple recipients, and it offers new templates for event invitations and certificates. Pages documents can also now be exported as TXT files.

The iWork apps for iOS and Mac are available for free from the App Store and Mac App Store.

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Top Rated Comments

EugW Avatar
40 months ago
The updates are not showing up for me... yet. I tried on two machines.


Those apps are, in my opinion, awful. I can't work with the toolbar being to the right side, and the tables interaction is awful. I hate to say it, but make it look like Docs/Word
Translated: I don't like Pages because it's not MS Word.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamw Avatar
40 months ago
Glad to see iWork apps getting updated and maintained, and not neglected by Apple.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macsound1 Avatar
40 months ago

Office is ubiquitous, as is Google Docs. Who uses Pages?

Don’t get me wrong—I would if I could—no question
Whats amazing about pages vs google docs is its a native app. I can open and save files without downloading and uploading.
Personally, I'm ridding myself, my clients and my family of MS Office as they upgrade their macs to avoid the license fee, showing them there's no drawback.
And for design focused individuals, iWork blows MS Office out of the water. Try and make a PowerPoint slideshow with 100 pictures. In Keynote, you drag photos into the left sidebar and it makes a slide per image. Easy!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danfango Avatar
40 months ago

Those apps are, in my opinion, awful. I can't work with the toolbar being to the right side, and the tables interaction is awful. I hate to say it, but make it look like Docs/Word
I run a business through Numbers and Pages. It's fine. It's just different to Office.

The only thing that shafts me is the lack of engineering units in Numbers. Have to divide a lot of stuff regularly or use constant multipliers.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
headlessmike Avatar
40 months ago

Suggestion for Apple! Stop trying to compete with Office - it’s game over. Redeploy these resources to Apple AirPort Extreme and Airport Express WiFi Routers! These are critical devices - I’m still using mine and they’re 5 years out of date!
Keynote is the best presentation app bar none. Microsoft should consider shelving PowerPoint.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
40 months ago
I use all three apps frequently. And all are a delight to use. Dumped Office around 15 years ago.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)