New iPad Pro and iPad Air Will Have Day-One Software Update With These Release Notes

by

The new iPad Pro and iPad Air will begin arriving to customers over the next 24 hours. It appears that the initial batch of the devices will have a special build of iPadOS 17.4 preinstalled, but an iPadOS 17.5 software update will be available in the Settings app right away, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris.

M4 iPad Pro and Air Feature
iPadOS 17.5 has a special build number of 21F84 on the new iPads, and modified release notes that mention improved document scanning:

Apple News+
• Offline mode in Apple News+ gives you access to the Today feed and News+ tab, even when you don't have an internet connection
• Quartiles is a new and original daily word game that is now available in Apple News+
• Scoreboard in News+ Puzzles gives you access to new player data for Crossword, Mini Crossword and Quartiles, including stats and streaks

Tracking Notifications
• Cross-Platform Tracking Detection delivers notifications to users if a compatible Bluetooth tracker they do not own is moving with them, regardless of what operating system the device is paired with

Document Scanning
• Document scanning is improved on the new iPad Air and iPad Pro

The new iPad Pro models with the M4 chip are equipped with "adaptive True Tone flash" for improved document scanning. It is unclear if the feature requires iPadOS 17.5, or if the update simply further optimizes the functionality.

iPad Pro Improved Document Scanning
With adaptive True Tone flash and AI, the new iPad Pro can eliminate shadows on scanned documents, as Apple explained in a press release:

It also now features a new adaptive True Tone flash that makes document scanning on the new iPad Pro better than ever. Using AI, the new iPad Pro automatically identifies documents right in the Camera app, and if a shadow is in the way, it instantly takes multiple photos with the new adaptive flash, stitching the scan together for a dramatically better scan.

Improved document scanning will be available in the Camera, Files, and Notes apps, and third-party apps will be able to offer the feature too.

The new iPad Air does not have adaptive True Tone flash, so it is unclear how document scanning is improved on those models, as Apple indicates.

iPadOS 17.5 was already released on Monday for all other iPads, with a build number of 21F79 and no mention of improved document scanning.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
Read Full Article • 20 comments
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
Read Full Article • 466 comments
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
Read Full Article • 6 comments
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
Read Full Article • 72 comments
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Read Full Article • 3 comments
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
Read Full Article • 70 comments
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
Read Full Article • 204 comments
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
Read Full Article • 158 comments
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Here's When Tesla is Expected to Add Support for Apple CarPlay

Sunday November 16, 2025 6:49 am PST by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Tesla plans to add Apple CarPlay support to its vehicles "in the coming months." This is easily the biggest news for the regular version of CarPlay in years, should Tesla actually follow through with offering the system in its vehicles. As noted by Gurman, this would be a stunning reversal for Tesla and its CEO Elon ...
Read Full Article • 116 comments
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
Read Full Article

Top Rated Comments

julesme Avatar
julesme
20 months ago
Document scanning in Notes is one of the best & most under-appreciated iOS features. I still come across people who don’t use it and /or have never heard of it. Happy to see Apple continue to improve it.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cirillo Gherardo Avatar
Cirillo Gherardo
20 months ago

Document scanning in Notes is one of the best & most under-appreciated iOS features.
Eh. Document Scanning itself is great. Document Scanning in Notes is the clunkiest most confusing thing on the entire OS. Most people are just trying to get a JPG or a PDF to send somewhere. But its part of a note, and really unclear how to share just the document, and then scanning itself is really unclear when it comes to multi page document vs multiple documents. It's a real mess that needs to be simplified. I wish the camera app had scanning built in and AI document detection, because no one ever opens Notes to do this. I always see people just open the camera and start taking a picture of a document ...perfect moment for AI to step in handle it like a scan instead of a photo.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechnoMonk Avatar
TechnoMonk
20 months ago
Hope the true tone flash comes to future iPhones, i find it uncomfortable to scan with my m1 iPad Pro.May be the lighter M4 iPad Pro is better.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ps3zocker Avatar
ps3zocker
20 months ago

Hope the true tone flash comes to future iPhones, i find it uncomfortable to scan with my m1 iPad Pro.May be the lighter M4 iPad Pro is better.
True Tone flash has been on the iPhone for years. Is it adaptive though, I don't know? What's the "AIs" job in this?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechnoMonk Avatar
TechnoMonk
20 months ago

True Tone flash has been on the iPhone for years. Is it adaptive though, I don't know? What's the "AIs" job in this?
It takes multiple scans and stitches together to remove the shadows. I have problems occasionally with scans from my 13 PM, needs some maneuvering to eliminate shadows.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reubs Avatar
reubs
20 months ago

The Files app does the same thing but the functionality is kind of hidden. But using the Files app you can select where to save the document directly which makes sharing easier, and it defaults to multi document mode.

I agree that it’s clunky to scan a pdf into a note. Maybe it makes sense for Apple executives who only ever talk to people who also extensively use Apple Notes.
I had no idea you could scan in the Files app!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments