iPadOS 15

Apple's previous-generation operating system for the iPad.

By MacRumors Staff
iPadOS 15

iPadOS 15 Overview

Apple in June 2021 introduced iPadOS 15, which went on to be released on September 20, 2021. iPadOS 15 introduced a new Home Screen design with integrated widgets and the App Library, system-wide fast note-taking with Quick Note, new features for FaceTime calls, a redesigned Safari experience, new tools to reduce distractions, and more.

Multitasking was redesigned in iPadOS 15 with a new multitasking menu at the top of apps, letting users enter Split View or Slide Over more easily, quick access to the Home Screen when using Split View, a new shelf allows for easier multitasking with apps that have multiple windows, and more, making it easier to work with multiple apps at once.

Users can now place widgets among apps on the iPad's Home Screen pages, and there is a new, bigger widget option. Apple is also bringing the App Library to the iPad for effortless organization of apps, accessible directly from the dock.

Quick Note is a new iPad feature that offers a fast and easy way to take notes anywhere across the system. Users can bring up Quick Note anywhere to jot down a thought and add links, providing an easy way to get back to exactly what they were looking at. In the Notes app, there are new Tags, a Tag Browser, and tag-based Smart Folders. Shared notes now feature mentions to notify collaborators and an Activity view.

Focus is a new feature that can filter notifications and apps based on what a user wishes to focus on at a certain time. When a user's Focus is blocking incoming notifications, their status will be displayed to others in Messages. iPadOS will suggest a Focus for different occasions, such as work hours or winding down for bed, using on-device intelligence, but users can also create a custom Focus. When a Focus is set on one Apple device, it automatically applies to other Apple devices.

Live Text is a new feature that uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in a photo that users can search for, highlight, and copy. Spotlight can now search for photos by location, people, scenes, objects, and text. Spotlight now offers web image search and richer results for actors, musicians, TV shows, and movies. Enhanced results for contacts show recent conversations, shared photos, and location if it is shared through Find My.

The iPad can now be used to build iPhone and iPad apps using Swift Playgrounds and submit them directly to the App Store. Code is immediately reflected in a live preview while building apps, and users can run created apps full screen to test them out. A new project format based on Swift packages can be opened and edited in Swift Playgrounds for iPad as well as within Xcode on Mac.

iPadOS 15 brings voice isolation and Spatial Audio to FaceTime calls so that voices sound as if they are coming from where the person is located on the screen. FaceTime also supports Portrait mode and offers a new grid view to see more faces at the same time. SharePlay is a new feature that allows users to share media together in sync during a FaceTime call. Users can also generate shareable links to a scheduled FaceTime call, which can also be opened on Android and Windows devices.

Safari now features an optional new tab bar design that takes on the color of webpages and combines tabs, the toolbar, and the search field into a compact design. There are also tab groups for managing tabs more easily across devices and web extensions for the first time.

iPadOS 15 brings the Translate app to the iPad, with new features that automatically detect when someone is speaking and Auto Translate their speech, an option for a face-to-face view, and system-wide text translation, including for handwritten text.

There are dozens of tweaks and improvements, such as Universal Control to seamlessly use a single mouse and keyboard across the iPad and the Mac and drag and drop files, features in the Maps app including a globe view and a new 3D experience in cities, all new features for Memories in the Photos app, a system-wide Shared with You feature for highlighting content that has been shared in Messages conversations, a new For All of You row in the TV app to recommend entertainment for the whole household, and more.

iPadOS 15 is compatible with the iPad mini 4 and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and all iPad Pro models, and was released on September 20, 2021. iPadOS 15 is being succeeded by iPadOS 16, releasing in October 2022.

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How to Download and Install iPadOS 15

iPadOS 15 is now available to all users with compatible devices, and it is possible to update in the Software Update section of the Settings app.

Question or issues can be directed to our iPadOS 15 forum where readers are discussing the release.

Current Version

The current version of iPadOS is iPadOS 15.7.1, featuring security fixes. A previous update, iPadOS 15.7, added the ability to restart, pause, rewind, and fast-forward live sports games in the TV app and bug fixes for Settings, Safari, and braille devices.

A previous update, iPadOS 15.5, added settings to limit downloaded podcast episodes, external links in reader apps, Communication Safety in more countries around the world, references to Apple Classical, SportsKit improvements, bug fixes, and more.

iPadOS 15.4.1 introduced Universal Control, added new emojis, support for Universal Control, the ability to turn off notifications for Shortcuts automations, keyboard brightness controls in Control Center, iCloud Keychain notes, improvements to saving passwords, custom email domains, SharePlay in the share sheet, anti-stalking improvements for AirTags, a new Siri voice, a range of other security improvements and bug fixes, and more.

An earlier update, iPadOS 15.2, introduced a large number of new features, including support for the Apple Music Voice Plan and App Privacy Report, plus it adds playlist search in Apple Music, Hide My Email, Communication Safety for kids, Digital Legacy, and more.

Apple has seeded two release candidate versions of iPadOS 15.6 to developers and public beta testers.

Multitasking Improvements

iPadOS 15 brings a range of multitasking improvements to the iPad. A new multitasking menu at the top of apps lets users enter Split View, Slide Over, full screen, center window, or close a window more easily.

There is a new multiwindow shelf that gives quick access to all of the open windows for an app. The shelf appears when you open an app and fades away as soon as you interact with the app. From the shelf, users can tap a window to open it or flick it away to close it.

ipados 15 multitasking mail notes

Now, when a user enters Split View, the app moves aside to reveal the Home Screen, giving access to all Home Screen pages and the App Library.

Users can open a window in the center of a screen in apps like Messages, Notes, or Mail. Touching and holding an email message, note, or message conversation will open it in a window centered on the screen, allowing you to quickly preview content without leaving the current view, and you can swipe down on the multitasking control to put the centered window in the shelf or create a Split View or Slide Over.

There is also an improved app switcher to include Slide Over apps and users can now create Split View spaces by simply dragging one app over another. In addition, users can quickly set up and switch between Split View and Slide Over with new shortcuts for multitasking right from the keyboard.

Home Screen Design

Widgets

In iPadOS 15, it is now possible to place widgets directly on the Home Screen and they will stay in place whether the iPad is being used in portrait or landscape.

When you first upgrade to iPadOS 15, there is a new default layout with widgets from the apps you use most arranged in Smart Stacks. Suggested widgets for apps you already use can automatically appear in your Smart Stack at the right time based on your past activity. In addition, you can easily reorder the widgets in your Smart Stacks right from the Home Screen with new controls.

There are also brand-new widgets for the friends and personal items in the Find My app, friends, and family in the Contacts app, "Continue Playing" and "Friends Are Playing" in Game Center, items from the Today tab in the App Store, and mailboxes from the Mail app.

ipados 15 home screen

App Library

iPadOS 15 brings the App Library to the iPad for the first time. The App Library automatically organizes apps into helpful categories such as Productivity and Games, as well as intelligent categories like Suggestions, to provide a simple, easy-to-navigate view of all your iPad apps. The App Library is accessible in the dock, even when inside an app, and new apps downloaded from the App Store automatically go into the App Library.

Home Screen Pages

Users can now easily reorder Home Screen pages, as well as hide pages to streamline the Home Screen. With a Focus, users can make certain Home Screen pages appear conditionally.

Spotlight

Spotlight can now use intelligence to search for photos by location, people, scenes, or objects, and using the new Live Text feature, Spotlight can find text and handwriting in photos.

Spotlight also supports web image searches and significantly richer results for actors, musicians, TV shows, and movies. Enhanced results for contact cards show recent conversations, shared photos, and location if it is shared through Find My.

It is also possible to access Spotlight from the Lock Screen and quickly install apps from the App Store without leaving Spotlight. For businesses that support App Clips, there is an action button on the Maps result in Spotlight.

Focus

iPadOS 15 features a new tool to help users reduce distraction called Focus. A Focus can filter notifications and home screen pages based on what a users wishes to focus on at a particular time, while still allowing urgent notifications through. When a user's Focus is currently blocking incoming notifications, their status is automatically displayed to other people in Messages, showing that a user is not currently available unless it is urgent.

ipados 15 focus

iPadOS will automatically suggest Focuses to users using on-device intelligence to determine which people and apps should notify them at certain times. Focus suggestions are based on users' contexts, such as work hours, personal time, or winding down for bed. Users can also create a custom Focus to only show certain notifications and Home Screen pages, select allowed interruptions for the most important notifications and apps, and set up auto-replies for Messages during a Focus.

When a user sets a Focus, it syncs across Apple devices. Developers can implement a new Status API for third-party messaging apps to reflect a Focus status.

Notifications Redesign

iPadOS 15 introduces completely redesigned notifications. Notifications will now display contact photos for people and larger icons for apps to make them easier to identify.

There is an all-new personalized notification summary that collects non-urgent notifications together to be delivered at a more appropriate time, such as in the morning or evening. Notifications in the summary are arranged by priority using on-device intelligence that analyses users' interactions with apps, with the most important and relevant notifications rising to the top. Urgent messages and time-sensitive notifications will still be delivered immediately.

There is now the option to mute any app or messaging thread's notifications temporarily, and iPadOS 15 will suggest muting a thread if it is unusually active but you are not engaging with it.

There is also a new notification API for developers, allowing them to send Time Sensitive notifications and adopt the new look for notifications coming from people.

Universal Control

Universal Control is a new iPad feature that allows users to use a single keyboard, mouse, or trackpad across the iPad and the Mac. When you move from your Mac to your iPad, the cursor for your mouse or trackpad transforms from an arrow to a round dot, automatically changing shape to what is best suited for the device.

No setup is required. Users simply push their cursor from one device toward the other until it pops onto the second device. Then you can move your cursor seamlessly between the two. There is also an option to set up Universal Control to work continuously in System Preferences, preventing the need to link the two devices each time.

Universal Control allows users to drag and drop content between devices and works with up to three devices. It's compatible with MacBook Pro (2016 and later), MacBook (2016 and later), MacBook Air (2018 and later), iMac (2017 and later), iMac (5K Retina 27-inch, Late 2015), iMac Pro, Mac mini (2018 and later), and Mac Pro (2019); and iPad Pro, iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (6th generation and later), and iPad mini (5th generation and later).

Universal Control is not available with the initial public release of macOS Monterey, but the feature is currently in beta testing and is expected to be released in the spring.

Swift Playgrounds

Swift Playgrounds now allows users to build iPhone and iPad apps with SwiftUI. Code is immediately reflected in the live preview while building apps, and users can run their apps full-screen to test them out. Users can even submit apps built in Swift Playgrounds directly to the App Store.

ipados 15 swift playgrounds code completion

Swift Playgrounds uses a new open project format based on Swift packages, which can also be opened and be edited within Xcode on the Mac, offering users the opportunity to develop apps across the iPad and the Mac.

ipados 15 swift playgrounds submit to app store

Notes

Quick Note

Quick Note is a new feature accessible from anywhere in the system, and allows users to quickly jot down information. Users can bring up Quick Note with a swipe of the finger or the Apple Pencil from the corner of the screen, Control Center, or a keyboard shortcut.

ipados 15 quick note

The size or position of a Quick Note is adjustable, and it can be hidden on the side of the screen to be brought back up quickly. Quick Note supports links from an app to create context, adding a thumbnail of the Quick Note when you next use the app to remind you of what you noted earlier. Quick Note can also keep track of websites you have visited by highlighting text or images in Safari and adding them directly to your note.

Tags

The Notes app in iPadOS 15 features user-created tags to conveniently sort and categorize notes in new ways. There is a Tag Browser to tap combinations of tabs and quickly view tagged notes and new custom folders that automatically collect notes based on tags.

Shared Notes Improvements

For shared notes, it is now possible to mention other users to notify one another of updates, and an all-new Activity view to see the recent edit history.

ipados 15 notes

Images in Handwritten Notes

Users can now combine handwriting and images in handwritten notes. Images can be dragged into the drawing area, then positioned, resized, or directly drawn on.

Reminders

Reminders now features tags to help with organizations, and it is possible to search and filter reminders based on tags. There is a new Tag Browser to tap combinations of tabs and quickly view tagged reminders. There are also new custom smart lists that automatically collect reminders together based on tags.

iPadOS 15 also brings quick-access options to easily delete completed reminders, improved natural language support, and expanded suggested attributes such as tags, flags, priority, and more.

FaceTime

In iPadOS 15, FaceTime offers Spatial Audio so that voices in a video call sound as if they are coming from where the person is located on the screen. There are also new microphone modes to separate a user's voice from background noise or introduce background noise in Wide Spectrum mode if desired.

ipados 15 facetime

FaceTime now features Portrait mode for video calls on devices with an A12 Bionic chip or later, so users are able to blur out their background and put themselves in focus, and mute alerts so it is clearer when you are speaking on mute. There is also a new grid view for group FaceTime calls, enabling participants to see more faces at the same time, and an optical zoom control for the back camera.

SharePlay

SharePlay is a new feature that allows users to share experiences with each other during FaceTime calls, including media like Apple Music songs, TV shows, or movies. Media is played in sync for all participants and there are shared playback controls, so anyone in a SharePlay session can play, pause, or skip content, as well as add to a shared queue. SharePlay also gives users the ability to share their screens to view apps together in FaceTime calls.

ipados 15 shareplay

Third-party apps such as Disney+, ESPN+, HBO Max, Hulu, MasterClass, Paramount+, Pluto TV, TikTok, Twitch, and others have committed to integrating SharePlay.

SharePlay extends to the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, so users can watch shows or movies on a bigger screen while connecting over FaceTime. Smart volume control dynamically and automatically adjusts audio so you can hear your friends even when shared content is playing loudly. SharePlay also features in-app Messages controls.

Users can now create a link to a FaceTime call and share it through Messages, Calendar, Mail, and third-party apps.

FaceTime links can be opened to use the FaceTime app on Apple devices, but they can also be opened through a web browser, bringing FaceTime to Android and Windows for the first time. FaceTime calls on the web remain end-to-end encrypted to guarantee privacy.

Safari

iPadOS 15 brings a new design to Safari. There is an option for a new, compact tab bar that takes up less space with an integrated Smart Search field that expands to reveal a page's full address. Safari features like sharing, Privacy Report, Translate, and Reader are located in the More menu within the active tab when using the new compact view.

ipados 15 safari extensions

Tabs have been redesigned with a rounder and more defined appearance and they will adapt in size as you add more. Tab Groups are a new way to save tabs in a folder that syncs across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Users can simply pull down a web page to refresh it and there is now support for voice search. Safari also gains a customizable start page and mobile web extensions for the first time.

iPadOS 15 features new Safari privacy protections, including Intelligent Tracking Prevention that prevents trackers from profiling you using your IP address, and Safari will automatically upgrade sites known to support HTTPS from insecure HTTP.

Messages

Content sent to you in Messages automatically appears in a new "Shared with You" section in the corresponding app. Shared with You is featured in Photos, Safari, Apple News, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and the Apple TV app. Users can pin notable content that has been shared with them so that it is elevated in Shared with You, Messages search, and the Details view of the conversation.

Groups of photos sent in Messages now appear as a glanceable collage or a swipeable stack, depending on how many have been sent, and it is easier to quickly save photos with a new save button. It is also now possible to find images shared through Messages using a contact name.

Photos

The Photos app contains a considerable update to Memories, which now features a new design, integration with Apple Music, a more interactive interface, and Memory looks.

Memories will suggest songs based on your Apple Music listening history that synchronize with videos and photos for a more personalized experience. Users can customize memories by swiping through Memory mixes, which let you audition different songs with a different pace and atmosphere.

There are 12 Memory looks that add mood by analyzing each photo and video and applying the correct amount of contrast and color adjustment for a consistent look. There are also new Memory types, including additional international holidays, child-focused memories, trends over time, and improved pet memories, including the ability to recognize individual dogs and cats.

It is also possible to view and edit all of the content from a Memory in a bird's-eye view, and a Watch Next section suggests related memories to watch.

People identification features improved recognition for individuals, and it is easier to correct naming mistakes in the People album. There is an option to Feature Less to let Photos know that you would prefer to see less of a specific date, place, holiday, or person across Featured Photos, the Photos widget, Memories, and highlighted in the Library tab.

In iPadOS 15, Photos features a richer Info pane to view information about the photo, such as the camera, lens, and shutter speed, the file size, or who sent a Shared with You photo in Messages. You can also edit the date taken or location, add a caption, and learn about items detected by Visual Look Up.

The Photos image picker, including in the Messages app, now allows you to select photos in a specific order for sharing. Third-party apps can also offer simpler selection workflows when you grant access to specific content in the Photos library.

In addition, Apple says that the initial sync of iCloud Photos on a new device is faster in iPadOS 15.

Maps

Maps now features an interactive globe view and significantly enhanced details in a new 3D view for cities. Neighborhoods, commercial districts, elevation, buildings, and more are now displayed in detail, alongside new road colors and labels, custom-designed landmarks, and a new "moonlit" night-time mode.

The Maps app also offers a new 3D city-driving experience with road details such as turn lanes, medians, bike lanes, and pedestrian crosswalks, that works both on the iPhone and in Apple CarPlay.

ipados 15 maps transit

Transit navigation has been redesigned and travelers can now find nearby stations more easily and pin their favorite lines. Maps will automatically follow along a selected transit route, notifying users when it is almost time to disembark.

Redesigned place cards make it easier to find and interact with information about businesses, locations, and physical features. There is a new Guides Home that features editorially curated information about new places.

When searching for a new location, there are new options to filter results by criteria like cuisine or opening times. Maps will also automatically update search results when moving around and the most-used settings are now located in one, simpler location.

Find My

The Find My app introduces new abilities to help locate a lost device that has been turned off or erased using the Find My network. A family member or friend who chooses to share their location with you will now continuously live-stream their location to provide a sense of direction and speed.

Apple is adding Find My network support to third-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, and there is a new Find My widget for an at-a-glance look at locations. There are also new Separation Alerts to notify a user if they leave an AirTag, Apple device, or Find My accessory network behind in an unfamiliar location.

Siri

In iPadOS 15, Siri requests are processed on-device using the Neural Engine, increasing security and significantly boosting responsiveness, while also no longer needing an internet connection.

On-device speech recognition and understanding improve as you use your device. Siri is also able to learn about the contacts you interact with most, new words you type, and topics you read about to provide better responses.

Siri can now share onscreen items such as photos, web pages, content from Apple Music or Apple Podcasts, Apple News stories, Maps locations, and more, in a Message, or even take a screenshot to send. In addition, Siri can now use onscreen context to send a message or start a call.

Siri is now better at maintaining context between requests, so you can conversationally refer to what you previously asked. You can also make requests to control a HomeKit device at a specific time or under certain circumstances, like when you leave home.

Siri is also able to Announce Notifications, such as Reminders, on AirPods and users can ask Siri what is on their screen.

Siri offers neural text-to-speech voice in more languages in iPadOS 15, including Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish. There is also Siri language support for Mixed English, Indic, and a mix of Indian English and a native language, including Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati, Malayalam, and Punjabi.

Child Safety Features

Apple has previewed new child safety features that will be coming to its platforms with software updates at an unspecified later date. The company said the features will be available in the U.S. only at launch and will be expanded to other regions over time.

Communication Safety

The Messages app on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac will be getting a new Communication Safety feature to warn children and their parents when receiving or sending sexually explicit photos. Apple has said that the Messages app will use on-device machine learning to analyze image attachments, and if a photo is determined to be sexually explicit, the photo will be automatically blurred and the child will be warned.

When a child attempts to view a photo flagged as sensitive in the Messages app, they will be alerted that the photo may contain private body parts, and that the photo may be hurtful. Depending on the age of the child, there will also be an option for parents to receive a notification if their child proceeds to view the sensitive photo or if they choose to send a sexually explicit photo to another contact after being warned.

The Communication Safety feature will be coming in updates to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey for accounts set up as families in iCloud. iMessage conversations will remain protected with end-to-end encryption, meaning that private communications will be unreadable to Apple.

iphone communication safety feature

Scanning Photos for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)

Using a new feature, Apple will be able to detect known Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) images stored in iCloud Photos, enabling Apple to report these instances to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a non-profit organization that works in collaboration with U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Apple says the method of detecting known CSAM is designed with user privacy in mind. Instead of scanning images in the cloud, Apple said the system will perform on-device matching against a database of known CSAM image hashes provided by the NCMEC and other child safety organizations. It will transform this database into an unreadable set of hashes that is securely stored on users' devices.

apple csam flow chart

Before an image is stored in iCloud Photos, an on-device matching process will be performed for that image against the unreadable set of known CSAM hashes. If there is a match, the device creates a cryptographic safety voucher. This voucher is uploaded to iCloud Photos along with the image, and once an undisclosed threshold of matches is exceeded, Apple is able to interpret the contents of the vouchers for CSAM matches.

Apple then manually reviews each report to confirm there is a match, disables the user's iCloud account, and sends a report to NCMEC. Apple has not shared what its exact threshold is, but it has an "extremely high level of accuracy" to ensure that accounts are not incorrectly flagged.

The hashing technology, called NeuralHash, analyzes an image and converts it to a unique number specific to that image. The underlying technology behind Apple's system is quite complex and it has published a technical summary with more details.

iphone csam siri

Apple will expand guidance in Siri and Spotlight Search across devices by providing additional resources to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations. For example, users who ask Siri how they can report CSAM or child exploitation will be pointed to resources for where and how to file a report.

These updates to Siri and Search are coming in an update to iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey.

Other Features

5G

  • Enhanced connectivity using 5G - More app and system experiences are improved by using faster 5G on compatible devices, including support to back up to iCloud and restore from an iCloud backup, stream audio and video on Apple and third-party apps, download higher-quality Apple TV+ content, sync photos to iCloud Photos, update Apple News+ articles for offline reading, and download machine learning models.
  • 5G preferred over Wi-Fi - Your 11-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation) and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (5th generation) will now automatically prioritize 5G when Wi-Fi connectivity on networks you visit occasionally is slow, or when you are connected to captive or insecure networks.

Gaming

  • Game Center recents and group invitations - Users' most recent Messages friends and groups are brought into Game Center-enabled games with a new multiplayer friend selector.
  • Game Center friend requests - Game Center now shows incoming requests in the Game Center friend request inbox.
  • Game highlights - Users can save a video clip of up to the last 15 seconds of gameplay by pressing the share button on game controllers like the Xbox Series X or Series S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller.
  • Game Center widgets - There is a new Continue Playing widget that displays recently played Game Center-enabled games across devices. A Friends Are Playing widget helps users discover the games that their friends play.
  • Focus for gaming - A suggested Focus for gaming lets users stay immersed in games by filtering out unwanted notifications.

Live Text

  • Live Text in photos - Live Text is a new feature for devices with an A12 Bionic chip or later that uses on-device intelligence to recognize text in Photos, screenshots, Quick Look, Safari, and in live previews with Camera. Users can then take action on it, such as highlighting to copy. Users will also be able to search for images in Spotlight or the Photos app based on recognized text.
  • Visual Look Up - Swipe up or tap the new information button on any photo to highlight recognized objects and scenes, making it possible to learn more about the photo's content.

ipados 15 live text

Memoji

  • New Memoji stickers - iPadOS 15 features nine new Memoji stickers to let you send a shaka, a hand wave, a light bulb moment, and more.
  • New clothing options - Over 40 new outfit choices with up to three color combinations, including for headwear.
  • Two different eye colors - Memoji now supports a different color for your left eye and your right eye.
  • New glasses options - Three new glasses options, including heart, star, and retro shapes.
  • New accessibility options - Cochlear implants, oxygen tubes, and soft helmets are now represented in Memoji options.
  • Game Center recents and group invitations - Users' most recent Messages friends and groups are brought into Game Center-enabled games with a new multiplayer friend selector.
  • Game Center friend requests - Game Center now shows incoming requests in the Game Center friend request inbox.
  • Game highlights - Users can save a video clip of up to the last 15 seconds of gameplay by pressing the share button on game controllers like the Xbox Series X or Series S Wireless Controller or Sony PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller.
  • Game Center widgets - There is a new Continue Playing widget that displays recently played Game Center-enabled games across devices. A Friends Are Playing widget helps users discover the games their friends play.
  • Focus for gaming - A suggested Focus for gaming lets users stay immersed in games by filtering out unwanted notifications.

Translate

  • System-wide translation - iPadOS 15 allows any text across the entire system to be translated by selecting it and tapping Translate. Users can then copy, save, replace the selected text, or open the translation in the Translate app. Users can also translate selected text in photos.
  • Auto Translate - The Translate app will detect when you start speaking and can translate speech without the need to tap the microphone button in a conversation.
  • Face to face view - Users can change the conversation view when speaking face to face so that each person can see the conversation from their own side.
  • Redesigned conversations - Conversations can be started using the Conversation tab in landscape or portrait view, which then present a redesigned conversation view with chat bubbles so you can follow along more easily.
  • Easier language selection - Selecting languages is now easier with new drop-down menus.

ipados 15 translate app

Music

  • Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking - Listeners can now use AirPods Pro and AirPods Max to listen to music with Dolby Atmos and Apple's dynamic head tracking for a more immersive experience. It works with iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch, iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (6th generation and later), and iPad mini (5th generation).
  • Shared with You - The Music app will now highlight music shared with you from Messages.

Podcasts

  • Improved discovery - Podcasts creates personalized groups of suggested shows about specific topics.
  • Shared with You - Share your favorite podcast episodes in the Messages app and find all the episodes shared with you in Listen Now.

News

  • Redesigned News feed - The News feed now has a new design that makes it easier to browse and interact with articles. Information such as publication dates and bylines are more prominent, and you can now save and share stories directly from the feed.
  • Shared with You - Stories sent to you from Messages now automatically appear in the Shared with You section in the Today and Following Apple News tabs.

TV

  • For All of You - The TV app now features a new row titled "For All of You" to suggest a collection of shows and movies based on the interests of selected people or an entire household.
  • Shared with You - The TV app now highlights all of the shows and movies that friends and family have shared in Messages.
  • SharePlay - The TV app works with Messages and FaceTime to watch content with friends and family in sync using SharePlay.
  • Streaming apps in Japan - The TV app now supports popular streaming apps in Japan.

Voice Memos

  • Playback speed - There are new options to speed up or slow down playback of recordings.
  • Skip silence - Voice Memos automatically analyzes recordings and automatically skips over gaps in your audio with a single tap.
  • Improved sharing - It is possible to share multiple Voice Memos recordings at once.

Shortcuts

  • Smarter Shortcuts editor - Next Action Suggestions will offer options to help you complete the shortcut you are building.
  • Cross-device management - Shortcuts will now synchronize across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
  • Improved sharing - Shortcuts can be shared and downloaded with a link, without needing to manage security settings. Recipients will receive smart prompts to ensure that only approved data is shared.

App Store

  • In-app events - The App Store now makes it easier to discover current events within apps and games, including game competitions, movie premieres, or livestreamed experiences.
  • App Store widget - A new App Store widget shows stories, collections, and in-app events from the Today tab.

Screen Time

  • Downtime on demand - In iPadOS 15, it is possible to switch on downtime on demand, where only phone calls and apps you choose to allow will be available. Once enabled, a five-minute downtime reminder will be sent and downtime will be turned on until the end of the day.
  • Screen Time API - Developers can use a Screen Time API in parental controls apps to support a wider range of tools for parents. The API provides developers with features like core restrictions and device activity monitoring.

External Keyboard Improvements

  • Redesigned keyboard shortcuts bar - The keyboard menu bar has an all-new, compact appearence that contains the same functionality in a smaller space so that the app behind it is more visible.
  • Redesigned keyboard shortcuts view - The keyboard shortcuts view has been redesigned and shortcuts are now organized by categories like File, Edit, Format, View, and Search.
  • More keyboard shortcuts - iPadOS 15 supports additional keyboard shortcuts across apps and the system, including multitasking and contextual menus. The globe key is now a modifier, enabling you to perform more tasks from the keyboard.
  • Full keyboard navigation - It is now possible to navigate through an app using the keyboard, with actions such as pressing the tab key to highlight text fields and buttons.

Privacy

  • Mail Privacy Protection - Mail Privacy Protection prevents senders seeing your IP address or if you have opened their email.
  • App Privacy Report - A new section in Settings allows users to see how often apps have accessed their location, photos, camera, microphone, and contacts during the last seven days. It also shows which apps have contacted other domains and how recently they have contacted them. This will be coming in a future update after the initial iPadOS 15 release.
  • Secure paste - Developers can allow you to paste content from another app without having access to what you have copied until you want them to have access.
  • Share current location - Developers can let you share your current location temporarily with a customizable button in their apps.
  • Limited Photos Library access improvements - Developers are able to offer smart functionality when accessing the Photos library, requesting limited access to specific photos folders and album selection.

iCloud+

  • iCloud Private Relay - iCloud Private Relay allows users to browse with Safari while encrypting all traffic from their device. Requests are sent though two separate internet relays and it is designed so nobody can use your IP address, location, and browsing activity to create a detailed profile on you.
  • Hide My Email - Hide My Email allows users to create unique, random email addresses that forward to your personal inbox, so that you can send and receive emails without having to share your real email address.
  • Custom email domain - Users can now personalize their iCloud Mail address with a custom domain name, and invite family members to use the same domain with their iCloud Mail accounts.
  • HomeKit Secure Video - iCloud+ can store footage from more security cameras and does not contribute toward your iCloud storage allowance.

Apple ID

  • Account Recovery Contacts - Users can now select one or more trusted people to become an Account Recovery Contact to help reset their password and regain access to their account.
  • Digital Legacy program - The new Digital Legacy program allows you to designate individuals as Legacy Contacts so they can access your account and personal information in the event of your death.

Accessibility

  • Explore images with VoiceOver - Users can now explore people, objects, text, and tables within images in more detail with VoiceOver.
  • VoiceOver image descriptions in Markup - Markup now lets you add image descriptions that can be read by VoiceOver. Image descriptions persist even when shared and can be read in a range of supported apps on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
  • Sound actions for Switch Control - Sound actions for Switch Control let you control iPhone with simple mouth sounds, without the need for physical buttons, switches, or complex verbal commands.
  • Background sounds - Background sounds play balanced, bright, or dark noise, ocean, rain, and stream sounds continuously in the background to mask unwanted environmental or external noise and help you focus or stay calm. The sounds mix into or duck under other audio and system sounds as you use your device.
  • Per-app settings - Customize display and text size settings on an app-by-app basis.
  • Import audiograms - Import paper or PDF audiograms in Settings and customize Headphone Accommodations to amplify soft sounds and adjust frequencies based on your hearing test results.
  • Magnifier app - Magnifier is now a default app in iPadOS, so you can use your iPad as a magnifying glass to zoom in on objects near you.
  • New Voice Control languages - Voice Control adds new language options including Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, French, and German that use Siri speech recognition technology.

Keyboard and Dictation

  • Magnification loupe for text cursor and selection - Users can select text more accurately using an improved cursor that magnifies text.
  • Vietnamese VNI and VIQR keyboards - Type in Vietnamese using VNI and VIQR.
  • QuickPath language expansion - New languages that support QuickPath include Dutch, Hindi (Latin), Russian, Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
  • New keyboard layouts - New keyboard layouts for Ainu, Amharic, Fula (Adlam), Igbo, Navajo, Rohingya, Syriac, and Tigrinya.
  • Enhanced 10-key layout for Chinese Pinyin - Enhanced 10-key layout includes improvements that let users quickly switch to QWERTY, access symbols more easily, and type words that share the same keys with greater accuracy by allowing you to select the exact Pinyin for more than just the first syllable in the phrase.
  • Dialect lexicon support for Cantonese and Shanghainese - Type words in Pinyin using native Cantonese or Shanghainese dialectal spellings.
  • Smart Replies for new Indic languages - Smart Replies now support 10 new Indic languages, including Urdu, Bangla, Tamil, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Odiya.
  • On-device dictation - On-device dictation is now available in more regions and languages, including Arabic, Cantonese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, and Yue Chinese.
  • Continuous dictation - With on-device dictation, you can dictate text of any length without a timeout. Dictation was previously limited to 60 seconds.

Dictionary

  • New dictionaries for India - Bilingual dictionaries for India include Urdu-English, Tamil-English, Telugu-English, and Gujarati-English.
  • New idiom dictionary for China mainland - A new Simplified Chinese idiom dictionary for mainland China.
  • New dictionaries for Hong Kong - Dictionaries for Hong Kong include a Traditional Chinese-English idiom dictionary, a Traditional Chinese-English dictionary of Cantonese colloquialisms, and a new Traditional Chinese dictionary.

Other Improvements

  • Drag and drop - Drag and drop is now supported across apps.
  • Built-in authenticator - Generate verification codes needed for additional sign-in security under Passwords in Settings as an alternative for apps like Google Authenticator. Once set up, verification codes autofill when you sign in to the site.
  • Package detection - Using HomeKit Secure Video, security cameras and video doorbells can now detect and notify you when a package has arrived.
  • Books Search redesign - Search results show as soon as you start typing and will correct spelling mistakes in the Books app. Showcases of top books, audiobooks, and genre collections will show within results. Users can also buy books directly from the Search tab.
  • Software Updates - iPadOS now offers a choice between updating to the latest version of iPadOS 15 as soon as it is released for the latest features and most complete set of security updates, or continuing on iPadOS 14 and still getting important security updates until you are ready to upgrade to the next major version.
  • Temporary iCloud storage to transfer data - Users can now back up an unlimited amount of data to iCloud for up to three weeks for free to move to a new device.
  • RealityKit 2 - Developers can apply custom shaders, add post rendering effects, and build more immersive AR experiences with RealityKit 2, which is Apple's 3D rendering, physics, and spatial audio engine built for AR.
  • Japanese support for better note-taking and Scribble - Scribble, Smart Selection, drag to select, copy and paste as text, make space between paragraphs in handwritten notes, data detectors, and handwriting search now support Japanese.
  • Inclusive language (Spanish only) - Users can now choose their term of address throughout the system: feminine, masculine, or neutral.

iPadOS 15 Guides and How Tos

We've created in-depth guides that cover all of the major features in iPadOS and iOS 15, and each guide is outfitted with useful how tos. Make sure to check out each one to get a detailed rundown on the new features and how to use them.

iPadOS 15 Supported Devices

iPadOS 15 is compatible with all of the same iPads as iPadOS 13 and iPadOS 14, including older devices like the first-generation iPad Pro, iPad mini 4, and fifth-generation entry-level iPad. iPadOS 15 compatible devices are listed below.

  • iPad Pro (5th generation)
  • iPad Pro (4th generation)
  • iPad Pro (3rd generation)
  • iPad Pro (2nd generation)
  • iPad Pro (1st generation)
  • iPad Air (4th generation)
  • iPad Air (3rd generation)
  • iPad Air 2
  • iPad (8th generation)
  • iPad (7th generation)
  • iPad (6th generation)
  • iPad (5th generation)
  • iPad mini (5th generation)
  • iPad mini 4

iPadOS 15 Release Date

Apple released iPadOS 15 on September 20, 2021.

iPadOS 15 Timeline

July2023
March2023
Roundup Last Updated
October2022
September2022
August2022
July2022
June2022