iPadOS 16
Even though today’s update for the iPad is labelled as iPadOS 16.1, there was never a 16.0 update — it was cancelled to give Apple more time for bug fixing. This is the first time all the cool features shown off at WWDC 2022 are available outside of beta releases, including deleting messages in iMessages, automatic suggestions in Mail, a new design for the Home app, Shared Photo Library in iCloud, Passkeys to replace passwords in some places, and more features in Safari. My favorite change is that the Weather app from iPhone is now available on iPad.
The big feature this time around is Stage Manager, a new multitasking system based on overlapping windows, like Windows and macOS. You can quickly switch between groups of apps, resize windows (to an extent), and drag and drop data between apps. However, Stage Manager is a little different here than it was when Apple first showed it off. External monitor support, which would provide a Mac-like experience on a larger screen in up to 6K resolution, is on hold until “later this year.” For now, you can only use it on your iPad’s own screen.
Stage Manager also doesn’t work on all models. It requires a 12.9-inch iPad Pro 3rd Gen, an 11-inh iPad Pro 1st Gen, or iPad Air 5th Gen or newer. The external display support will be limited to models with an M1 or M2 chip, which is currently only the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 5th Gen or later, 11-inch iPad Pro (3rd Gen) or later, and the iPad Air 5th Gen.
macOS 13 Ventura
macOS Ventura (13.0) is also out today, with many of the same features as iPadOS 16 and iOS 16. You get more features in Messages, Passkeys and better notification support in Safari, scheduled send and better search in Mail, iCloud Shared Photo Library, the new Weather app, and more. There’s also a new Settings app that replaces the long-running System Preferences app, though that change isn’t popular with everyone.
The macOS update also includes the same Stage Manager feature as iPadOS 16, giving you yet another option for window management on Mac. There’s also a new option called Continuity Camera, which allows you to use an iPhone as a webcam for your mac. Belkin just released a mount specifically for the feature, and more companies will likely release comparable products in the coming months.
macOS Ventura definitely isn’t a game-changing update for the Mac, but the past two upgrades (Monterey and Big Sur) were significant, so there wasn’t much of a need for another overhaul anyway.
Available Now
Both updates are rolling out now to supported Macs and iPads. You can check the Settings app on the iPad for the update, and on Mac, the update will appear in the Software Update section of the System Preferences application.
Source: iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura
