WWDC 2023 was home to the unveiling of the new iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma updates. Apple announced its latest software for the iPad and Mac line of products alongside iOS 17. iPadOS 17 focuses on improving productivity while introducing new features that focus on health, creativity and multitasking. Apple also will let users personalise the lock screen on the iPad. In addition to this, there are interactive widgets, a new Notes app with the ability to edit PDFs. macOS Sonoma, too, is getting support for widgets on the home screen, new screensavers and more.
Apple’s new iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma will be available for download later this year for eligible devices. Meanwhile, here is a quick look at the new iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma features announced at WWDC 2023.
iPadOS 17 features
iPadOS is getting support for customised lock screen for the first time. The feature works the same way iPhone users customise their iOS 16 lock screens. Users can personalise their iPad lock screen and set custom wallpapers, adjust the font and set Focus modes as per their preferences.
Apple has also added support for the Health app in iPadOS 17. Users will be able to check their Health data without needing their phone as the data from the iPhone’s health app is already stored on iCloud. The Health app for iPad has been optimised and designed to take advantage of the bigger display.
There is also a new Journal app along with improvements made to Stage Manager and Find My. iPadOS 17 will be available to developers today, and is expected to be released to eligible iPad users later this year.
macOS Sonoma features
The new macOS Sonoma update introduce support for aerial screensavers. It also lets users add interactive widgets to the desktop screen. Apple, for the first time, has added a new Game Mode in macOS to take advantage of the Apple Silicon’s powerful performance.
Apple confirmed that macOS Sonoma will be available for developers today, and is expected to be available for eligible devices later this year.
