Apple, here is all the news of the public beta of iPadOS 17

Ready for all “trial” versions of Apple’s smartphone and tablet operating systems: as a tradition every July in recent years Apple has anticipated the preliminary releasesi.e. beta, of its operating systemsafter a few weeks of testing by the developers with the “Developer Beta” versions, which are much less stable and lack some of the new features announced.

Unlike the developer versions, “Public Betas” are more stable and secure. Apple releases them to be able to find the latest bugs and test the new features on a large number of devices but without running the “risks” that developers willingly take with their dedicated devices. Despite this, the usual caveat always appliesie not to install the “Public Beta” versions on devices used for work or crucial functions, and in any case always carry out a complete backup of all data. It is possible that some applications do not work (we have not found any, however). Apple considers version 17 of iPadOS stable enough to be used by enthusiasts, with the caveat that the official version will be released after the summer.

What’s new in iPadOS 17

In reality, iPadOS 17 is also stable in our opinion. In fact, the news does not touch the “engine” of the operating system, there are no architectural differences that would make previous apps incompatible but it is no longer usable on some old iPads that were instead compatible with iPadOS 16: 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch iPad Pro 1st generation and iPad 5th generation.

However, the new functions are more than interesting. There is the new lock screen built along the lines of that of iPhone iOS 16, which allows you to configure various images, fonts and different styles, also assigning them for different purposes. However, if you can add, change and delete them, you cannot rearrange their order (as happens on iPhone). You can also create screenshots based on images randomly picked from a Photos app roll.

Apple is also continuing to convert some apps that were only present on iOS, bringing them to iPadOS. The most significant is certainly the Health appwhich now has new, larger graphics and can take advantage of the increased screen real estate on iPads. If you use Apple Watch or the Fitness+ programmeintegration with iPad becomes very convenient.

Widgets arrive on the desk

The real trump card of iPadOS 17, however, is another. These are the new interactive widgets. With these it is possible to revolutionize the way in which the Apple tablet is used and, in our tests, it has offered a very different approach to everyday use. For example, being able to have calendars, to-do lists and reminders available on iPad desktopsor indications such as weather, notes, health or third-party information (for us the very useful Things from the German Cultured Code and Drafts) has allowed us to try out new, much more complete and flexible workflows.

The news is not just limited to this. We tried the new function of recognition of text fields in document imagescreated using machine learning, and we can say that it works in a very precise way. It will allow you to scan and fill out virtually any document and form without needing anything other than the iPad camera and operating system. The functionality is there in the Notes app when it comes to Pdfs.

We have not yet been able to test the new features related to the management of external monitors (both the extended desktop and the external monitor camera for FaceTime video calls) which according to Apple have improved substantially, also making the use of Stage Manager much easier. The latter is in turn improved in the management of apps but it requires a change of organization that for now we find not yet at the level of traditional use of iPadOS.

There are many other innovations that Apple has presented, starting with from Safari profiles to have more users with their favorites and saved passwords to the enhancement of FaceTime and Messages (new emojis and gestures), up to the keyboard which now has a much more powerful auto-correction system which, however, was never necessary on the iPad (it’s the iPhone that creates more problems than “wild fixes” in messages). In fact, each new version of the operating system comes with many small features and refinements both in terms of graphics and user experience. Some very useful (Maps allows you to save portions of cities for offline use) others not available in Italian (only English-speaking users will be able to invoke Apple’s assistant by calling it “Siri” without “Hey”). Apple then further stepped up accessibility featureswhich are also available on new versions of the operating systems of your other devices.

The power of Notes

A note deserves Note, if you’ll pardon the pun. The application born as a simple yellow notepad since the first version of the iPhone in 2007 has grown a lot. Now it allows you to create folders, password lock folders, collaborate on shared notes, save, use and edit PDFs and images. The PDF autocomplete function allows you to use address book data to fill out forms with unconfigured fields (which are automatically recognized by the machine learning system, as we said above) in an instant. Furthermore, now it is possible to create links between different notes, a function similar to that of a Wiki that we think could prove to be very interesting once we have identified the right method to use it with our notes. The feeling is that Notes now both the most powerful and interesting app in the Apple ecosystem and allows you to do a lot of things once only possible with various paid third-party apps.

Instead, despite various graphical and setting improvements, FreeformApple’s “shared whiteboard” collaboration app in our opinion it is still immature, despite some interesting improvements such as the possibility to create geometric shapes and to see in real time the changes made by the other people with whom you are collaborating.

In the end, iPad is now increasingly integrated into the online collaboration ecosystem that Apple is building and which allows the same user to pass information and video streams from one device to another without problems and to manage shared documents just as easily.

How to install

To access the Apple Public Beta you need to make a backup of your iPad with all the data. Since iPad cloud backup is immediately upgraded to iPadOS 17 when you install the beta version, to go back to the previous version you need a physical backup using a Mac or a PC. Apple provides the relevant information here. To install the Public Beta instead just follow this procedure: first update the operating system to iPadOS version 16.4then go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and choose the public beta version to install.