Unlike last year’s iPadOS 14 update, iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 does not bring many new features and enhancements to the iPad and iPad Pro. Nonetheless, check out the best iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 tips and tricks to make the most of Apple’s next major iPadOS update.
Some new features in iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 will help you multitask better, manage your installed apps better, and more. You can also place widgets anywhere on your iPad’s home screen in iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4. Check out the best iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 features, and then have a look at the top iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 tips and tricks below.
1. Explore App Library on iPad
iPhone users have been using App Library to manage installed apps on their devices since the iOS 14 update last year. The same functionality now arrives on iPad with iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4.
Swipe left on the home screen pages, and the OS will greet you with a brand new App Library that neatly organizes all your apps and games in folders. No manual effort is needed. Unfortunately, you still can’t create new folders or move apps from one folder to another. The OS uses App Store listing to identify and place them in relevant folders. You can finally go ahead and delete home screen pages and access App Library with a single swipe from the iPad home screen as well.
2. Add Widgets to Home Screen
This is one of the best iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 tips. We were surprised to see how Apple didn’t bring the ability to place widgets on the iPad home screen last year. iPad has the biggest displays among mobile Apple devices, so it makes more sense to place widgets on its home screen than on the iPhone.
Thankfully, it changed with iPadOS 15 update. Go to the Today View and drag and drop widgets from the Today View to the home screen. iPadOS also comes with a bigger version of widgets for some Apple apps such as Apple TV+, Contacts, and more.
3. New Controls for Multitasking
There’s a new multitasking menu in iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 that makes it easier to multitask with multiple apps at the same time. Tapping the 3-dot multitasking menu will provide you with options to quickly open an app in Split View or Slider Over view.
4. Add Quick Notes
This is yet another iPadOS tip to improve your productivity on the iPad. Hover your Apple Pencil at the bottom right corner, and it will open a shortcut to take notes on the go quickly. You don’t even need to open the Notes app.
As soon as you take a note, it will be saved in the Quick Notes section in the Notes app. While taking a quick note, you have all the editing options available at the top. In short, it’s not a bare-bone note window just to write simple text.
5. Organize Notes
What’s the point of taking hundreds of notes when you can’t organize them? A couple of new functions in the default Notes app will help you organize notes better.
First, you can tag the notes, and Apple Notes will create a new category with tags to help you quickly jump to a relevant note. One can also create a Smart Folder in Apple Notes and add conditions based on tags.
For example, you can create a Smart Folder named Money and add tags like Finance, Invoice, etc. As soon as you add these tags to any note, it will automatically land in the Smart Folder. Use tags and Smart Folders in Apple Notes and manage your notes like a pro.
6. Enable iCloud Private Relay
iCloud Private Relay is yet another privacy add-on from Apple. It reroutes all your browsing data through an Apple-branded server and helps you shield your current location.
Right now, it’s only available for iCloud+ users, and you can enable it from the iPad Settings > iCloud menu. Keep in mind that iCloud Private Relay only works with Safari for now. Check out our dedicated guide on iCloud Private Relay to know more about it.
7. Master Live Text
Are you someone who takes frequent photos of business cards, notes, and other text-heavy objects? You will find the new Live Text function in iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 very convenient.
From the Photos app, open an image from which you want to extract text. Tap on the Live Text toggle at the bottom, and within few seconds, the OS will recognize and extract the text for you. You can copy it or directly share it with others.
Live Text function is neatly built into the OS. You can use it from the Email, Camera, and third-party apps as well. Double-tap on any text field and it will ask you to use Live Text. By tapping on Live Text, the OS will open a small camera viewfinder menu at the bottom to scan text.
8. Install Safari Extensions
Safari in iPadOS already supports ad-blocker extensions from the App Store. With the iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 updates, third-party developers can bring more extensions to the App Store.
Similar to macOS, you can download and install relevant extensions for Safari from the App Store to further improve the browsing experience.
9. Universal Control
Universal Control demo got the loudest digital cheer at the WWDC. It lets you use your MacBook trackpad and keyboard to control your iPad magically.
Just place the iPad beside the MacBook and try to use the trackpad on Mac to navigate the OS on the iPad. One can also drag and drop files between the two devices using the Universal Control.
Universal Control can be boon for someone switching between MacBook and iPad frequently to get work done. Needless to say, this is our favorite iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 trick, though you’ll have to run a compatible version of macOS Monterey to enjoy it.
10. Use Focus Mode
With constant notifications from dozens of app, you can easily get distracted when writing a detailed essay or watching the latest Ted Lasso episode on iPad. Apple’s new Focus mode is here to rescue.
You can enable Focus mode from the Control Centre and turn off notifications from certain apps and specific people. By default, Apple offers several Focus profiles such as Work, Home, Driving, and more. But you can always go ahead and create a custom one such as Writing, Yoga, etc., based on your needs.
What’s more? Focus mode comes with automation as well. You can automatically enable Focus mode based on your time, location, or when opening a specific app. The possibilities are endless.
11. Use Tab Groups in Safari
Are you someone dealing with dozens of tabs in the Safari browser? If so, you will surely appreciate Tab Groups in Safari. Tab Groups let you create different tab groups in the Safari browser based on relevance. For example, you can create a Tab Group for Social and add all your social tabs. Create multiple tab groups and clear the tabs mess from Safari.
12. Use Translate App on iPad
Apple’s answer to Google Translate makes its debut on the iPad with iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4. It blends perfectly with the Apple ecosystem and delivers a better experience than rivals. Apple Translate comes with an auto-detect feature so that it can identify and translate text to your native language. You can hold the text in any app, and the translate menu will appear at the top.
13. Explore Spotlight Search
Spotlight Search is becoming more powerful with the iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 updates. The movie and TV shows integration is now built-in. Simply search for a movie or TV show, and Spotlight will deliver all the results on the same interface.
One can also search for photos by typing the location or people’s names in the Spotlight. The Contacts menu also receives a nice visual makeover showing more information at a glance.
14. Build Apps for Swift Playgrounds
Those interested in learning programming can use the Swift Playgrounds app on their iPad. With iPadOS 15, one can also build apps for iPhone and iPad using the Swift Playgrounds app. The app now supports auto-code completion, which shows a live preview of how the app you are developing will look in real-time.
15. Shared with You in Apple Apps
With the iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 updates, you will see a new Shared with You section in major Apple apps such as Photos, Safari, Music, and Podcast. When someone shares a web link, Apple Music link, Podcast link, or Apple TV show over iMessage, it will create a Shared with you section in the relevant app.
You can easily check all the media and links shared by other users over iMessage from the ‘Shared with you’ section. Unfortunately, it only works with the Apple apps for now.
16. Enable Low Power Mode
This is yet another feature carried over from the iPhone to the iPad in iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4. Now, you can extend the battery life of your iPad using the Low Power Mode. When enabled from the Settings > Battery menu, the Low Power Mode temporarily reduces background activity like downloads and mail fetch to extend your iPad’s battery life.
17. Use Smart Lists in Apple Reminders
The default Reminders app gets a new add-on with Smart Lists. It lets you create a Smart List with different conditions for tasks like Priority, Flag, Location, and more. Once an added task meets those conditions, the OS will add it to the Smart Lists.
Getting confused? Let us simplify it for you. You can create a Smart List called Birthday and set a condition with #birthday. From now on, whenever you create a reminder for someone’s birthday, simply add a tag to it, and it will be added to the Smart List. No manual action from your side.
18. Create Custom Email Address
This is part of the new iCloud+ subscription that Apple announced at WWDC. On iPad, you can now create random email addresses to use in websites and apps.
From the Settings > Profile > iCloud > Hide My Email menu, you can create and manage temporary email addresses to use. You can also set the incoming mails on custom email addresses to get forwarded to your primary email.
19. Check Media Details in the Photos App
A long-overdue feature. Apple has finally added the much-needed info button in the Photos app to check the EXIF details of any photo/video.
The information includes media size, the original device on which the photo was taken, location, aperture, and more. You no longer need a third-party app or Files app hack to view the photo/video size on your iPad.
20. New Keyboard Shortcuts
Apple is introducing global keyboard shortcuts in iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 that will work across the OS. You can access most of the new global shortcuts by holding the Globe button on your iPad’s keyboard.
21. Disable iCloud Private Relay for Specific Wi-Fi Connection
If you feel a slow Wi-Fi connection following the iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 updates, you should disable iCloud Private Relay for a specific Wi-Fi connection.
Thankfully, Apple has added an option to turn off Private Relay for a Wi-Fi connection. Simply open the Settings app on the iPhone and navigate to Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi network, and turn off iCloud Private Relay from the following menu.
22. Explore Apple Music Integration with Memories
Your Memories collection in the Photos app is about to get better with a brand new look, animations, transitions, new effects, moods, and Apple Music integration. Memories will change the slideshow look and feel based on the song selection with custom filters and animations.
23. Enjoy Siri Without Internet Access
Siri gains a much-needed offline mode. The Siri assistant can perform basic tasks such as setting up alarms, opening apps, adding reminders, etc. work without the internet. All the requests are performed on the device, resulting in faster Siri response time. Here’s our guide on how to use Siri offline on your iPhone or iPad.
24. Built-in Authenticator
With iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4, users can now generate verification codes needed for additional sign-in security. If a site offers two-factor authentication, you can set up verification codes under Passwords in Settings on iPadOS 15 – no need to download an additional app.
25. Edit Date and Time in Photos
Here’s another handy iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 feature that you might have missed. iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 not only let you check the EXIF details of a photo, but it also lets you edit their date and time. One can even go ahead and select multiple photos/videos and bulk edit date and time for them.
That concludes our list of the best iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 tips and tricks. Which iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4 tips did you find most useful from the list? Do you think Apple missed hitting it out of the park with iPadOS 15 – iPadOS 15.4? Let’s have a conversation in the comments section below.
