Slack for iPad Gets Refreshed with Desktop-Style Two-Column Interface, Accessibility Upgrades

BY Chandraveer Mathur

Published 16 Mar 2022

If you’re someone who uses Slack regularly for corporate communication, you’ll be excited to know that the iPad app has been overhauled. Slack for iPad now sports a refreshing two-column layout and other user interface (UI) tweaks to bring homogeneity between mobile and desktop clients.

In a blog post explaining the changes in Slack for iPad, the team behind the messaging platform says the mobile and desktop interfaces have been blended on the iPad to provide a “unique and seamless” experience.

In the new two-column layout, the channels and direct messages will be shown in a sidebar on the left-hand side, while the larger pane on the right-hand side will display the selected chat or channel. The desktop version of Slack inspires the layout.

Slack iPad

That’s not all. The sidebar on the left packs several improvements on its own. Individual sections are collapsible, and your preferences for each section will be synced with Slack for desktop so you can enjoy using a similar sidebar across multiple devices. You can also sort channels so that the most recent activity is at the top. Further, context menus for channels can be accessed by long-pressing them so you can conveniently leave them, mark them as read, or mute them.

Slack iPad channel mute

Slack for iPad also boasts of better accessibility. Labels for the Apple VoiceOver screen reader have been improved so they can be made larger and easier to read for visually impaired users. Sorting by Recent Activity will also help users avoid needless navigation to access chats and features faster. VoiceOver will also make switching into a different workspace easier using Workspace Switcher.

Slack iPad accessibility font size

All these improvements are ready to use on Slack for iPad. So, head over to the App Store and make sure you’re running the latest version of Slack. The messaging platform also teased more upgrades coming later this year, such as keyboard shortcuts and more accessibility support.

[Via Slack Blog]