WWDC 2023: iPadOS & WatchOS Gets Updates Too!

Apple at Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2023 unveils iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10.

Credit: Apple

iPadOS 17

iPadOS 17 is the next major update for the tech giant's popular iPads, bringing several new features and improvements. Chief of which is perhaps the addition of customised lock screens that take advantage of the tablet's display; you have the option to set a photo from your personal library, a dynamic photo that shuffles throughout the day or a Live Photo as the lock screen for your iPad.

Credit: Apple

What's more, the update adds support for Live Activities, enabling you to get real-time information from your favourite widgets on the Lock Screen, ranging from the scores of a sports game to your travel plans. Those widgets are also now more interactive than before on both the Home Screen and the Lock Screen.

iPadOS 17 additionally boasts improvements across different first-party apps, including Notes, Safari, Messages and FaceTime, among others. Notes in particular features an improved PDF experience; when you open a PDF on iPadOS 17, it'll appear in full width, which makes it easy to flip through pages, make edits or sketch directly in the document using your Apple pencil. The app also has a live collaboration feature, in which changes you make on your device are also reflected on the device of the person you're working with.

Apple is also bringing the Health app to the iPad, giving you a new way to track your health data. The app uses the larger display to optimise the experience for you, with Favourites, for example, getting a new look. You can also receive insights about your health data through Trends, Highlights and detailed interactive charts.

WatchOS 10

Credit: Apple

Alongside iPadOS 17, Apple also announced watchOS 10; its "milestone" smartwatch update. The latest version of the software also brings Smart Stack to your Apple Watch. Now, when you turn the digital crown, your favourite widgets appear, providing you with the information you need for the day, like stock updates and weather forecasts.

Credit: Apple

For health, the update lets you log your moods in the Mindfulness app. For fitness, meanwhile, it adds new cycling features, which include tracking race routes, elevation and cycling speed views. You can also set cycling can as a live activity on your iPhone in case you want to mount your mobile device on your bike.

Both iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10 are available as developer betas starting today and are expected to roll out for their respective platforms sometime this coming fall.

---

• Apple at Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2023 unveiled iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10.

• iPadOS 17 is the next major update for the tech giant's popular iPads, adding customised lock screens and support for Live Activities.

• Meanwhile, watchOS 10 brings back widgets, allowing your favourite widgets to appear when you turn the digital crown of your Apple Watch.

• Both iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10 are available as developer betas starting today.