Apple's iPadOS 18 Gets New Controls, Handwriting Features and Math Notes

Apple's iPadOS 18 is highlighting new ways to control the iPad, but at Apple's 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, the company is particularly excited to show off its first official Calculator app for the iPad.

While the Calculator app can be used with buttons just like the iPhone version, Apple's including Math Notes within it in order to take advantage of an Apple Pencil when writing out and solving equations. Math Notes allows for solving quick equations and has support for variables. As part of the demo, Math Notes was able to change solutions when an "X" or "Y" variable got adjusted, and the option for generating charts based on these equations. This Math Notes feature also carries over to the Notes app, which gets a SmartScript feature that cleans up your handwriting while retaining your writing style.

Apple also revealed a dynamically changing navigation bar that is able to be integrated with a variety of iPad apps. This bar will either display as a horizontal tab bar -- similar to what we often see at the top of streaming services like Apple TV Plus -- or morph into a vertical sidebar depending on the activity that's happening inside the app. According to Apple, these bars can be further customized to reflect options and tools that are used most often.

Apple's iPadOS also adds a new collaboration tool within SharePlay, in which screen-sharing to another iPad or iPhone will also support annotating the video stream with drawing. By giving permission, SharePlay will also allow for remote-controlling another iPad or iPhone over this video screen. These enhancements will make screen-sharing more similar to videoconferencing apps like Zoom.

iPadOS 18 will also feature many of the same customization features that have been announced for iOS 18 on the iPhone, which include customizable control centers and more customization for the home screen.