If you’ve used an iPad, you know that they’re missing a lot of critical features people use on computers. Support for mice and external storage devices, a proper desktop browser, and better multitasking—these are all arriving with Apple’s new iPadOS.
What Is iPadOS?
Apple announced the iPadOS operating system at WWDC 2019. Like tvOS, iPadOS is still based on iOS. iPadOS is based on the upcoming iOS 13 operating system. However, it has a new name and more iOS-only features that aren’t available on the iPhone.
Mouse Support for iPad
Apple didn’t announce this on stage at WWDC, but it looks like the iPad (and maybe iPhone) are getting mouse support! Connect a USB (or presumably Bluetooth) mouse to your iPad, and you get a sort of mouse cursor you can use to navigate the interface.
iPads already support external keyboards with keyboard shortcuts, so this should make the interface much more powerful and PC-like.
It’s unclear whether the new mouse support will offer right-click support for opening a context menu, however. We look forward to seeing exactly how it works when Apple releases the iPadOS 13 beta.
Prefer a trackpad, like on a MacBook? Apple’s Magic Trackpad will work.
Hello mouse support on iOS 13! It’s an AssistiveTouch feature, and works with USB mice. @viticci nailed this pic.twitter.com/nj6xGAKSg0
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) June 3, 2019
Multitasking Improvements
iPad multitasking has always been a sore spot. Now, it’s getting better.
