iPadOS 15: Breaking App Barriers

iPadOS 15: A Deep Dive into Multitasking and Beyond

The unveiling of the latest iPad software at this year’s WWDC conference generated considerable anticipation. The iPad lineup, particularly the larger iPad Pro models, has consistently delivered impressive hardware innovation in recent years.

However, the iPad’s software capabilities, specifically its multitasking features and support for professional software developers, have faced scrutiny regarding the perceived pace of development.

Addressing Past Concerns

This year’s announcements surrounding iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 appear strategically designed to address these concerns. The updates introduce a wide range of quality-of-life improvements to multitasking, alongside a suite of system-wide features, each complemented by dedicated developer-facing APIs.

I had the opportunity to discuss these improvements with Bob Borchers, Apple’s VP of Worldwide Product Marketing, and Sebastien (Seb) Marineau-Mes, VP, Intelligent System Experience at Apple.

Key New Features

iPadOS 15 introduces several core features, including SharePlay, Live Text, Focuses, Universal Control, on-device Siri processing, and a redesigned Swift Playgrounds for prototyping. However, for iPad Pro users, enhancements to Apple’s multitasking system are particularly noteworthy.

The gesture-based multitasking interface of iPadOS has received criticism, including from myself. While useful in certain situations, the hidden gestures and complex app combinations made it challenging to utilize effectively, even for experienced users.

Apple’s Multitasking Philosophy

Apple holds a unique position in the tablet market, allowing it to define industry standards. It’s a valuable opportunity to establish a clear vision for how working on a tablet should feel and function.

I asked Borchers and Marineau-Mes to elaborate on Apple’s philosophy behind the multitasking design in iPadOS 15, and how it differs from the previous version, which often required complex finger movements and spatial awareness.

“I think you’ve got it,” Borchers responded, “but our approach is to make multitasking easier to discover, simpler to use, and even more powerful. While professionals were the primary users in the past, we aim to broaden its appeal, as we believe it can benefit many more people. Therefore, discoverability and ease of use were crucial.”

A More Explicit Spatial Model

“You rightly pointed out the spatial model,” added Marineau-Mes, “and one of our goals was to make it more explicit. For example, when replacing a window in split view, we ‘open the curtain’ and tuck the other app to the side, allowing you to see it – it’s not a hidden mental model.”

“Another example is the app switcher, where you can rearrange windows using drag and drop, or dismiss apps. It’s not a hidden process; we reinforce the spatial model with explicit animations and affordances.”

Enhanced Affordances and Consistency

Apple’s objective was to provide users with clear indicators that multitasking was an option, such as the small series of dots at the top of each app and window. This allows users to explicitly choose a configuration, rather than relying on the previous app-and-dock juggling method.

Consistency was also a key focus. The appearance of Slide Over apps in the same switcher view as other apps, and the ability to achieve the same results through the button or drag-and-drop in the switcher, demonstrate this commitment.

The Dashboard View

Marineau-Mes explained that the dashboard provides “an at-a-glance view of all running apps and a complete model of how you navigate the iPad’s interface.”

This comprehensive overview will be particularly valuable for advanced users. Previously, Slide Over apps could become cumbersome due to difficulty tracking open instances. The ability to manage them directly within the switcher is a long-awaited feature.

Maintaining a Mental Model

“We strongly believe in building a mental model where people know where things are on iPad,” Marineau-Mes stated. “Persistence is key. We also aim to maintain that mental model on the home screen and within the switcher.”

The new ‘shelf’ feature, displaying all open windows within an app, further enhances this approach. This feature was implemented on a per-app basis, aligning with the overall mental model Apple is striving to create. Its value will become more apparent as professional apps with numerous open documents and windows become available.

Keyboard Navigation and Shortcuts

iPadOS 15 also introduces a robust set of keyboard shortcuts across the system. Users can now navigate the interface using arrow keys, access advanced commands, and even use a game controller.

“One of our key goals was to make everything navigable from the keyboard,” Marineau-Mes explained. “All the new multitasking features are accessible through keyboard shortcuts. The new keyboard shortcut menu bar enhances discoverability, and we’ve even rationalized the shortcuts across Mac and iPadOS for seamless transitions with Universal Control.”

Gestures remain available to maintain consistency for existing users.

Introducing Center Window

The Center Window feature and its accompanying API represent a potentially powerful development. Several Apple apps, including Mail, Notes, and Messages, now allow items to pop out into overlapping windows.

“This was a deliberate decision,” Marineau-Mes said. “It brings a new level of productivity, allowing you to have a floating window with content behind it, and seamlessly cut and paste. This isn’t possible with the traditional iPadOS model. We’ve also ensured consistency with existing multitasking features, allowing the center window to become part of a split view or full-screen.”

“We look forward to third-party developers embracing this feature.”

Developer Adoption is Key

While the initial reception of iPadOS 15 has been cautiously optimistic, the true potential hinges on the adoption of these technologies by third-party developers. Apple is actively working to encourage pro apps to integrate these new paradigms.

Universal Control: Seamless Connectivity

Universal Control utilizes Bluetooth beaconing and peer-to-peer WiFi to allow users to seamlessly move their mouse between a Mac and iPad, reading user intent to facilitate a smooth transition.

“We’ve observed that many users have both Macs and iPads, and we believe in making these devices work together powerfully,” Borchers stated. “Extending our Continuity model to leverage the incredible platform that is iPadOS felt natural. The challenge was to achieve this in a magical, simple way.”

“It builds on the foundation we laid with Continuity and Sidecar,” added Marineau-Mes. “We focused on making the setup experience seamless and ensuring users easily discover devices side by side. We also considered essential workflows, such as seamless drag-and-drop and cut-and-paste.”

Borchers noted that Universal Control also makes existing Continuity features more discoverable, such as the shared clipboard.

System-Wide Activities and APIs

iPadOS 15 introduces system-wide activities that break out of the confines of individual apps. These include embedded recommendations, SharePlay, and Live Text, which transforms photos into searchable archives.

Quick Note, a system extension allowing users to swipe from the bottom corner of the screen, is another notable addition.

“One interesting aspect of Quick Note is the linking feature,” Marineau-Mes explained. “You can quickly insert a link to content you’re viewing in Safari or Yelp. Previously, this required cutting and pasting or taking a screenshot. Now, it’s seamless and fluid across the entire system.”

“It even works in reverse. If you’re in Safari and have a note referencing a page, a thumbnail will appear at the bottom of the screen.”

A Broader Foundation of Intelligence

Many of the system-wide capabilities in iPadOS 15 and iOS 15 have accompanying APIs, allowing developers to enhance their apps. Apple is intentionally offering these APIs to create a “broader foundation of intelligence” across the entire system.

This includes moving a significant portion of Siri’s commands to on-device processing, resulting in a faster and more reliable experience. The shift to on-device processing could improve Siri’s reputation and usefulness.

The Apple Neural Engine (ANE) also plays a role, indexing text across all photos, past, present, and in-the-moment.

“We could have limited Live Text to the Camera and Photos apps, but we wanted it to apply to any image, whether in Safari or Quick Look,” Marineau-Mes said. “One of my favorite demos is using Live Text to capture a complex Wi-Fi password from a photo and paste it directly into the field.”

Swift Playgrounds: Prototyping on the Go

Regarding developer tools, I inquired about Swift Playgrounds, which now allows users to write, compile, and ship apps to the App Store directly on the iPad. While not a full-fledged Xcode environment, Borchers noted that Playgrounds has evolved beyond a learning tool and is now used by professional developers for prototyping.

“We also saw pro developers using it as a prototyping platform, a way to experiment on the go. It’s accessible and easy to use.”

“If you’re a developer, it’s more productive to run the app on the device you’re working on for greater fidelity. The open project format allows seamless switching between Xcode and Playgrounds. We envision people using it for rapid prototyping without needing their full development environment.”

A Shift in Mentality

Apple’s work increasingly focuses on enabling seamless transitions between its various computing platforms, leveraging the strengths of each to complement workflows. Much of iPadOS 15 appears to be geared towards this approach.

Whether these enhancements will fully address the perception of the iPad as a work device held back by software remains to be seen. However, the commitment to API support, clearer multitasking affordances, and a broader vision for system-wide activities suggest a positive shift in the iPad software team’s mentality.