These are three useful new features of iPadOS 18

Not only your iPhone has been significantly updated with iOS 18. Your iPad has also received a number of cool new functions with iPadOS 18.

These are three useful new features of iPadOS 18

With iOS 18, the iPhone has received a number of useful new features. But we can’t forget Apple’s iPad. The iPad also has a number of cool new features with iPadOS 18. We show you three useful new features.

Improve handwriting

If you have an iPad with an Apple Pencil, you probably know how nice it is to draw or sketch with it. Writing also works well, but that is often a bit more difficult. Your handwriting sometimes looks a little less beautiful than you are used to.

iPadOS 18 tries to help with that. There is a function that helps you improve your handwriting. You will still see that it is your handwriting, but a bit tighter and neater.

To use these functions in iPadOS 18, you need to set a few things. Open the Settings app and then go to ‘General > Keyboard > Keyboards’. Then tap ‘Add’. You now need to tap an English keyboard (English (US)). Then tap ‘Done’.

Then tap ‘Apple Pencil’ in the left column. Scroll down on the right and enable the ‘Write’ button. Then you open a monkey where you can place handwritten texts, for example ‘Notes’. You then have to activate the function in Notes. To do this, tap the button with the three dots in the bar where you also choose the type of brush. Then turn on the ‘Refine handwriting automatically’ function.

Keep files available offline

It is useful to store (large) files in Apple’s iCloud. But the disadvantage of this is that you always need an internet connection to view the files.

The Files app has always allowed you to save files for offline use. But you have probably heard that Apple has (temporarily) deleted these files to make space. If you then need the file, that is not useful.

The solution has now been found with iPadOS 18. You can now indicate in the Files app that a file should always remain downloaded. You do this by pressing your finger on a file in the Files app and holding it down for a moment. Then choose the ‘Save download’ option.

Customizable special tab bar

iPadOS 18 includes another new feature called tab bar. This new floating bar is already in some apps, such as Apple TV. But any other app can use the new feature, but it’s up to the developers to build it in.

With many old programs you will find buttons to different tabs at the bottom of the window, just like with apps on the iPhone. But a few apps have gotten a new feature with the floating tab bar in iPadOS 18. This bar contains several menu options by default, but you can adjust them to your liking. You can find the bar, for example, in the Apple TV app.

By briefly pressing your finger on the tab bar, the sidebar opens. You can then add new options by dragging the features you want from the sidebar to the tab bar. Unfortunately it is not possible to do this for all elements. Some items in the tab bar cannot be removed either.