How to Download, Best New Features

• The iPadOS 16 beta is available now to everyone in Apple’s free beta software program.
• You can download the iPadOS 16 beta to try out all the new features, like revamped multitasking tools and a weather app.
• iPadOS 16 will be officially released this fall, probably in October.

With all the excitement surrounding this year’s new iPhones and iOS 16, it’s easy to forget that iPads are getting their own big update: iPadOS 16.

iPadOS 16 won’t be officially released for a few months. But if you’re dying to test out this year’s new features, you can download the iPadOS 16 beta now.

How to download the iPadOS 16 beta

iPadOS 16 is currently available to members of the Apple Beta Software Program. This is a free service that allows anyone with an Apple ID account to test new features before they are released.

This comes with some limitations. First, Apple Beta Software Program testers are not allowed to share images or videos of new features on social media. And since iPadOS 16 is still under development, having it installed on your device may cause unexpected glitches, app crashes, and more. This is especially true if you’re using an older iPad model that doesn’t have a lot of free storage space.

When you install the beta, you also get an app called feedbackwhich you can use to report bugs, ask for new features, and share your thoughts on the beta.

To sign up for the iPadOS 16 beta:

1. With the iPad you want to install the beta on, go to the Apple Beta Software Program home page and tap Register. If you have already signed up for the program, you can tap log in instead of this.

2. Sign in to your Apple ID account and accept the Beta Software Terms of Service.

3. Next you need to download the iPadOS Beta Profile. Still using your iPad, go to Register your devices Page and scroll down to tap the blue Download profile Button.

4. When the website asks if you want to download a “configuration profile,” tap To allow.

5. Open the Settings app and tap Profile downloaded all the way up and then To install in the popup that opens.

6. Enter your passcode, then tap To install again and then again.

7. Restart your iPad.

8th. After turning it back on, open the Settings app and tap Generaland then software update. Allow the beta to download, then tap To install.

iPadOS 16 is a big update, so it may take a while to download and install. Make sure your iPad is connected to the internet.

What iPads is iPadOS 16 available on?

New iPad models are released every year, and each one is more powerful than the last. This means that new versions of iPadOS cannot support older iPad models.

To download and use iPadOS 16 (including the beta version), you must have one of these iPad models:

• iPad (5th – 9th generation)
• iPad Pro (any model)
• iPad Air (5th Gen, 4th Gen, 3rd Gen)
• iPad mini (5th gen, 6th gen)

All of these iPads can download iPadOS 16, but not every compatible iPad will be able to take advantage of all the new features.

If you’re not sure what kind of iPad you have, check out our guide to identifying your iPad model.

What’s new in the iPadOS 16 beta

One of Apple’s main goals in recent years has been to transform the iPad from a standard tablet to a full-fledged laptop replacement. Many of the new features of iPadOS 16 focus on this goal.

Here are three new features you can try now in the iPadOS 16 beta.

Stage Manager is a powerful multitasking tool

The biggest of the new iPad-as-laptop features is Stage Manager.

This tool automatically rearranges all open apps. You can have up to two apps active at the same time, floating in windows in the middle of the screen. Other apps you’ve used recently are stacked to the side of the screen – you can actually view them while they’re stacked there instead of just seeing their icons. Tap one to open it.

By tapping and dragging the corners of the active apps, you can resize the windows and move them around the screen. It’s more flexible than Split View, the iPad mode that lets you use two apps at the same time.

Things open up even more when you connect your iPad to a second monitor. You can seamlessly drag apps between your iPad and the monitor, and they’ll automatically resize to fit the right screen. If you later disconnect your iPad, your exact app layout on the monitor will be copied back to the iPad.

The weather app is finally coming to the iPad

Believe it or not, the iPad has been around for over a decade. And in that time, it never got an official weather app.

That changes in iPadOS 16. If you like the iPhone Weather app, you’ll be happy to know that the iPad Weather app is exactly the same, with some slight adjustments for the larger screen.

As expected, the iPad’s Weather app lets you view real-time temperature, humidity, and air quality statistics. Tapping any piece of information in the Weather app will open another menu that provides more detail and even tracks how the weather is changing over time.

This version of the app uses the larger screen of the iPad to show detailed precipitation maps alongside the usual forecast.

We’re still not sure why it took so long to get a weather app on the iPad, but hey — if it works, it works.

Edit and “unsend” iMessages.

For any Apple product – iPad, iPhone, and Mac – is the ability to edit iMessages after you’ve sent them and even “retire” them after they’ve been delivered.

This feature is perfect for those of us who tend to type before we think. As soon as you edit a message, it is automatically updated on every device that received it. The same applies to not sending; just tap the Undo Send option, and your message will be deleted on all devices.

And if you get too hasty and accidentally delete a message, you’re in luck. Deleted messages can be recovered up to 30 days after deletion – just tap To edit button in the top left corner of your conversation list.

For more features we haven’t mentioned here, check out our iPadOS 16 best features guide.