Though we’re still due at least one more mid-year update to iPadOS 19, we’re already hearing some juicy rumors about the next major update to Apple’s tablet operating system.
iPadOS 19 will probably be revealed at WWDC in June 2025, following the trend of previous years. Similarly, we expect that Apple’s next major iPadOS upgrade will make it to general release in September 2025, around the time we expect the iPhone 17 series to launch.
Apple doesn’t release iPads yearly in the way it does iPhones, so we’re not sure if any new iPads will be launched alongside the new software. We’d expect all current-gen iPads to support iPadOS 19 on release.
Keep reading for a roundup of the 4 biggest iPadOS 19 rumors we’ve heard so far, as well as 2 further things I’d like to see come to the iPad platform.
- iPadOS 19 is still fairly far away, but we’ve already heard some key rumors
- New homescreen features could be on the way, as well as a new low-power mode
- New features shared with iOS 19 are rumored to include an Apple Intelligence-powered Siri and visionOS-inspired redesign
Pinned files on the homescreen
Apple fans have been calling out en masse for more desktop-style iPad features for a few years now – and honestly, I get it. The iPad Pro and iPad Air especially are as powerful on paper as certain MacBooks, powered by M-series chipsets with as much as 16GB of RAM.
We don’t expect that iPadOS 19 will push Apple’s tablets drastically closer to the desktop experience, but a notable tipster suggests that at least one new desktop-style feature is on the way.
According to longtime tipster Majin Bu, iPadOS 19 will bring the ability to pin files and folders to the homescreen, which we imagine means they’ll appear similarly to app icons.
This could add flexibility to the iPad experience, allowing users to set up pages of their homescreen with each focused on different projects or folders. Users have long been able to add websites and widgets to the iPad homescreen, so adding files feels like a natural extension.
A new low-power mode
A further rumor from tipster Majin Bu notes that iPadOS 19 could bring an overhauled low-power mode to Apple’s tablet lineup.
The rumor suggests that iPadOS 19 will fold the low-power mode into Apple Intelligence, using AI to optimize performance and conserve battery life.
Currently, the iPad’s low-power mode prioritizes essential tasks, dims the screen, and locks the display to a 60hz refresh rate on models with ProMotion displays (which only includes iPad Pro models at the time of writing).
Though I’m a noted AI skeptic, this sounds like a great way to use it. Some of my concerns about AI are to do with power efficiency, so if Apple is looking to use it to conserve energy I’m happy to watch with curiosity rather than doubt.
Apple Intelligence, meet Siri
Siri is due to get its long-awaited Apple Intelligence update with the next major iPadOS update, in line with contemporaneous updates to iOS and macOS.
Apple had initially sought to imbue Siri with the full power of Apple Intelligence via a mid-year iPadOS 18 update, but this has unfortunately failed to materialize.
As well as marking another chapter in the messy rollout of Apple Intelligence, this has led various commentators to adjust their expectations and set sights on iPadOS 19 as Siri’s saviour.
As we recently covered, Siri is well overdue an update, as it still struggles to answer certain basic questions.
A possible redesign
As we previously reported, Bloomberg’s resident Apple expert Mark Gurman has suggested that iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 will all come with a major visionOS inspired redesign – think transparent windows, circular icons, and less visual clutter.
Though we’ve not seen many rumors focused on the possible iPadOS overhaul, we have seen images that supposedly show the redesigned iOS camera app.
Though most of the latest Apple software redesign rumors have concerned iOS, it tracks that iPadOS would receive a similar visual refresh, as the two typically mirror each other when it comes to aesthetics.
iPadOS has technically never had a major redesign, as the operating system only diverged from iOS in 2019. The last major iOS redesign came in 2012, with the introduction of iOS 7.
What I want to see from iPadOS 19
I’ve been an iPad user since long before I joined the TechRadar team, and my trusty 2020 iPad Pro is still ticking along – but like many others I think there are a few key things Apple could do to elevate the experience with iPadOS 19.
The first is proper floating window support. I don’t care if it’s packaged as part of Stage Manager, I just want to be able to resize windows at will and place them where I want. I’ve given up on wanting the iPad to behave exactly like a Mac, but I don’t think this will cross any borders.
As mentioned, the iPad Pro and iPad Air now both sport desktop-class chipsets that are more than capable of running and resizing multiple windows – especially for first-party apps.
The second feature I’d like to see added is a software split keyboard. It honestly confuses me that my 11-inch iPad Pro doesn’t support this feature – the tablet is thin and portable, but just too big to type on comfortably when held vertically.
So there you have it – my two-part wishlist. Let us know what you want to see from iPadOS 19 in the comments, and for a refresher on Apple’s current tablet lineup check out our list of the best iPads.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
