Apple announces iPadOS 18 with a built-in calculator and customizable homescreen

Apple offered a preview of iPadOS 18 during its WWDC 2024 keynote, providing a brief glimpse of the latest version of its tablet software. Like in previous years, the new update will arrive in the fall, with a developer beta available today and a public beta available next month.

The software update finally adds a built-in calculator to Apple’s tablets. This means iPad users will no longer need to download third-party apps, which are often chock-full of ads and rarely optimized for the iPad’s larger form factor, just to perform simple math calculations.

The new calculator also works along with Apple Pencil, so you can solve math problems after writing them out with the stylus. Apple is also introducing Smart Script, which improves the appearance of text as you write using machine learning. It’s also capable of recreating your own handwriting style, spell-checking you, and transforming typed text into your own style.

The forthcoming software update will also introduce a few new iOS 18 features, including new ways to personalize your homescreen and a customized Control Center, with third-party apps able to offer control center integration for the first time. It also includes features like dark mode for app icons and a new theme engine so you can apply colors of your choice across your app grid.

Other new features include a new screen-sharing feature in Shareplay so you can remotely control another person’s iPad, a redesigned Settings app, and a customizable floating tab that makes it easier to navigate apps.

The news comes a month after Apple updated its iPad lineup with several new tablets, including an M4-powered iPad Pro and an M2-powered iPad Air. For the first time, the high-end Pro models sport OLED displays while the iPad Air comes in two sizes: 11 and 13 inches.