My iPadOS 18 Feature Wishlist

[@KosherCoder]

I want to run VMs on iPad. iPadOS is already built for it, with its app sandboxing.

[@Siduch.]

Well, we got a calculator!… and a new notes feature. How amazing. Maybe the M5 will be powerful enough to handle a significant update

[@damiengrief]

As a new iPad Pro owner and someone who hasn't been in the ecosystem for long, my most wanted new features are: 1. Background tasks 2. Better multitasking - either make Stage Manager much better allowing more windows and letting me customize behavior like what happens when I close a stage/all the apps on a stage (I want this to go back to my home screen, not another open stage) *or* give me a real desktop instead of the current home screen with unlimited windows, a menu bar, etc. 3. Better file management - I want to see something like Finder on macOS. But at the very least, apps need to be able to talk to each other and apps should have more access to the file structure of the internal storage. I also don't use iCloud, I use OneDrive so I'd like to see better integrations with 3rd party services. 4. Xcode and terminal access (and full versions of these, not gimped versions) - I should be able to code an entire iPad app right on the iPad and instantly test it. 5. Custom icons and icon packs you can install to easily change the look and feel of your apps from the home screen.

[@donyoung333]

Agreed, don’t forget support for separating audio (for podcasts) playing audio from multiple sources, would love for Mission Control to work ipad to ipad

[@damiengrief]

@@waschbaerkaiser I have multiple powerful laptops. I wanted a tablet

[@jack_2612]

@@donyoung333 underrated comment. The issue is that iPadOS is still basically iOS, which means apps like Twitch and Chrome install as the mobile version and twitch can't even be run in a browser, on the iPad. Since all mobile apps work as some sort of locked-in process, running one media app turns off all other media players. It's awful and I hate it, but yet again one more reason to grab my M3 Pro MB instead of my iPad Pro...

[@joselucnico]

I can understand this idea actually because I use an app which can do background task. So I discover that iOS can’t do background tasks in stage Manager.

[@Mist3rTh0maz]

I have a question for you... why would you want unlimited windows on a 11 inch screen? That would look terrible... now if there's a setting that has this option for external monitor. Then I can understand...

[@tacojohnellenich]

I want the ability to size a window to exactly 16:9 in Stage Manager to get rid of black bars when streaming, playing games, watching KZbin etc.

[@Howie1974]

It is so refreshing to watch a person who actually uses the iPad deliver thoughtful ideas about the iPad. I am so sick of the “I used the new iPad for a week to replace my MacBook Pro” level techfluencers. I agree with almost everything - the shortcut launcher in Stage Manger has been on my wishlist for ages (I have one set up that works great for non-stage manager split screen) and also the ‘default add to current stage’ setting. Almost everything you said is spot on! Great video, well done. Subscribed!

[@TheJamSpace]

I hope you absolutely shred Apple in an IpadOS 18 reaction video...

[@rebelscumatreyu6677]

A calculator app as the only update for ipados. Wow, that was a new low even for apple…

[@TonyTylerDraws]

A built in slide over calculator. It’s ridiculous it isn’t on the iPad. It feels like a prank at this point. EDIT: it’s sad that an iPadOS calculator was announced in 2024, as a new feature

[@ChrisLawley]

PCalc FTW!!

[@TonyTylerDraws]

I’ve been using PCalc. I’m just always annoyed when third parties have to make solutions to functionality issues. Like reposting in IG or the lack of Shortcut support of Obsidian, etc

[@dreamer-0815]

Calculation on the search bar

[@BizTechSherpa]

@@ChrisLawley Same here - I have Pcalc, Drafts, Yoink, and Calendar 366 in slide over.

[@chidorirasenganz]

I mean it would be cool but spotlight is already available

[@illhaveawtrplz]

Just watched the keynote and it really felt like this year was going to be the year they would FINALLY implement Chris’ suggestions. They’re good suggestions! It wasn’t and they didn’t.

[@Zereniti77]

Re Time Machine. Besides seeing it as a backup tool, it’s also an universal file undo. Yes, we need it ASAP.

[@AdelAlberk]

YES the background task is a MUST to call and ipad pro "PRO" the final app need improving stage manager need improving (it need keyboard shortcut for something like to quickly resize a window)

[@mypradasatthecleanerss]

I agree with you about MacOS. I really like how iPadOS is focused and doesn’t give you root access, but it’s getting a bit beyond the point where it’s excusable for ipadOS to be this undercooked

[@davidrussell6559]

This is what I prefer. Someone talking about what they would like to see instead of an influencer spouting “rumors” that can be tied to one source. Keep up the good work. Enjoy your content.

[@mainsink6385]

Time Machine would be amazing & a Mac like version of the OS X filesystem.

[@elmedin26]

Fontbook for iPad … it’s so annoying to install fonts on iPadOS / iOS. I hope this will come at WWDC24.

[@ChrisLawley]

Biggest yes!

KZbin app still behaves strange in Stage Manager. It resizes its content in such a weird way, it’s impossible to get to the comments sometimes.

[@djbakasan]

I’ve had several social media apps behave similarly weird. Off the top of my head, Facebook and IG have done this to me too.

[@shannonhonadle857]

Clipboard manager. I just got my new iPad and am struggling with no clipboard manager. You can download these 3rd party tools but they usually require going into the app every time you copy something.

[@suchitrapatel7179]

Android had background operations for years that too with 3gb ram and yrs old processors so i think every ipad released in last five yr should be able to do that as well

[@jimtipton8888]

Would love a snap to window function for stage manager. I don't mind the 4 app limit as much as I hate the effort of resizing the apps. Be nice if you could just stick an app in a screen 1/2 or 1/4 or even a 1/3.

[@Michael-ur5qb]

Here’s a thought, actual Pro apps? Idk why apple started with video editing when they don’t even have a full scale pages/word that can run on the ipad. Maybe start smaller and workout. I don’t need Mac navigation or layout I just want full apps.

[@hey_bucklebob]

12:20 Your suggestion of universal control between iPads has got me thinking. Two iPad minis, side by side in portrait orientation, in a case that closes them up like a book when you're done working --> Surface Duo killer?? 😅

[@hey_bucklebob]

The lack of multi user support after all these years is a little bit baffling

[@DeborahCarlston]

I upgraded to the iPad Pro 11 M4 this year and am dismayed that you can't fully do podcasts or edit video on this thing. Apple sold this device to creators with the pitch that it would do both. They never said, "Well we know you spent $2,000.00. But now you have to get all these other apps and get all this other equipment to do what we Said you could do with it during our May event!". So I'm hoping they have some answers on June 10'th.

[@ChrisLawley]

I can edit video, 100% I do all my videos on the iPad. It’s podcast recording recording that’s a problem.

[@DeborahCarlston]

@@ChrisLawley I haven't tried it myself yet. That's very good to know. Someone else who I was watching was saying that you can't import stock footage or music into videos on the iPad into a video. It was really discouraging. Was he wrong?

[@Samwarren1982]

honestly, they just need to give us the ability to put a full macOS experience on it. give us a “you are violating your warranty by doing this.” type message, but let us load macOS

[@andrewlonghofer]

12:31 In addition to Universal Control between two iPads, I would love to have a quality of life upgrade for Universal Control that lets me use Mac gestures on a trackpad connected to the iPad. The Mac’s trackpad will do iPad gestures, so why will the trackpad on the iPad Magic Keyboard only move the cursor and click?

[@tahanumansimsek]

There are a bunch gestures that work on the trackpad though ?

[@peteranderson7497]

The TWO things I really want for iPadOS are: 1. The files app to become as solid and reliable as the Finder on a Mac 2. Time Machine or something like Get Backup Pro. That's not much to ask Apple…

[@mam.c]

Even my 3 years old midrange Samsung tablet, with only 6GB of Ram and a mediocre snapdragon 700 series mobile processor can handle task in the background (like download or upload large files) without any issues. There is no reason in the world that can justify than an iPad can't do it as well!

[@ms350125]

What I’d like is that Apple creates some kind of base that Adobe or anyone else can use to create a Bridge-like application that would NOT integrate with Photos, but allows culling and batch rename media stored in local or external folders before import to any editing application. Anything that allows Nextcloud sync files in the background with the server would be nice too, and eventually Hazel-like app would be an icing on the cake.

[@swhif]

Putting this out there, when connected to a monitor apps run in a macOS version whilst in stage manager

[@ChrisLawley]

Problem with that is macOS stage manager is missing features the iPad has. Like shift+click on an app icon to add it to the current stage.

[@BommeltjeNL]

Ha, I’m using a Baseus usb-hub that’s attached in the corner or my iPad Pro 12,9 and now on my 13”. Had to add a bit of tape to have it stick there, but it works. I never knew how to pronounce Baseus. I always thought it was Base-US or something like that haha 😂

[@UrbanSasquatch]

I’ve set an automation up where whenever the ipad connects to an external monitor, stage manager is turned on, whenever the ipad disconnects from the external monitor, stage manager automatically turns off

[@HistoryNut-1701]

I’d be happy if they brought the same features that Safari has for reading & listening to webpages to the News App. And Also add the 80% charge limit to older iPads so I can plug the Magic Keyboard in and be anchored to power without worrying about stressing the battery chemistry.

[@lancomtre]

Background tasks are enabled for video games

[@edoardomarchesi1938]

What about a proper battery charge limiter (80%)? Just like the iPhone

[@DeliverQuality]

You can use shortcuts as a clipboard manager

[@lestat1886]

2:11 well that is not entirely true, you can bzck up manually to icloud without the ipad needing to be pluged in and inactive. And ypu can also back up in a mac

[@m8940sv]

Don't think u got any wishes forfilled 😢

[@dtoxinify]

Password manager as its own app. That’s it.

[@에베베엡베엡베부]

sorry to bother you but my iPad Pro 12.9 5th gen with M1 chip still struggles with 8 apps at once (fyi I use an external monitor all the time) 6:25. It refreshes and reboots like every hour

[@paulwoodward8265]

At least they have tried to fix Siri. I do use Siri on my iPad, I assume the features they are demoing on iphone will also work on the ipad pro.

[@ChadLawson3]

“…my army of mechanical keyboards…” Love it.

[@ChrisLawley]

Yeah. I might have a problem.

[@ChadLawson3]

Oh, no judgement, General. My own collection wouldn’t even rate as a squadron and I would prefer to have at least a platoon.

[@ChadLawson3]

Do you know of a good, wireless keyboard somewhere in the 60-65% range with a “trackpoint” device? Talk about niche, I’m one of the few people who misses those things. Back then it was nice to never have to take my hands off the home row. Now I’d love a single device for use with the Apple Vision Pro.

[@facatempo]

Heavily influenced by you, I bought an iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard. I tried using it as a secondary device for studying and everyday tasks, but after trying for years, I concluded that it requires a lot of effort to make the iPad even minimally useful. So I gave up and returned to my Mac, where I can do anything effortlessly. I love the iPad, but Apple needs to change iPadOS to something closer to MacOS, or the iPad will remain just a powerful toy.

[@asoteo]

I can't agree more...

[@BSingh-on4qr]

Same. We’re all iPad lovers who have been putting up with limitation for years. I’m really about to jump ship to the new surface pros

[@ParkourBrian]

As somebody who’s been running businesses off an iPad for years, I’m the 100% opposite of this. The Mac seems foreign and needlessly complicated. There are too many concessions that I’m forced to make to achieve the same results and usually I reach for the iPad 9.8 times out of 10 simply due to ease of use.

[@yashlondhe4505]

Love your channel chris!

[@ChrisLawley]

Thank you!!

[@piiits_life]

i just want the ipad to run mac apps - ipadOS stays the same, but like on the mac (where can choose to use ipad/iphone apps) i want that we can choose to use Mac Apps on the iPad (no matter if there are touch optimized or not) - maybe they also only run with a keyboard - but that would solve so many problems

[@sharonb.9128]

Great video. Fantastic list. I’ve read that writing code for the iPad is more difficult than for the Mac. Do you think developers will take the path of least resistance and put more effort into developing for keyboard and trackpad inputs, not touch and stylus if the MacOS comes to iPad?

[@amandeep9930]

I want terminal

[@soulesss]

Personally, i wish there is an easier way to pull down the control center on the trackpad What if just sliding down on the top right of the trackpad like what you do on the ipad screen itself idk it feels wrong to me on what we have right now Also calculator shortcut on the keyboard where a calculator is always ready for you sounds amazing

[@yippiecalle421]

If Apple claims that iPad wont replace the Macbook but it’s a companion to the Mac. Make it possible to be able to remote onto the Mac from iPad we need a better way to control you Mac that is not Universal control. More Pro apps would be good. Does not have to be just like the Mac’s apps but good enough to get us started. Like the Final Cut app, give us an Xcode app. Let us get started on IPad we jot down ideas, scribble things down. We get an idea sitting on the couch I can just use iPad to quickly edit things add ideas then when i go back to Mac be able to continue working. And use IPad as 2nd monitor or my whiteboard again.

[@anthonylethbridge458]

Excellent video. I would like some sort of iPad desktop like the Mac. Also I would like to be able to pin a combination of apps in a set pattern on the left hand recents column to make perhaps six items there and also I would like to be able to press and delete some of those recents. Personally I would like dual boot on the iPad. Just give us a chioce.

[@TestarossaF110]

iPadOS should get its own support or be more closely related to MacOS instead of iOS. It could be a touch-y pro device and not just a bigger iPhone (in the way the OS works now).

[@RafaelDutra]

It would be nice if you "compare" what are your wishlists (this video) with another video after WWDC. If you already do this, sorry, I am a new subscriber. Regards from Brazil!

[@SimonLYW]

macOS on the iPad is just the faster horse answer. I think Apple just needs to decide on what they actually want the iPad to be and focus on that vision. Splitting the line to include the base model, air and pro essentially to justify selling higher priced models is what’s causing the issue. There hasn’t been any real direction.

[@absolute_tk]

They should allow JIT for full pro apps & be able to run Java Minecraft

[@DaYellowMelo]

For it to be an iPad, it would be GREAT for it to have a graphing calculator. That would be sweet!

[@ackyde]

Apple's goal is of course to sell as much hardware as possible. Therefore, it is unlikely that they will close the gap between iPadOS and macOS. The fact that you bought (or should I say "had to buy") a Mac mini proves that their strategy is successful. Most of your suggestions make a lot of sense, but implementing them would discourage people from buying both platforms.

[@antcooper]

I really hope Apple haven’t spent all their Developers time on pointless AI features like Google and Microsoft. All I really want are those quality fixes and improvements. I can’t redact text from a PDF without using my Mac (or a 3rd party app, but that’s dumb when Preview can do it). I can drop a Note on Reminders on iPhone or IPad and it creates a link. This is broken on macOS. Share sheet for Mail. Smart folders in Mail and Photos… etc

[@Marngel]

Give me a legitimate desktop version of Safari and allow me to install chrome that actually runs the Chromium engine. Also, the cursor should act like the MacOS cursor in all scenarios where right click should work anywhere. I’m fine with the animations, but the cursor functionality needs to be one to one with Mac

[@ChrisLawley]

Yeah it’s a bummer that only the EU gets that right now.

[@Marngel]

@@ChrisLawley Yep, hopefully Apple can change their App Store rules to allow browsers to use their own engines besides WebKit which would allow a full version of chrome and other browsers. They did change their rules to allow emulators after the EU law passed. So it’s not impossible

[@AJM-zo1vq]

Love your videos Christopher!!!! You were meant to do this and I look forward to many more. You’ve helped me get so much more out of my iPad. That said, if iPadOS doesn’t become something akin to iPadOS PRO with the features you mentioned (for me the Files App - we can’t even save a file to the Home Screen or place a folder there…unreal) then I’m going to have to go back to the MacBook. Which, of course, I believe is Apple’s master plan anyways. Well, they’re certainly making their shareholders happier if not their customers.

[@forbisconsulting]

Universal control between iOS devices on same iCloud account…yes!!!

[@ChrisLawley]

That would be so nice!

[@khariodub8182]

All i want is to be able to download software. I just want to download software!!! Whatever software thats Mac compatible.

[@mypradasatthecleanerss]

Nice video, but I’m fully prepared to be disappointed again with Apple’s approach to the iPad

[@galasitygaming]

Terminal with fully functional Python please!

[@paulwoodward8265]

Well, looks like they spent all their time bringing new shiny to macOS, and fixed none of the real problems with iPadOS. Nothing but a bit of glitter on what we already had. Oh, and a calculator app. As an owner of a new iPad Pro with the keyboard, it's a big letdown. I want to be able to use it with my ultra widescreen display, without it giving me massively oversized UI elements, I want to open more than 4 windows, deal properly with multiple audio sources. Looks like I'll continue to need to use my inferior macbook to get most of my work done, because macOS doesn't have these problems. Bummer.

[@Isengardtom]

Great video - I also don’t want MacOS on the iPad. I think that’s something that Mac users want because they want a MacBook with touch and pencil input + an OLED screen

[@paulwoodward8265]

It's because we know that it'll fix all the things at once. We've waited a decade for iPadOS to grow up and despite some baby steps we're still waiting for some pretty basic stuff. Background tasks, time machine, multiple audio streams, file management, external display handling, window management, multi user support. It's not the best solution, because macOS is not touch optimised, but it would mean I could take just my iPad to work and do my job on it, rather than have to take in 2 devices. I agree with Christopher, better to fix iPadOS, but can they do that? Will they do that?

[@caerolleclaudel1768]

I wish for a lot of things in iPadOS but right now I just with external display worked right. Instead I still have apps that crash when moved to the external display and then others (including KZbin and several websites) in which light text and even regular text is rendered all broken up. I wish they would make iPadOS into a serious OS but that will never happen and they will never put MacOS on even an iPad Pro. I have a 5th gen iPad Air and have spent a lot of time evaluating getting a 13” M2 Air or even a 13” M4 Pro but if iPadOS does not get massively updated either of those is not worth the money to me. Instead, while I would rather have an Apple device, if the Snapdragon Surface Pro lives up to the hype I will put my money there instead so at least I have a real OS that will run serious apps. My money is on us just getting some fancy new visuals and a lot of AI stuff, neither of which I care about.

[@koenignero]

MacOS as an App. That’s all we need.

[@ChrisLawley]

If iPadOS doesn’t grow up then yes I agree.

[@paulwoodward8265]

That was my initial thought too. Maybe run it as a container or VM. But I'm not so sure it would actually fix everything. It probably won't fix issues with external monitor support, webcams, mics, audio streams. I got to thinking the other way around made more sense - run iPadOS as an app. MacOS can handle the multitasking, hardware support, multi audio streams, and you could run iPadOS as an app on a virtual desktop. But it's probably not that simple to do either of these things. Dual boot feels more viable, but that's a bad user experience and would take a lot of storage. But for sure, MacOS as an app would be fun to play with and would fix some of the issues raised here.

[@brighterprogress]

Give me sniping tools and let me install macOS app on ipad

[@adamkenton2585]

It's too late to do a wishlist

[@peat381low8]

I don’t know why everyone is crying for a calculator app. Just use Numbers to calculate formulas. It’s better than a calculator.

[@renanletenski]

freeform plugins

[@ChrisLawley]

Ohhh that would be cool!

[@renanletenski]

@@ChrisLawley like.. I use goodnotes to record audio and take notes of my classes in sync. imagine if I could use this woodnotes feature inside freeform? or import the procreate pen styles? too good to even think about it

[@jack_2612]

yeah 99% of the iPad's problems can be fixed with APIs. The MacOS vanilla experience is not great at all, it has no window management, no clipboard, spotlight can't do anything useful, you can't set proper mouse and trackpad speeds and so on. Every single one of these issues is solved with an app. Rectangle, Swish, AltTab, MouseCape, Raycast, Alfred, Bartender, Copyclip, Linear Mouse, Wins, Dropover, AlDente and many others are what really give value to my MacBook Pro. It's not like it would be useless without them, but it surely would be extremely slower at any task and much less convenient. The iPads don't need MacOS and they surely don't need native features like those I just listed, but apps can give them to us and Apple wouldn't even break a sweat. Just give devs APIs, I beg you. Enough with this enlarged iOS shenanigans...

[@SKC_23]

Hope you’re doing ok ❤ your lips seem pretty purple in today’s video. I could be wrong…

[@BSingh-on4qr]

Give me VM support and I’ll be happy

[@jrgibson]

16:32 - Now one thing you didn’t hear me say… give me all the features of a different platform which is built for different purposes but don’t give me the OS those features are designed to work on. Shove a square peg into a round hole, and if you don’t; I’ll complain and profit off it by posting about it on social media. Chris, you know the limitations, you know what the iPad can and cannot do so if you want to do something that this platform isn’t designed to do - tough.

[@marcodimario9918]

Chris...let me tell you :) I’m afraid you’re asking for the moon! Apple has no interest in making iPadOS like MacOS. That would go against their financial interests. I’m afraid they’ll never do it. I'm afraid that iPadOS will stay the same TOY of operating system as it is actually,

[@jrgibson]

So Chris wants macOS on his iPad, why doesn’t he just say that instead of creating a 17-minute ranting video about how the iPad isn’t running macOS. Got. It.

You should check you purple lips, probably nothing but go and check with a doctor

[@connorg9960]

Early for once 😂

[@ChrisLawley]

HA, earlier the better! (Not really, this is KZbin, the video stays the same no matter what time you watch it. But I appreciate it!!)

[@connorg9960]

@ChrisLawley just got my first iPad like a week ago now, and your videos have helped a ton!!!!

[@rmacfarland1]

How about what allot people have already talked about on other channels... MacOS... Dump iPadOS. It's trash..

[@ChrisCo813]

💯 you are truly the iPad 🐐 sir 🫡… I currently use my M1 iPad Pro 12.9 as my main computing device outside of my phone(14 Pro Max) & work computer (Lenovo Thinkpad 13th Gen 10-core i5, 16 GB RAM) which is hooked up to two ThinkVision monitors… I use my IPad for everything else and have never even owned a MAC..Don’t feel like I’m missing out @ all. I find that the iPad is the most versatile device in Apple’s lineup…although My Apple Watch Ultra is my “FAVORITE” Apple device, the iPad Pro is by far my most USEFUL device! I traded up from the 11 in iPad Air about 3 years ago,, but I definitely look forward to trading my M1 in for the new M4 13” iPad Pro this year! The screen technology is a good enough reason for me to make the jump by itself..but the new Keyboard and Apple Pencil are extremely enticing!!! I look forward to seeing what they bring to iPad OS this year!