iPadOS 17
|
iPadOS 17
| |
| Developer | Apple |
|---|---|
| Announced | June 5, 2023 (WWDC) |
| Initial release | September 18, 2023 |
| Final release | 17.7.x security series |
| iOS sibling | iOS 17 |
| Preceded by | iPadOS 16 |
| Succeeded by | iPadOS 18 |
|
iPadOS
|
|---|
| iPadOS13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 26 · 27 |
iPadOS 17 is the fifth release of iPadOS, released on September 18, 2023, back in lockstep with its iOS sibling. A consolidation year: the customizable Lock Screen (with iPad-scaled astronomy wallpapers and widgets) arrived a year after iPhones got it, widgets became interactive everywhere, and Stage Manager received the flexibility pass its critics demanded — freer window placement and sizing, plus built-in external webcam support over USB-C.
The Health app reached the iPad for the first time, with its data charts benefiting from the larger canvas, and PDF handling grew autofill and collaborative annotation in Notes — the quiet productivity wins that defined the cycle.
1 Features✎
Lock Screen customization and Live Activities; interactive widgets; Health on iPad; Stage Manager refinements and external camera support; PDF autofill and Notes collaboration; Freeform follow-along; Spotlight and Visual Look Up improvements; and the shared iOS 17 set — Messages Check In, AirDrop improvements, autocorrect's transformer rebuild.
2 Supported devices✎
iPad (6th gen) and later, iPad mini 5 and later, iPad Air 3 and later, iPad Pro 2nd gen and later — dropping the iPad (5th gen) and first 12.9/9.7 Pros' remaining sibling (the 10.5 Pro and 12.9 2nd gen survived).
3 Legacy✎
iPadOS 17 mended Stage Manager's reputation and completed the Lock Screen platform across form factors. Its webcam and Health additions extended the iPad's claim on desk and clinical niches — but its incremental profile also fed the "when does iPad software match M-chip hardware?" chorus that iPadOS 26 finally answered.