We all knew to expect iOS 13 (which will likely be unveiled this June at WWDC) on the iPad, but we're just now hearing news of the giant changes it will bring to Apple's tablets. Yes, unlike iOS 12, this major version will deliver serious upgrades for tablet users, with interface updates that have a chance to redefine how iPad apps work.
Rumors will likely come from a variety of sources in the coming months, but these updates are courtesy of Guilherme Rambo, an established leaker with an excellent track record, at 9to5Mac, who's got details from "people familiar with the development of the operating system."
Major multitasking changes
iOS 13 will allow iPad apps to exist in multiple windows, so everything doesn't need to be jammed into a single screen anymore. Almost as if you're using an actual notepad, a window will be able to contain "sheets" that can be "detached with a drag gesture" that turns them into 'cards' you can drag around the screen freely.
You'll also get the option to stack an app's 'cards' on top of each other. This sounds a little open to interpretation, but we'd bet it's more like the iOS app switcher than Stacks in the macOS desktop.
Also, you'll get new gestures for selecting multiple items that make it easy to select a group of objects in a giant list or table thereof. Supposedly this will be more similar to the interactions in macOS.
Catching up with the Mac
Just like macOS Mojave did for MacBooks, iOS 13 is giving the iPad (and the iPhone) a system-wide dark mode that's toggled on and off in the Settings app. You'll get the option to enable a high-contrast mode.
Oh, and the iPad's larger screen will finally be getting the right versions of websites, as Safari in iOS 13 will automatically request the desktop versions of pages you visit. This will come as a huge relief to those of us who are tired of having to tap three times (Share > Request Desktop Version > Refresh) to get a full version of a site.
Undo reborn
Nobody wants to have to shake their giant tablet to undo a little fix, so Apple's introducing a new undo function for fixing your typos and other text-entry mistakes. Reportedly, the gesture begins "as a three-finger tap on the keyboard area, sliding left and right allows the user to undo and redo actions interactively," as if you're scrubbing back and forward on a song in Music or Spotify.
Other tweaks
One of the best small tweaks coming in iOS 13 looks to be a redesigned user interface for volume controls. The new interface will hopefully not obscure the middle of your screen.
Mail.app is getting "smarter," with the ability to automatically sort messages by category, including marketing and travel and "not important" — which sounds similar to how Gmail works. There's also going to be a "read later" option, so you can mark emails to pop back up when you've got the time.
The Reminders app is (finally) getting redesigned, as it's also coming to the Mac.
Oh, and you'll finally get more control over Font management, with a new section coming to the Settings app.
