Apple updates iOS and iPadOS with new Memoji, iPad trackpad support

On Tuesday, Apple released a major update for all of its platforms, bringing iOS, iPadOS and tvOS to version 13.4, macOS to version 10.15.4, and watchOS to version 6.2.

This is a feature update, meaning that all these platforms have received new features, but the most important changes are to Apple’s iPadOS. 

As of today, iPads get support for mouse and trackpad, together with new multi-touch gestures to make working with an iPad using a mouse or trackpad more natural. This is not just for Apple’s new iPad Pro — all iPads eligible for the 13.4 upgrade are getting this same functionality. 

The iPad Pro devices do get something unique: support for Apple’s new Magic Keyboard, which unfortunately won’t arrive until May. 

This is a major update that turns the iPad into something much more akin to a full-featured, laptop computer, without reducing any of its standard functionality. Apple has slowly but surely pushed its iPad — especially the iPad Pro — towards being more of a productive device, and this change will likely make more users consider using an iPad as their primary computer. 

As far as other features in this release go, iOS and iPadOS share the most important ones. These include iCloud Drive folder sharing (from the Files app) and granular controls for files in those folders, a redesigned Mail app and new Memoji stickers. 

Apple’s macOS Catalina also got a number of new features, but most of them are minor. These include iCloud Drive folder sharing, Screen Time limits for communication apps, the ability to import Chrome password into iCloud Keychain (pretty cool if you’re planning to switch from Chrome to Safari) and HDR playback support for Netflix content in Safari.

All of the platforms above — macOS, iOS and iPad OS — also got Universal Purchase support for App Store apps.

Finally, watchOS now supports in-app purchases for Apple Watch apps, ECG support and irregular heart rhythm notifications in Chile, Turkey and New Zealand, while tvOS got one notable feature: family sharing of TV and movie purchases. 

All of the platforms received their share of bug fixes which are too many to mention here. A notable bug — the one where iPhone’s Personal Hotspot behaves erratically — isn’t mentioned, so we’ll probably have to wait longer for a fix.