iPadOS 16 Tidbits: Drastically Improved Files App, System-Wide Undo/Redo, and More

iPadOS 16 is now available to developer beta testers with improvements in Messages and Safari and the all-new Stage Manager, enabling multiple app windows and Mac-like multitasking on M1 iPads.

ipados 16
As has always been the case, many features are shared across iOS and iPadOS, and that's certainly true this year. iPadOS 16 gains several major new features from iOS 16, including the ability to edit and unsend Messages, improvements to Focus, and more.

There are, however, some features and changes exclusive to iPadOS 16 that take even more advantage of the iPad and its performance. We've highlighted a few iPadOS 16 tidbits below:

Files App Gets Quality of Life Improvements

ipados 16 files app changes
The Files app on iPadOS 16 is gaining some much-requested features from ‌iPad‌ users, including easier navigation buttons, easier access to common controls such as duplicate and rename, the ability to change file extensions, and more. The new changes are part of Apple's efforts to make iPadOS apps more "desktop-class."

System-Wide Undo and Redo and Find and Replace

ipados 19 find and replace
iPadOS is gaining system-wide undo and redo functionality, making it easer and more Mac-like for users to easily revert changes made in apps and across the system. iPadOS 16 also introduces system-wide find and replace that in the Notes app, works in-line.

Reference Mode Support on 12.9-inch iPad Pro

m1 ipad pro video editing
With the high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro running iPadOS 16, users can take advantage of the Liquid Retina XDR Display and use the ‌iPad‌ as a reference monitor. This is aimed at artists and creators who need accurate colors and vivid detail when working on large projects.

Option to Turn on Lock to End Call

ipados 16 lock to end call
Under Settings, Accessibility, and Touch, users can now choose to toggle on "Lock to End Call," making it easer to end a current call by pressing the top button.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

nvmls Avatar
20 months ago
15 years of OS development to mimic how a computer handles files, still limited though, and people clap ?

God bless the apple consumer.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Channan Avatar
20 months ago

There’s really zero reason to get an iPad Pro over a MacBook Air.



Ironically the iPad mini might be the most useful of the iPad family due to its convenience as a consumption device.
*For you.

You forgot to put that in your first sentence. Because for me, there’s really zero reason to get a MacBook Air over an iPad Pro. There’s nothing a Mac can do that my iPad can’t for my own personal use.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gruffydd Avatar
20 months ago

There’s really zero reason to get an iPad Pro over a MacBook Air.



Ironically the iPad mini might be the most useful of the iPad family due to its convenience as a consumption device.
I let go of my MacBook recently because I wanted an iPad Pro. Why? My reasons were because I wanted a device that’s even more lightweight but also powerful. I chose the 11” because it’s the perfect size for reading books and reading study material on the train or plane. I can throw it in my back pack and I do t even know it’s there. I found the 12.9” just too big to do that and after a while became too heavy for reading in your hands for long periods of time.

It’s also perfect for math notation, taking notes, studying and doing research. I also started to get back into art which I haven’t done for years because of the iPad Pro. The value I get out of the iPad Pro has far outweighed the value I get from the MacBook. I don’t think I will ever get a MacBook again but instead will have an iMac or Mac Studio, an iPad Pro 11”, iPhone Pro, and an Apple Watch.

Each device has its perfect use case for me since I have an iMac at home and now an iPad Pro and iPhone. The MacBook has no use any longer for me and my use case. Others will have a different use cases and might need one for different purposes.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FightTheFuture Avatar
20 months ago

Except true external display support and "State Manager", I don't really see desktop-class improvement here.
- Can I use Disk Utility.app to format/partition an external drive? No.
- Is Files on par with macOS' Finder? No.
- Is there a Terminal.app? No.
- Transferring my own music to iTunes w/o relying on another Mac? No.
- So-called "Pro" apps? No.
- ...

As long as Apple didn't go into that "What's a computer?" BS, it was fine considering an iPad as a bigger iPhone and not having bigger expectations.
This is a list of things most people do not do with their computers.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bookcase Avatar
20 months ago
Have they come up with a way to delete text messages across all your Apple devices yet? I have to delete them manually from my iPhone, MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iPad.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kc9hzn Avatar
20 months ago

I let go of my MacBook recently because I wanted an iPad Pro. Why? My reasons were because I wanted a device that’s even more lightweight but also powerful. I chose the 11” because it’s the perfect size for reading books and reading study material on the train or plane. I can throw it in my back pack and I do t even know it’s there. I found the 12.9” just too big to do that and after a while became too heavy for reading in your hands for long periods of time.

It’s also perfect for math notation, taking notes, studying and doing research. I also started to get back into art which I haven’t done for years because of the iPad Pro. The value I get out of the iPad Pro has far outweighed the value I get from the MacBook. I don’t think I will ever get a MacBook again but instead will have an iMac or Mac Studio, an iPad Pro 11”, iPhone Pro, and an Apple Watch.

Each device has its perfect use case for me since I have an iMac at home and now an iPad Pro and iPhone. The MacBook has no use any longer for me and my use case. Others will have a different use cases and might need one for different purposes.
Reminds me of college, I owned a Mid 2007 MacBook and, after it came out, an OG iPad. I took a chemistry class my Freshman year with that MacBook, and note taking on it was truly a pain, if just because of all the chemical subscripts. The year after I got my iPad, I used it for note taking in a linear algebra class, handwritten notes with one of those touchscreen styluses. It made taking notes in my math class such a breeze. (Why didn’t I just use a paper notebook? Well, I type faster than I write, so it made sense to me as a muddle-headed freshman. As for the math class? Mostly because I didn’t want to carry a large notebook in my backpack, especially if it had only so much space for each subject. Plus, I was on crutches for two months, if I could reduce the weight in my backpack, I gladly would.) There are times and scenarios when I prefer paper and pen, but there are also times and scenarios when I prefer digital handwriting.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

'All-Screen' iPhone Under-Display Camera Enters Development

Wednesday December 6, 2023 2:03 am PST by
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UDC differs from a typical front ...
magsafe blue 2

iOS 17.2 Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Models

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:04 am PST by
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
airpods pro bulbs

Black Friday Prices Return for AirPods Pro 2 With USB-C, iPad, and More

Tuesday December 5, 2023 7:30 am PST by
Today we're tracking a collection of deals that are matching - or nearly matching - the same all-time low discounts we saw during Black Friday. This includes the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, 9th generation iPad, and M1 MacBook Air. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the ...
instagram messenger

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Chats to Disconnect This Month

Tuesday December 5, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....