iOS 14 / iPadOS 14 New Features, Changelog And Release Notes [2020]

Apple has officially announced iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 mobile firmware for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch at WWDC 2020. Here is everything you need to know about new features, release notes, changelog, and known issues in the iOS 14/iPadOS 14 slated for release in the last quarter of 2020.

The main app library, widgets on the home screen, and an improved UI with the interactive layout for better app organization. Picture-in-picture video playback in iOS 14, brought over from iPadOS 14, is baked into the new update. Siri has got new functionalities to deliver faster performance.

Here is a complete list of all new features in the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 that everything will get as the main firmware on their compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices.

Table of Contents

iOS 14 New Features:

The introduction of new features in the upcoming iOS 14 marks the next phase in the lifecycle of Apple’s mobile firmware.

App Library

Stack similar apps in folders based on their appropriate category. No need to swipe through multiple Home screens to reach apps.

Home Screen Widgets

For a smarter app organization. Based on the list view, users can scroll down vertically rather than horizontal swiping that shortens the timespan required to reach and search desired apps.

A redesigned Today view with widgets on the home screen. You can place widgets anywhere on the home screen and replace them as you wish.

Siri Improvements

Siri gets a new interface. The full-screen Siri layout when invoked is replaced with a small icon that appears at the bottom of the screen. It works with the content currently displaying on the screen. Siri results show a widget on top of the screen.

Now use Siri to send recorded messages to contacts via the texting app.

With the new Translate app, hold conversations with others in a foreign language in a side-by-side view.

Call Notification

Incoming calls now appear as pop up UI instead of taking up the whole screen when using other apps on your iPhone. Now receive calls without interruption to your current task.

Picture-in-picture video

The new Picture-in-picture will automatically take videos to PiP mode when swiping on the Home screen, which can then be slotted anywhere on the screen. You can also resize PiP. Videos from supported apps will keep playing in the background when you go to the home screen.

Apple Maps

Apple’s commitment to the environment is now reflected in the Apple Map which now suggests cycling routes, lanes, trails, and details such as stairs, elevation data, and more. All this is to present users with a better option when possible in service of reducing the carbon footprint. This feature will be limited to a select few cities at launch, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Beijing.

US, UK, and Canada version of the Apple Maps shows the list of best spots around the town for a particular activity.

Messages App

Pin conversations in the Messages app. This is helpful to quickly access the important messages if you are flooded by chats with multiple contacts.

You can now choose specific contacts to send messages. Use mentions in order to attract attention and select settings where you will be notified only if someone mentions you.

iPadOS 14 Main Features:

Here is a quick overview of the main features included in the iPadOS 14 firmware for iPad tablets in 2020 and beyond.

Call Notifications (works similarly to the one on iOS 14).
Scribble converts handwritten any text field into text.
Mouse and Keyboard support for games.
Redesigned music playback interface suitable for an iPad display.
Universal Search to find contacts, apps, and content on the web, from the Home screen, or inside any app on the iPad.
ARKit 4 for AR improvements with revamped LiDAR sensors in the latest models.

Besides these new features, many under-the-hood improvements ensure stable iPadOS 14 performance under heavy usage.

iOS 14 / iPadOS 14 Release Date:

The iOS 14 final version is still a few months away, most probably in October. Until then, beta updates will be the only channel to enjoy new features.

Apple has opened the iOS 14 beta and iPadOS 14 beta download for registered developers.

The latest reports say that Apple will push the beta for iOS 14 first followed by iPadOS 14 in July.

Developers will get the first access to the beta builds to test new features for themselves.

You can download the latest beta for iOS 14/iPadOS 14 on a compatible device via Apple’s Developer Center. Those new to the process can follow the step by step instructions here.

If you are not part of the developer community, wait a few weeks for Apple to roll out the beta update to test the new Apple mobile operating system along with its new features.

iOS 14 Beta 1 Release Notes, Changelog, And Known Issues:

Apple has announced iOS 14 Beta 1 Changelog, release notes, and known issues expected in the update. It’s good to go through the details before installing the iOS 14 firmware on your device.