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Apple has distributed beta 1 of watchOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, tvOS 27.3 and related updates to developers, just a week after releasing iOS 27.2, iPadOS 27.2 and macOS 27.2 to the public. The betas are available now to enrolled developer devices through Settings, though public beta versions have not yet been released.
Apple's iPadOS 27.2 update streamlines how users set up side-by-side apps. Now, tiling an app to the left or right using window controls or the menu bar immediately shows the Home Screen, letting users tap to select a second app in one step, rather than having to manually swipe and resize as before.
A feature roundup details 10 iPad widgets that many users overlook, spanning both Apple's built-in options and third-party apps. It also notes that iPadOS 27 introduced extra-large widgets for Today View, and explains how to add widgets via the Home Screen edit menu or by converting an app icon directly into a widget.
Apple released iPadOS 27.2, adding a contextual Siri popup that appears when text is selected with a trackpad or mouse, offering quick options like 'Proofread' and 'Rewrite.' The update also brings user profiles to the Apple TV app on iPad, letting multiple people on a shared device get separate watch histories, queues, and content recommendations. Siri AI in this release can also recall past conversations and pull answers from Messages photos, Calendar, voicemail, and Safari history.
Apple introduced a new iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, available with a nano-texture option, offering higher contrast and more than double the peak brightness of the prior model. The device gains an A20 Pro chip, a 12MP Center Stage front camera on the landscape edge, water and dust resistance, faster wireless connectivity, and runs iPadOS 27 with upgraded Apple Intelligence and Siri features. Pre-orders open October 28, with availability from November 6.
Apple unveiled a redesigned iPad Mini featuring an 8.5-inch OLED display, up from 8.3 inches, with thinner bezels and a slimmer 5.4mm body. The device starts at $699 for Wi-Fi only and $849 for Wi-Fi plus cellular, and includes a new A20 Pro chip, 16-core Neural Engine, repositioned 12-megapixel camera, and IP67 water and dust resistance.
A software update to iPadOS 27 has broken the ability to run other apps in the background while AirPlaying a presentation or handout to an external display. Users report that tapping any app other than the one being presented now causes the external screen to mirror the entire iPad, exposing private notes or poll results and disrupting apps like GoodNotes, Keynote, and PowerPoint in different ways.
Apple has begun distributing release candidate builds of iPadOS 27.2, watchOS 27.2, visionOS 27.2 and related software, the versions typically meant to match what ships publicly. Most devices are expected to jump from version 27.0 straight to 27.2, as 27.1 reportedly applies only to the iPhone Duo.
Apple has pushed out the fourth developer beta for its 27.2 software lineup, covering iPadOS, watchOS, visionOS and other platforms. The update follows beta 3, which arrived about a week earlier, as Apple continues refining the release ahead of a planned public launch later this month.
Apple's iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 release, best known for its updated Siri, also expanded keyboard support to include several Indigenous languages such as Blackfoot, alongside Cherokee, which Apple first added in 2010. Cherokee Nation leaders and Oklahoma teachers told Apple the tools, including pronunciation recording features, are being used in schools to help revitalize the language, which has roughly 1,500 fluent speakers worldwide.
Apple has rolled out public beta 2 of iPadOS 27.2, along with similar updates for tvOS 27.2 and HomePod software, to members of its public beta program. These builds mirror developer beta 3 released the previous day, and include minor design changes such as an updated Apple Books interface and a redesigned Apple Music logo.
Apple's upcoming iPadOS 27.2 update will add a contextual Siri popup that appears when users select text with a trackpad or mouse, offering options like proofreading and rewriting suggestions. It will also bring user profiles to the Apple TV app on iPad, mirroring the feature already available on Apple TV 4K via tvOS.