Apple Releases iPadOS 13.4 With Mouse and Trackpad Support

As promised, Apple is rolling out a new version of iOS and iPadOS to users today. Apple already announced last week that the company will be releasing a new update to iOS this week, and it’s delivering on its promise this evening.

iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4 are now available on supported devices, and they bring a number of new features, Apple is also releasing iOS 12.4.6 for older devices today.

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The new update to iPadOS brings support for mouse and trackpad. Support for trackpads on the iPad has been a long time coming, and with the new Magic Keyboard just around the corner, Apple is adding built-in trackpad support to the OS.

There are a number of other new features in the latest iOS update. It enables support for iCloud Drive folder sharing on the Files app, there are nine new Memoji stickers, and the stock Mail app has also been updated to include a new toolbar. Apple has enabled support for Universal Purchase with today’s update as well.

You can find the full changelog for iPadOS 13.4 here, and iOS 13.4 here.

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Conversation 7 comments

  • truerock2

    24 March, 2020 - 5:02 pm

    <p>I find this to be a fascinating topic.</p><p>Watching Apple trying to make an OS that is both a touch OS and a mouse/keyboard OS will be interesting.</p><p><br></p><p>Apparently it required that iPhone iOS and iPadOS be separate operating systems. I wonder if there will be significant effort to keep some alignment between the 2 operating systems (especially the GUI) or if Apple decides to just make the 2 different operating systems autonomous.</p><p><br></p>

    • nbplopes

      25 March, 2020 - 6:02 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#533604">In reply to truerock2:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>The interesting bit is how can iPad can still be a game changer in 2020?</p><p><br></p><p>How can a device with no mouse support up until now is poised with new gen quality apps, fluid operation …. and the ones that provided such feature since inception are not? Android, Chrome OS, Windows.</p><p><br></p><p>There is much to learn from this rather than trying to dismiss Apple approach to a “new” computing model, Its silly really.</p><p><br></p><p>PS: I think they should have done it sooner, but how much sooner? Maybe 2018. So in my view is a couple of years late. Before that, without the maturity they achieved in the OS, device hardware and touch interaction language, it would have been swallowed by Surface like devices. It’s ready when it’s ready.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      25 March, 2020 - 8:44 am

      This may literally be why iPadOS was spun off from iOS. It made no sense when announced, but now it’s starting to.

  • letsmakeitbetter

    25 March, 2020 - 2:39 pm

    <p>Mmmm maybe they should have called the update Nemesis? This is what it could spell for Microsoft. To me an important piece is the Logitech Combo Touch keyboard at $149.99 for a garden variety iPad 7 turns the iPad into what the Surface Go should have been. Check out the Logitech product page and rage at how much it copies the Surface 🙂 It will be interesting to see what this means as the every person computing device.</p>

  • Stooks

    25 March, 2020 - 3:18 pm

    <p>Does any BT mouse work on it?</p><p><br></p><p>If so game changer. The were two things keeping me from using my 12inch iPad as a productivity device. #1 and most important was the mouse. #2 I would like to have floating Windows and be able to move stuff around, which is less important.</p><p><br></p><p>If it works with any BT mouse I could see this as my vacation computer. Today I take my laptop and iPad and only use my Laptop to get into work and do things. If I can simply use the the iPad with mouse to RDP into my desktop computer at work then it would be great.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

    • jeffpr

      26 March, 2020 - 2:06 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#533809">In reply to Stooks:</a></em></blockquote><p>I paired an old MS Bluetooth mouse with an old IPad mini – works fine, including left/right buttons, scroll wheel, etc. </p>

  • Jorge Garcia

    25 March, 2020 - 9:26 pm

    <p>I don't understand why Google is not taking a similar approach with Android. Samsung knows we are long overdue for a desktop-ized Android, which is why they invested huge resources into making DeX, but it's really that Google should be spearheading it. ChromeOS is a nasty mish-mash OS with duplicate apps that I feel might offer the right solution for some, but not for many others.</p>

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