iOS and iPad 15 Update on Widgets Let Developers Hide Sensitive Information

Sophie Webster, Tech Times 10 June 2021, 03:06 pm

iOS and iPadOS 15 have been updated by Apple, and the new functionalities have been added to WidgetKit.

WidgetKit was introduced in 2020, and it allows developers to classify information deemed as sensitive in their widgets, meaning that specific information will only become viewable on the lock screen when the user unlocks their device.

iOS Smart Stacks Feature

iOS 14 introduced redesigned widgets for the lock screen and Home Screen. While there are no major changes to WidgetKit in 2021, the new password-protected feature may be welcomed by apps that feature widgets with sensitive information, like banking information and health information.

Widgets can be accessed on the lock screen by swiping left to Today View, according to MacWorld.

Meanwhile, iOS 15 get new functionality for its widgets called Smart Stacks. Smart Stacks allows users to stack different widgets on top of each other and allowing iOS to determine which widget is most relevant to be shown depending on the factors like the time of day, location, and more.

Also Read: How to Become an Apple iOS Beta Tester?

On iOS 15, the system can add widgets to Smart Stacks automatically. The feature called Widget Suggestions is a new way for users to discovered widgets they may not have known existed.

The developers that are interested in learning more about the changes in iOS 15 can review everything through the WWDC session, according to MacRumors.

Split View Feature

Aside from Smart Stacks, the feature called Split View was also introduced for iPad 15. A new quick-access button aims to make swapping apps in and out of the two-app Split View an easier process.

iPadOS is set to have a shelf that can make other open windows accessible at the bottom of the iPad screen, which is closer to the dock, according to CNET.

Swapping already-open Split View apps in iPadOS 14 requires a rather awkward swipe up in order to clear the screen and show the other apps. Meanwhile, this new layout for iPadOS 15 lets you keep the apps open while you browse.

Also, the widgets that are available in iOS 14. are making their way into iPadOS 15. They work the same, and they offer bigger mini-apps that can double as app launchers. There are larger-format widgets in iPadOS 15 that can get massive, spanning numerous columns of apps.

Another feature that made it into iPadOS 15 is the App Library from iOS 14. t is a feature that consolidates installed apps into a faster and easier browsable menu. It can also be accessed from the iPadOS dock, which is a faster way to access all apps.

Apple's Notes app is also getting numerous significant updates. Apple is adding mentions and tags to Notes.

A Quick Note feature paired with the Pencil can make it easier to swipe up from the corner of the iPad screen and write a note while using another app, a sort of quick-access mini-app that looks to be a way to keep a scratchpad for work that lives across all of iPadOS.

The Quick Note idea is the most innovative multitasking idea in iPadOS 15, and in the future, may add quick-function hooks as well.