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5 Things to Know About the iPadOS 14.6 Update

Published

5 years ago

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Apple’s finally pushed its iPadOS 14.6 update to iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini users.

iPadOS 14.6 is a milestone upgrade which means it brings a mix of new features, bug fixes, and security patches to iPad models capable of running iPadOS 14.

In this walkthrough we’ll take you through the iPadOS 14.6 update’s performance, the current list of iPadOS 14.6 problems, the best places to find feedback about bugs and performance issues, the iPadOS 14.6 jailbreak status, and more.

We’ll start with our early impressions of iPadOS 14.6 update’s performance on iPad Pro.

iPadOS 14.6 Review

If your iPad is currently running iPadOS 14.5.1, iPadOS 14.6 requires a fairly large download.

If your tablet is running an older version of iPadOS, your update will likely be bigger. In some cases, a lot bigger. That’s because the features and fixes from iPadOS 14 update(s) you skipped are baked into your iPadOS 14.6 update.

If your device is currently running iPadOS 14.5.1, the installation should take around 10 minutes to complete. It took about eight minutes to install on one of our older iPad Pro models.

For more on the iPadOS 14.6 download and installation, have a look at our guide.

We’ve been using the iPadOS 14.6 update on an iPad Pro for several days now and here’s what we’ve learned about its performance thus far:

Connectivity

  • Battery life is currently stable.
  • Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
  • Bluetooth is working fine at the moment.
  • GPS and cellular data are stable.

App Performance

  • Third-party apps like Netflix, Dark Sky, Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working just fine right now.
  • First party apps like Safari, Podcasts, and Calendar are also stable.

Speed

  • iPadOS 14.6 feels as fast as iPadOS 14.5.1 did.

If you’ve run into bugs or performance issues on iPadOS 14.5.1, or an older version of iPadOS 14, you should think about installing the iPadOS 14.6 update right now.

If you need help making a decision, take a look at our list of the best reasons to, and not to, install iPadOS 14.6.

iPadOS 14.6 Problems

iPad users are reporting issues with iPadOS 14.6.

The current list of iPadOS 14 problems includes installation issues, Exchange problems, issues with first and third-party apps, issues with Face ID, UI lag, Wi-Fi issues, issues with Widgets, and Bluetooth issues.

iPad users running iPadOS 14.6 are also reporting excessive battery drain. The issue looks like it’s fairly widespread and it’s impacting several different iPad models.

Battery drain issues are extremely common, but given the number of reports, Apple may be forced to release a fix in an upcoming software update.

If you run into issues, take a look at our fixes for the most common iPadOS 14 software issues. We’ve also released tips that will help you improve performance and tips that should help you improve your iPad’s battery life.

If you can’t stand iPadOS 14.6’s performance on your iPad, you no longer have the ability to downgrade it to older iPadOS software.

Apple has stopped signing on iPadOS 14.5.1 which means you can’t move your iPad back to the previous version of iPadOS 14. Unfortunately, you can’t move your iPad’s software back to anything older than iPadOS 14.5.1 either.

This means that those of you jumping up from iPadOS 14.5.1 and below should approach iPadOS 14.6 with caution. Once you make the move, there’s no going back.

iPadOS 14.6 Update: What’s New

Apple’s milestone iPadOS updates typically bring a mix of features, security patches, and under-the-hood improvements and that’s what you get from iPadOS 14.6.

Here’s the full iPadOS 14.6 change log:

Apple Card Family

  • Apple Card can be shared with up to five people, including anyone 13 years or older in your Family Sharing group
  • Apple Card Family adds support for families to track expenses, manage spending with optional limits and controls, and build credit together

Podcasts

  • Subscription support for channels and individual shows

AirTag and Find My

  • Lost mode option to add an email address instead of a phone number for AirTag and Find My network accessories

Accessibility

  • Voice Control users can unlock their iPad for the first time after a restart using only their voice

Bug Fixes

  • Reminders may appear as blank lines
  • Bluetooth devices could sometimes disconnect or send audio to a different device during an active call

While not listed in the update’s change log, iPadOS 14.6 users are saying the update gives Shortcuts a performance boost.

iPadOS 14.6 ties in with Apple’s new Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio features for Apple Music. Those features are due out in June.

The iPadOS 14.6 update also has 30+ new security patches on board. If you want to learn more about those, you’ll find the details right here on Apple’s security site.

iPadOS 14.6 Jailbreak

The developer teams behind the Checkra1n and unC0ver jailbreaking tools have released versions that are compatible with newer versions of iPadOS 14, but it’s unclear if they’re compatible with iPadOS 14.6.

We’ll let you know when we learn more.

What’s Next

Apple’s confirmed a new version of iPadOS 14.

The company’s put its iPadOS 14.7 update into beta testing and the pre-release version of the firmware is available to download right now through the company’s beta programs.

Like iPadOS 14.6, iPadOS 14.7 is a milestone upgrade which means it should carry new features, fixes, enhancements, and security patches.

We don’t have an official iPadOS 14.6 release date just yet. As of right now, we expect it to roll out alongside iOS 14.7 sometime in the summer.

Apple’s also confirmed its new iPadOS 15 operating system and it’s also in beta testing alongside iPadOS 14.7.

The iPadOS 15 release date lands in the fall, but if you don’t want to wait until September, you can download the software on your iPad right now. iPadOS 15 supports all iPadOS 14-powered devices.

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