Apple has seeded the Release Candidate version of iPadOS 17 to developers ahead of the full release of the update for iPad next week, allowing beta testers to install what will likely be the final build that will be available to everyone in the coming days.
A Release Candidate (RC) update represents a near-final version of an operating systems, with all intended features implemented and tested. It’s the last stage of testing before the official release, which Apple has confirmed will happen on September 18.
If no issues are discovered during the RC stage, this build is typically the one that will be released to the public.
iPadOS 17, which will be available for the iPad (6th generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation and later), 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation and later), adds many of the new features introduced with iOS 17, including significant updates for Messages, including a new stickers experience, and users can now leave FaceTime video and audio messages.
Image: Apple
The main highlight of iPadOS 17 is the ability for users can now customize the Lock Screen to make it more personal and useful. Many of the iOS 16 Lock Screen features have been brought to the iPad, allowing users to set their favourite images on the Lock Screen and stylise them in new ways.
