iPadOS 17 adds support for external studio display webcam, microphone via USB Type-C port

iPadOS 17 was unveiled along with other software and hardware at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023 on Monday. iPadOS 17 is likely to be available to users in the third quarter of the year. With this update, the Messages app comes with a user interface overhaul, the lock screen gets widgets and a new Health app layout. The newly launched operating system supports studio displays, other external displays, and microphones via USB Type-C port. Of course, only iPad models with USB Type-C ports will support this feature.

Apple demonstrated the process of plugging an external webcam or USB microphone into an iPad that supports a USB Type-C port. To use external devices, users only need to plug them into their iPad to start using them. Some webcams and microphones may still be unsupported, but the company has made an important change. iPad users connected to a secondary screen will be able to use the webcam on the front of this secondary device, instead of using the iPad’s inbuilt webcam.

The AVFoundation API can help app developers enable video rotation from both external and inbuilt cameras, and also let users choose audio input options, offer echo cancellation optimizations, and more.

iPadOS 17 also comes with a new, customizable lock screen and Stage Manager enhancements. It will also come with interactive lock screen widgets, a PDF-editing app that helps embed PDF files directly into the Notes app for easy reference, and UI updates to the iMessage app. The OS also allows users to leave audio or video messages when someone doesn’t answer their FaceTime call.

All developers have access to the first beta version of iPadOS 17. A public beta version is expected to be available by August while the stable version is likely to launch by November this year.