iPadOS 17 Offers Support for External Studio Display Webcam, Microphone via USB Type-C Port

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

Apple demonstrated the process of plugging in external webcams or USB microphones to iPads supporting USB Type-C ports. To use the external devices, users will only be required to plug them into one’s iPad to start using them. Certain webcams and microphones may still be unsupported, but the company made a significant change. iPad users connected to a secondary screen will be able to use the webcam in 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 optimisations, and more. 

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

All developers have access to the first beta version of the 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.