Apple’s iWork suite of productivity apps has been an option for iPhone, iPad and Mac users for years. All three apps, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers, offer people the ability to create documents, presentations, and spreadsheets, and best of all, they don’t cost a penny. However, these aren’t necessarily the latest apps, which makes this round of updates worth noting.
Apple has released updates on all of its major platforms, so iPhone, iPad, and Mac owners should check for new updates if they don’t have the App Store configured for automatic processing. Each app has its own release notes, although they are very similar regardless of which platform you use the apps on.
All three apps have received improvements for handling photos taken on the iPhone and iPad, while there are other improvements specific to their wheelhouse. Obviously, all these updates are free and we suggest everyone download them as soon as possible.
Pages
Apple’s Pages app is a great option for people who need to create rich documents, whether it’s letters, posters, and more. This update improves the handling of photos and notifications within the app, among other things.
- Press and hold the Command key to select nonadjacent words, sentences, or paragraphs
- Simplified in-app notifications let you know when a person joins a collaboration document for the first time
- Preserve the file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
- Additional stability and performance improvements
Keynote
The Keynote app is perfect for creating presentations, and users can connect their devices to projectors for that big-screen experience. In this update, Apple has again improved the handling of HEIC photos while the known stability and performance improvements are also present. Those dealing with files that also need to work with Microsoft PowerPoint will also enjoy the improved compatibility.
- Add a new look to your slides with Dynamic Color, Minimalist Light and Minimalist Dark themes
- Simplified in-app notifications let you know when a person joins a shared presentation for the first time
- Preserve the file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
- Press and hold the Command key to select nonadjacent words, sentences, or paragraphs
- Improved compatibility for slide transitions when importing and exporting Microsoft PowerPoint files
- Additional stability and performance improvements
Figures
While Microsoft’s Excel might be the choice for many people, Numbers can more than hold its own in the spreadsheet stakes. This new update won’t change the way people do their work, but there are still some significant improvements to stability and file handling.
- Simplified in-app notifications let you know when a person joins a collaborative spreadsheet for the first time
- Preserve the file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
- Press and hold the Command key to select nonadjacent words, sentences, or paragraphs
- Additional stability and performance improvements
Those who don’t already have the iWork apps installed can download them all for free from the App Store and Mac App Store via Apple’s developer page. Again, all of these apps are free, making them a viable option for people who need to get things done but don’t want to pay a Microsoft subscription or buy Office outright.