If you happen to needed to determine the principle thrust of Apple’s most up-to-date software program releases, it will be a terrific productiveness software. Whereas iOS 14 marked the primary look of redesigned widgets, iOS 15 doubled down on maximizing productiveness with Focus, and shortly, Freeform seems to finish this trilogy with a brand new iOS 16 replace.
Apple’s new app (opens in new tab) provides you a clean canvas the place you possibly can work by yourself or collaborate with different Apple customers throughout macOS 13.1, iPadOS 16.2, and iOS 16.2, all now accessible to obtain from immediately (December 13) by going to Settings > Normal > Software program Replace.
Whereas Freeform was first proven off throughout WWDC 2022 in June, it was made accessible to customers in November with the primary public beta releases of macOS 13.1, iPadOS 16.2, and iOS 16.2, which lets you join a testing section to see what’s been modified and what’s been fastened.
Since then, I have been making an attempt it out on an M1 12.9-inch iPad Professional (2021), Macbook Professional 14-inch (2021), and my iPhone 13 Professional, and whereas it is left me with a way of hope that Apple hasn’t missed the mark in its productiveness focus, it additionally makes me surprise if this can be a precursor to how apps could possibly be used with its rumored headset.
Freeforming a venture with ease
While you launch the app, you are delivered to a clean canvas, with a menu bar on the prime, the place you possibly can insert textual content, sticky notes, pictures, and shapes, alongside a toggle to make use of an Apple Pencil.
Because the app identify implies, this can be a freeform venture mapping area. The canvas is as clean or full as you want it to be.
Nevertheless it goes deeper than that – you possibly can invite family and friends to assist contribute to this canvas, sparking new concepts or constructing upon current ones. It’s also possible to drop in wealthy hyperlinks for web sites, alongside video hyperlinks that can play as soon as you choose them inside Freeform. Direct entry to what would usually be third-party features makes canvas creation and administration far more streamlined and has made it that a lot simpler for me and my spouse, for instance, to construct concepts throughout the canvas.
The design of the app is pure Apple – a minimal quantity of choices on the prime of the app to select from, however sufficient to get the job accomplished, wrapped up in a sublime app that works throughout iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It is nice to see a brand-new app that works so nicely out of the gate, and Freeform’s nice design will make you need to suit it into your workflow.
I have been making a Freeform canvas format for planning the areas of my dwelling sensible cameras (I purchased three throughout Black Friday weekend). I’ve an area within the eating room the place our canine, Jolly sleeps, and, on my Freeform canvas, I’ve a sticky word describing the place the digital camera may go.
Sometimes, my spouse will add a photograph to a different a part of the canvas that defines one other room of the home, and I am going to see her replace on our shared workspace indicating the place the digital camera needs to be positioned, and when it ought to file.
It has been a superb use case for the way Freeform may work, however there’s an AR facet to the app that makes me assume it could possibly be excellent for Apple’s rumored headset, because it appears tailored for the subsequent frontier.
Productiveness in an AR world
Think about sporting a headset that will load up Freeform, and you could possibly collaborate on a digital wall that has your current canvas hooked up. Along with your fingers, you possibly can rearrange the sticky notes and images, much like a scene from the 2002 film, Minority Report.
Whereas utilizing the app, it felt as if Freeform could possibly be a implausible showcase for the headset if it does develop into official in 2023, as these use instances can be excellent for this product. Collaboration and productiveness are themes that Apple has been enhancing upon for its iPhone, iPad, and Mac merchandise in the previous couple of years, and one thing like this might solely sharpen that focus.
Regardless, Freeform is a implausible first model to come back out from Apple, and it is an app I will be utilizing alongside my to-do apps when one other huge venture arrives.
