iWork apps updated with new audio features and Smart Annotation enhancements

Posted:
in iOS edited August 2020
Apple on Thursday issued updates to all three members of its iWork suite -- Pages, Keynote, Numbers -- on both Mac and iOS, bringing a slew of new features and enhancements including native audio recording, editing and playback capabilities.

iWork Updates


Each of Apple's productivity apps gained the ability to add audio directly to documents. Now, using the microphone on their device, audio can be recorded, edited, and played directly in a project.

Additionally, there are enhancements to Smart Annotation, a relatively new feature that debuted at Apple's education-focused event in Chicago earlier this year. Smart Annotation allows you to draw, using your finger or an Apple Pencil, within a document

Check out the release notes for each to see what else has changed:

Pages 4.1 (iOS)

  • Easily record, edit, and play audio directly on a page.

  • Smart annotation marks now stretch and wrap to follow your text as you edit.

  • Quickly switch between drawing and smart annotation modes on iPad.

  • A new option in Settings > Pages lets you use Apple Pencil to select and scroll.

  • Track text changes in shapes and text boxes.

  • Add colors and images to backgrounds in page layout documents.

  • Give charts a new look with rounded corners on columns and bars.

  • Add mathematical equations to page layout documents using LaTeX or MathML notation.

  • Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.

  • Add gradient and image fills to shapes and text boxes.

  • Easily browse templates by category.

  • Save a different auto scroll speed per document when using presenter mode.

  • Improved support for Arabic and Hebrew.

Keynote 4.1 (iOS)

  • Edit existing or create new master slides.

  • Easily record, edit, and play audio directly on a slide.

  • A new option in Settings > Keynote lets you use Apple Pencil to select and scroll.

  • Export a presentation as a movie or images.

  • Give charts a new look with rounded corners on columns and bars.

  • Add mathematical equations using LaTeX or MathML notation.

  • Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.

  • Add gradient and image fills to shapes and text boxes.

  • Improved support for Arabic and Hebrew.

Numbers 4.1 (iOS)

  • Easily record, edit, and play audio directly in a spreadsheet.

  • A new option in Settings > Numbers lets you use Apple Pencil to select and scroll.

  • Give charts a new look with rounded corners on columns and bars.

  • Add mathematical equations using LaTeX or MathML notation.

  • Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.

  • Add gradient and image fills to shapes and text boxes.

  • Easily browse templates by category.

Pages 7.1 (Mac)

  • Track text changes in shapes and text boxes.

  • Add colors and images to backgrounds in page layout documents.

  • Give charts a new look with rounded corners on columns and bars.

  • Add mathematical equations to page layout documents using LaTeX or MathML notation.

  • Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.

  • Improved support for Arabic and Hebrew.

Keynote 8.1 (Mac)

  • Add mathematical equations using LaTeX or MathML notation.

  • Give charts a new look with rounded corners on columns and bars.

  • Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.

  • Improved compatibility with Microsoft PowerPoint.

  • Improved support for Arabic and Hebrew.

Numbers 5.1 (Mac)

  • Give charts a new look with rounded corners on columns and bars.

  • Add mathematical equations using LaTeX or MathML notation.

  • Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.

  • Improved compatibility with Microsoft Excel.

  • Improved CSV and text import.

Pages, Numbers and Keynote are free downloads from the iOS App Store. The Mac App Store also offers free downloads of Pages, Numbers and Keynote for Mac users.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member
    Great, more features but it would be really nice if they'd...

    • Finally add the ability to caption images. As it is you have to make a text box and group it with the image, it's a real kludge. 
    • Allow changing the datapoint style from X when using line graphs.
    • Similarly allow changing the size of data points on individual series.
    • Fix Numbers crashing when changing the range of values for a series.
    • Fix the ridiculous bug whereby a graph plot is offset by one when the first value in any series's data list is empty.
    • Allow different fonts/styles in table & graph titles.
    • Allow citations in tables.
    • Allow MathType in tables.
    • Fix "move with text" wrapping so images/tables/graphs don't jump back to the top of the page when you try and move them down.
    • Allow portrait and landscape pages within the same document.

    Other than that it's not bad, though still lacks features that were present in the pre-iOS Mac versions.
    edited June 2018 williamlondongregoriusmiqatedocommand_fbrian greenwatto_cobracornchip
  • Reply 2 of 7
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Well, I’ve been a happy bunny since facing pages came back, so let’s keep up the good work, Cupertino!



    williamlondoncommand_fmjtomlinkiltedgreenbrian greenwatto_cobracornchip
  • Reply 3 of 7
    Handwriting recognition on Pages and Numbers would be sweet when using the Pencil!
    brian greenwatto_cobratmayjony0cornchip
  • Reply 4 of 7
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Sadly the one app i need to work here (Numbers) never gets any compatibility updates to make importing excel files easier.   Generally my luck with excel import is near zero.   At times we are talking simple functions like ISANUM().    It is really frustraiting when we keep seeing all this junk added.  
    brian greencornchip
  • Reply 5 of 7
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    wizard69 said:
    Sadly the one app i need to work here (Numbers) never gets any compatibility updates to make importing excel files easier.   Generally my luck with excel import is near zero.   At times we are talking simple functions like ISANUM().    It is really frustraiting when we keep seeing all this junk added.  
      Numbers 5.1 (Mac)
      • Give charts a new look with rounded corners on columns and bars.
      • Add mathematical equations using LaTeX or MathML notation.
      • Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes.
      • Improved compatibility with Microsoft Excel.
      • Improved CSV and text import.

    Did you even try Numbers after this update or did you just want to continue your countless bitching about the Mac after every article about the Mac?
    StrangeDaysbrian greenfastasleepwatto_cobratmayjony0cornchipRayz2016
  • Reply 6 of 7
    peterhartpeterhart Posts: 156member
    THANK GOD they updated all the apps to be able to revert back to using Pencil to scroll...
    edited June 2018 brian greenwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 7
    steveausteveau Posts: 299member
    Handwriting recognition on Pages and Numbers would be sweet when using the Pencil!
    Totally agree!!!
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