Freeform might be Apple's best new iPad app in years

During WWDC this June, Apple briefly revealed a brand new app called Freeform, designed to act as a digital whiteboard for, to use the most silicon valley of phrases, the 'ideation' process. Now, six months later, it's finally here – and it might be Apple's best new software in years, especially on iPad.

Available across iPhone, iPad and Mac, Freeform creates an 'infinite' canvas for users to brainstorm ideas. The app lets users write, sketch and import files, and even features built-in FaceTime support. (Want to experience it for yourself? Check out today's best iPad Pro deals.)

Freeform for iPad

(Image credit: Apple/Future)

Freeform supports a huge range of files including photos, video, audio, documents, PDFs, links to websites and more. And using the built-in cameras, users can insert an image or scanned document. There's also an in-built library of over 700 shapes (yes, 700).

Freeform app

The app works across iPhone, iPad and Mac (Image credit: Apple)

While the app works great across each platform (and iCloud integration means collaboration works seamlessly across multiple devices), it's on the iPad that it comes into its own. Being able to switch between writing and sketching on Apple Pencil, and  typing or dealing with photos, makes the iPad feel like the ultimate brainstorming device. And on the 12.9-inch display, that infinite whiteboard feels truly immersive. It's no surprise that Apple fans are loving the app:

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It's certainly been an interesting year for iPad fans, with the new 10th generation model raising a few eyebrows, and giving birth to what might be the company's biggest design crime. So it's with fortuitous timing that Freeform has arrived to remind us just how creative the tablet can be.

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Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).