Navigating large boards in Apple’s preinstalled Freeform app on iOS 18 should soon be easier thanks to a rumored new feature dubbed “Scenes.”
Anonymous industry sources told MacRumors Scenes will be added to a new version of the Freeform app bundled with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 this fall.
Take the story rumor with a grain of salt because MacRumors doesn’t seem entirely convinced that the feature will make the cut for iOS 18, mentioning that Freeform Scenes could be pulled or introduced at a later date.
Freeform Scenes could simplify navigating large boards
Freeform is one of Apple’s apps preinstalled on iPhones, iPads and Macs. With it, you can collaborate on projects, build storyboards, create digital drawing boards, brainstorm ideas, take notes, create diagrams and much more.
The app supports a range of different people working simultaneously on a board, but navigating large boards can be quite challenging. To help with that, Scenes will let you quickly move to the next or previous scene by pressing Command + Option + ] and Command + Option + [. To save a scene, you’ll press Command + Shift + S.
You’ll also be able to label multiple scenes within a board to quickly return to them from anywhere. “Users will have the option to edit scenes after the fact as well and will even be able to collaborate with others in doing so,” the site claims.
iCloud compatibility
To use the Scenes feature, you’ll click a new icon resembling three vertical lines located near the zoom controls. The Scenes interface reportedly includes a bar for navigating between scenes and a square icon to select a specific scene.
“Our sources claim that Freeform Scenes will be compatible with iCloud, allowing for easier sharing and editing,” the article reads. I’m unsure what MacRumors means by that because Freeform already supports board syncing using iCloud.
We’ll soon learn whether there’s any substance to this rumor. Apple will preview iOS 18 at WWDC24, its upcoming five-day developer event in June. Following public testing over the summer, iSO 18 will release publicly in September.
Apple previewed Freeform at the WWDC in June 2022. After several months of beta testing, the app made its public debut alongside the iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1 updates in December 2022.