Like iOS 26, iPadOS 26 adopts Apple’s new Liquid Glass materials, for an interface that is shiny, shiny, and extra clear than earlier than. However Liquid Glass is not the most important change that Apple made to the iPad‘s software program. Multitasking received a a lot wanted revamp that permits you to use an iPad like a Mac, if that is what you need to do.
In iPadOS 26, iPad home windows work like Mac home windows. You possibly can open up a number of app home windows, transfer them round on the show, and layer them over each other if you’d like. You possibly can primarily put them anyplace you need.
Some older iPads are restricted to 4 open app home windows at a time, however you probably have a more recent mannequin, you possibly can have extra apps open and operating at one time, swapping between them with a faucet. Each iPad that is in a position to run iPadOS 26 can use the brand new multitasking options in some capability.
The up to date windowing is opt-in, so if you set up iPadOS 26, you possibly can determine whether or not you need to use apps in full display or use multitasking. It is nice that individuals who need to use an iPad like a Mac lastly have that possibility, and the window system is a significantly better answer than the Slide Over and Cut up View multitasking.
In the event you activate windowing after which need to flip it off later, you possibly can simply swipe down into Management Middle and hit the brand new toggle.
Talking of Slide Over and Cut up View, these are gone. Stage Manager remains to be round, so in the event you use that in your iPad workflow for grouping up completely different apps and altering workspaces, it is nonetheless out there to you.
Resizing home windows in iPadOS 26 is straightforward. There is a small “deal with” on the backside proper nook of each window, and in the event you faucet it and drag, you possibly can change the dimensions of the open window. You possibly can open extra apps from the dock or by tapping over to the Home Screen.
To maneuver an open app window, drag it from the menu bar on the prime. That is additionally new, by the best way. Apps on the iPad have Mac-like menu bars the place you may discover related in-app choices, although bear in mind third-party builders must replace their apps to benefit from this performance. You possibly can shut an app, reduce an app, or make an app full display utilizing the “site visitors gentle” buttons on the prime left of every iPad window, that are borrowed instantly from the Mac.
In the event you lengthy press on these buttons, you may see a number of choices for transferring, resizing, and arranging your open home windows. You possibly can transfer an app to the highest, backside, left, or proper of the show, or select one of many tiling choices for displaying as much as 4 apps in a neat association.
The dock options an App Library to make it straightforward to get to the entire apps you’ve gotten put in in your iPad. In the event you swipe up from the underside of the iPad’s show, your open home windows are swept to the perimeters in a brand new Exposé view so you will get a transparent view of the whole lot that is open.
So as to add another Mac-like contact, Apple turned the iPad’s cursor into an arrow. So in the event you’re utilizing a peripheral just like the Magic Keyboard’s trackpad, the cursor now seems to be prefer it does on the Mac.
In the event you do not need to use any of those multitasking options and like iPad apps to be full display, you possibly can simply maintain utilizing the iPad in the identical means you all the time have.
There are another good options which might be price mentioning in iPadOS 26 past the multitasking.
- Information – There is a Mac-style listing view for the iPad information app, so that you need not view the whole lot in a tiled view like earlier than. Columns are resizable, and folders may be custom-made with colours and emoji. It is a good change in the event you use the Information app often, however one of the best half for energy customers will be the possibility to decide on a default app for a specific file kind.
- Background Duties – In the event you obtain a big file, export a big video file, or do one thing related that is going to take a very long time, now you can run these duties within the background. For exporting an FCP video, for instance, you can begin the method, open up one other app, and see progress via a Stay Exercise interface.
- Telephone app – iPadOS 26 brings the Telephone app to the iPad, and it really works via Wi-Fi calling on an iPhone related along with your Apple Account. That is doubtless of restricted use for lots of people, but it surely’s helpful to have the choice to put a name from the iPad. Instruments like Name Screening, Stay Translation, and Maintain Help work on the iPad.
There are different helpful and/or enjoyable options on the iPad which might be new in iPadOS 26, however virtually the whole lot else can be in iOS 26 and out there on the iPhone. We did an iOS 26 review that discusses new options in Messages, Apple Music, Photos, Digicam, and extra.
Availability
iPadOS 26 is obtainable to builders, and as of this week, public beta testers. It got here out on Thursday, and all you must do to get it’s enroll on Apple’s beta testing website.
Ought to You Replace?
iPadOS 26 is pretty secure, so updating ought to be secure. You are going to need to make a backup earlier than you improve, simply in case you must return to iOS 18.
If the iPad is a tool that you just use for work or anything that is essential, you may need to maintain off. It is a beta, and whereas the software program runs properly, betas can have bugs that is probably not addressed straight away.
Learn Extra
Now we have extra on the entire options which might be in iPadOS 26 in our dedicated iPadOS 26 roundup.