After its WWDC 2025 occasion, Apple described its upcoming iPadOS 26 replace as “the biggest iPadOS release ever.” This doesn’t look like it’s only a self-aggrandizing exaggeration, although — iPadOS 26 may truly change the way in which we take into consideration the utility of a fifteen-year-old product that has lengthy felt like an outsized iPhone designed for a cyclops.
The brand new OS brings us multi-tasking instruments, a brand new windowing system, and the Preview app, which can not sound as alluring as “Liquid Glass.” However in case you’ve ever tried to have a productive work day through iPad, then this information is extra thrilling than Sabrina Carpenter’s new album announcement (and that’s not simply because her new tune was kinda mid).
Because it stands now, you’ll be able to solely have two windows open at once on the iPad, and navigating between the 2 home windows is type of a nightmare. In the event you’re making an attempt to write down an electronic mail whereas additionally your calendar to substantiate that you simply’re giving your coworker a very good time to name you, then you definately’ll in all probability be toggling the 2 home windows backwards and forwards, struggling to see the entire related info. It’s type of a multitude, and a giant purpose why I by no means work on my iPad (regardless of having spent over $100 on Logitech’s removable keyboard…)
If I’ve to consult with any sources in the course of the writing course of — whether or not that be a press launch, interview notes, an electronic mail, a analysis paper, or, god forbid, the entire above — then I would as effectively simply pull my cellphone out as a second tiny display. Let’s simply say, it isn’t essentially the most user-friendly expertise.
With the brand new window controls in iPadOS 26, you’ll be able to see your whole open home windows without delay, then tile them intuitively that can assist you multitask. These window controls are additionally suitable with Stage Manager, which helps you to arrange your home windows into particular environments. In consequence, iPadOS is removing its older multitasking features, Break up View and Slide Over.
In the meantime, the iPad’s new Preview app makes it attainable to edit and think about PDFs natively, together with options like AutoFill and Apple Pencil compatibility.
Like Mac merchandise, iPad apps will now get a menu bar, which makes it simpler to find particular instructions or options inside an app. Builders even have entry to customizing the menu bar in their very own apps.
And in case you typically work with folders, you’ll be able to pin them to your dock, somewhat than navigating by a clunky Information app.
There’s extra to the brand new OS than these quality-of-life options (which, frankly, may’ve been shipped some time in the past). Given the computing energy of Apple’s silicon chips, iPadOS 26 can carry out high-intensity background duties like exporting a video, permitting you to maintain working whereas ready for the export to finish.
The iPad will grow to be helpful, particularly, to podcasters, video editors, content material creators, or anybody who works in multimedia. In one other new function — which shouldn’t really feel as novel because it does — you’ll be able to select a particular audio enter for any app or web site.
Even higher, the iPad is getting an area seize function, which helps you to document your video calls from any conferencing app, then entry audio and video recordsdata afterwards.
The iPad could not match a MacBook relating to total utility. However perhaps, hypothetically, your company-issued laptop computer is a 16″ MacBook Professional that weighs nearly 5 kilos and is simply too massive to make use of on an airplane or practice with out discomfort (please, go forward and play the world’s smallest violin for me). And perhaps, maybe, you’ve got a job that brings you to a number of conferences yearly, the place you stroll miles a day throughout huge conference facilities whereas lugging round a laptop computer to write down articles as information breaks.
In that case, the power to tote round an iPad and nonetheless get work carried out goes to be a recreation changer — and a aid for again ache.