Rumors point to iPadOS 19 bringing the biggest improvements to iPad in years. The news is especially good for those who want their tablet to act more like a Mac.
With WWDC25 and the unveiling of iPadOS 19 mere weeks away, here’s what we already know about it.
iPadOS 19 rumors: A more Mac-like iPad
Broadly speaking, iPads cater to two separate audiences who use the tablets in very different ways. One group uses the iPad as a light-duty computer for social media and watching videos. But the other group demands much more, using their iPad for traditional Mac/PC tasks like running productivity or creativity software.
Users in the first group seem generally satisfied with iPadOS, but many in the second group complain of limitations built into the software. It seems many of the changes coming in iPadOS 19 will be for these iPad power users.
Information leaked to Bloomberg in April says the upcoming upgrade will result in “the device operating more like a Mac.”
The only specific to come to light comes from tipster Majin Bu, who said that with iPadOS 19, “the interface will adapt to show a menu bar at the top, just like on macOS, turning the iPad into a much more laptop-like experience.”
In more general terms, “This year’s upgrade will focus on productivity, multitasking, and app window management,” predicted Bloomberg.
Stage Manager 2.0
Stage Manager provides resizable, floating windows for applications on midrange and high-end iPad models. It was Apple’s first move to make the iPad more Mac-like, and iPadOS 19 rumors indicate the system is in for an upgrade.
Tipster Majin Bu says Stage Manager 2.0 “will make managing apps and windows smoother and more productive than ever.”
Many of the changes that make Apple’s tablet function more like a Mac reportedly will only appear when an Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad is attached, an accessory that converts the tablet into a laptop. That means the group that uses their iPad as a simple content-consumption device won’t need to deal with the new user interface.
A redesign across Apple operating systems
Apple’s big announcements at WWDC25 won’t only be about iPadOS 19 becoming more Mac-like, though. All Apple operating systems reportedly will receive face-lifts that make them look more similar.
“The revamp — due later this year — will fundamentally change the look of the operating systems and make Apple’s various software platforms more consistent,” Bloomberg said in March. “That includes updating the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons.”
No matter whether you use an iPad, Mac or iPhone, iPadOS 19 rumors indicate you should expect your device to look more like the visionOS, the operating system that runs the Apple Vision Pro headset. No screenshots have leaked yet, but app icons supposedly will look more rounded, and items in the user interface will look more like they float above the background.
Longer battery life and other AI improvements
Not everything coming in iPadOS 19 is a user interface change, either. Artificial intelligence will reportedly play a larger role in the new version, too.
No iPad suffers from a battery life problem, but no user would complain if their tablet went longer between charges. A system reportedly going into iOS 19 for the iPhone 17 Air uses AI to conserve energy. That change should benefit iPads, too.
The AI-enhanced version of the Siri voice assistant should arrive on iPads either in the autumn or early in 2026. It should make ordering tablets to perform complicated tasks using voice commands a practical option.
iPadOS 19 rumors become facts at WWDC 2025
WWDC25 kicks off with an Apple Keynote on June 9, and taking the wraps off iPadOS 19 is surely on the agenda. That will mark the end of rumors and give us our first look at the reality of the upgrade.
That’s especially true for developers, as Apple generally makes the first betas of its operating systems available during WWDC. Non-developers get their chance a few weeks later.
