iPadOS 26 lets Apple’s tablets act more like a Mac than ever before. It also includes a new design that makes all Apple computers look more similar, further bringing iPads and Macs together.
“iPadOS 26 is our biggest iPadOS release ever, with powerful features that take the experience to the next level and transform what users can do on iPad,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, during Monday’s WWDC25 keynote. “With a beautiful new design, an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system, even more features powered by Apple Intelligence, huge improvements to working with files, and new capabilities for creatives to power their workflows, iPadOS 26 makes our most versatile device even more capable.”
The big iPadOS 26 redesign at WWDC: Liquid Glass
The last time Apple gave the iPad software a significant redesign was in 2013, back when it was still called iOS 13. The look of the latest version borrows heavily from visionOS on the Vision Pro headset. The design is called Liquid Glass, so semi-transparent on-screen items look like they’re floating above the background, and reflect and refract what’s behind them. Plus, popups dynamically move and change in size to help bring greater focus on content.
“Meticulously crafted by rethinking the fundamental elements that make up our software, the new design features an entirely new material called Liquid Glass,” said Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of human interface design, in the keynote video. “It combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve, as it transforms depending on your content or context.”
Part of the redesign is a new naming scheme. The follow-up to iPadOS 18 is not version 19. Instead, Apple assigned new numbers to all its operating systems based on years. That’s how we got iPadOS 26.
iPad takes on more Mac features: Windowed apps
Screenshot: Apple
While the original 2010 iPad was essentially a giant iPhone, the tablet eventually started borrowing features from macOS. The biggest step was the addition of Stage Manager, which provides resizable, floating windows for applications on midrange and high-end iPad models. iPadOS 26 moves Apple’s tablets even closer to Mac.
That starts with a new windowing system that lets users resize app windows, place them exactly where they want, and open even more windows at once. Note that it is available to all iPad users — even those with the budget iPad — not just those up to running Stage Manager.
By default, all applications open full-screen, so those who want a simple tablet experience don’t have to use the advanced options. But for those who want to have an array of apps on screen, each app comes back in the exact same size and position as before whenever it gets reopened.
iPadOS 26 includes the same window controls as Mac, allowing users to close, minimize, resize or tile their windows in a familiar way. In addition, Apple added a “pointer that’s more precise and responsive” for those using a trackpad or mouse.
With Exposé, users can quickly see all their open windows spread out, helping them easily switch to the one they need.
Screenshot: Apple
Borrowing another Mac feature, a new menu bar lets users access the commands available in applications with a swipe down from the top of the display, or by moving their cursor to the top of the screen.
Improvements to the Files app
Screenshot: Apple
The previous Files application often drew complaints for its limitations. Apple addresses many of these with a new version in iPadOS 26. No surprise, the iPad app now works more like the Mac version. Most notably, an updated List view allows users to see more of their document details in resizable columns and collapsible folders.
And Files also adds folder customization options so users can set custom colors, icons and emoji on their folders.
Bonus features let users drag any folder from the Files app into the Dock and set a default app for opening specific files or file types.
Preview app comes to iPadOS 26
Image: Apple
The macOS Preview application just made the jump to iPad. Users can access all of their PDFs and images in the improved Files app with Preview.
Going beyond viewing, users can edit and mark up PDFs and images with a fingertip or Apple Pencil in Preview. That includes using AutoFill to quickly fill out PDF forms.
Background apps, Journal, new audio capabilities
Previously, iPadOS offered limited support for computationally intensive background tasks. That changes with version 26. When users start a long-running process in an app, Background Tasks will show up in Live Activities. Developers can build the capability into their apps, too.
With iPadOS 26, Journal makes the jump from iOS to iPad, making it easy for users to capture and write about the details of everyday moments or special events. And it supports Apple Pencil.
Another bonus for power users is the ability to choose which microphone to use. This can be set for individual applications. Podcast-makers should like that Voice Isolation to block ambient is available in more applications. And there’s a new Local capture feature that records only one side of a conversation when producing video/audio for publication.
iPadOS 26 release date: Now at WWDC23
The operating system remains in development. New features are being added while bugs are being hunted down. It’s an immensely complex process that takes months.
Developers who want to start beta testing iPadOS 26 can do so starting Monday. Anyone else brave enough to try a prerelease version can do so in a few weeks; Apple plans to release a public beta in July. The full version won’t be available until autumn, which probably means September.
Image: Apple
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
