iPadOS 26 Is Apple's Latest Attempt to Make iPad Work Like MacBook

iPadOS 26 is here, and it looks the same as iOS 26. Apple's quest to turn the iPad into a powerful MacBook substitute has resulted in several new features in the latest iPadOS 26. The headlining feature is a new windowing system that works exactly like macOS, meaning you can now open multiple windows on a single screen and resize them to fit up to four of them. Apple has also added a new Files functionality that will allow you to open a file in a different app and set it as the default. While iPadOS 26 brings several other features, these two make it closer to macOS.

“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.

iPadOS 26 features

On supported iPad models, you will now be able to use the new and “intuitive” windowing system that lets you control, organise, and switch between apps with ease. As many as four windows can sit on the screen, making multitasking better than the current iPadOS's Stage Manager functionality. The Expose functionality is also coming to iPadOS 26, allowing you to get a view of all open apps with a swipe up on the trackpad of the Magic Keyboard.

Apple has also updated the Files app to allow better customisations, such as setting a default app for a file. The Preview app has arrived on iPadOS with the latest version. It opens a dedicated app to let you view and edit PDFs using Apple Pencil features such as Markup and Autofill. iPadOS 26 also adds background Tasks, Local capture, and audio input selection.

The design for iPadOS 26 is similar to that of iOS 26 and macOS 26 Tahoe, which, according to the company, brings “greater focus to the content” users care about most. The iPadOS 26 has a new lock screen and an updated Control Center with customisations that follow the new Liquid Glass design language. As a result, the elements on the lock screen, like the time, change and adapt to new wallpapers seamlessly. It also has updated app icons and more translucent windows and animations for an “elegant new clear look.”

iPadOS 26 rollout

Apple has now opened the beta testing for iPadOS 26, allowing anyone with a developer account to install the update right away on eligible models. A public beta is expected in the coming weeks, with the stable version set for release in September.

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