iPadOS 26 hands-on: The iPad upgrade pros wished for
“iPadOS 26 introduces three multitasking options: Full Screen Apps, Windowed Apps, and Stage Manager. Windowed Apps, similar to macOS, allows for resizable windows and familiar window controls. iPadOS 26 also includes a new menu bar, a more macOS-like Files app, and the Preview app for viewing and editing PDFs and images.
Screenshot: Apple
Those who want their iPad to function more like a Mac got their wish: iPadOS 26 includes multitasking features very similar to the ones in macOS. This year’s iPad upgrade also borrows plenty of other things from Apple’s desktop OS.
I loaded the initial iPadOS 26 beta on my iPad Pro. Here’s what it’s like to use it … and why pro users should be excited while non-pro users shouldn’t worry.
Broadly speaking, the iPad must satisfy two separate audiences. 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.
3 options for dealing with apps and windows in iPadOS 26
iPadOS 26 should satisfy both, because it offers three different ways to display apps on the screen, ranging from basic to advanced. And it wraps it all up in the translucent Liquid Glass design that Apple is rolling out to all its operating systems.
Full Screen Apps
The first group needn’t be concerned that iPadOS 26 will force them to relearn to use their tablets. It includes a new option called Full Screen Apps that makes the iPad act much like the first one did way back in 2010. In this mode, there’s no side-by-side multitasking at all. It’s very simple to use, and ideal if all you want to do is watch video and maybe do some online shopping.
Windowed Apps
The next option for working with applications is called Windowed Apps. It’s new in iPadOS 26, and lets you open applications in resizable windows and place them exactly where you want. It’s very Mac-like.
The iPad used to put limits on where app windows could be placed. They couldn’t completely cover another window, for example, or stretch way off the side of the screen. In iPadOS 26, those limitations disappear.
Whenever you open an application, it joins any other apps already open on the screen. And speaking of Mac-like features, iPad now includes the same red, yellow and green window controls as macOS, allowing you to close, minimize, resize or tile windows in a familiar way.
I got curious how many app windows I could open at once. I stopped when I reached eight only because the screen became a crowded, unusable mess. You’ll run out of space before you reach any other limit. And with my iPad Pro, I can have a bunch more open on an external screen at the same time.
Note that Apple says Windowed Apps is available to all iPad users — even those with the budget iPad — not just those with a pricier model.
Stage Manager
Stage Manager is the third multitasking option for users in iPadOS 26. It’s been around for years but has become far less necessary than it used to be now that Windowed Apps is available. It also offers applications in floating, resizable windows, but lets these be grouped into “stages.”
It’s a convenient way to organize your open app windows. For example, I have all my social media apps in a stage so I can open them all at once. Personally, I’ll continue to use Stage Manager because I’ve gotten used to this capability.
Just so there’s no confusion, Stage Manager is no longer necessary to have multiple application windows on an external screen. Windowed Apps can handle the job, too.
Files, Preview and more features borrowed from macOS
Another feature that iPadOS 26 borrows from macOS is a new menu bar at the top of the screen. It’s always there, just hidden until you swipe down from the top of the display or move the cursor to the top of the screen.
The Files app, which is crucial for multitasking power users, also gets an upgrade in iPadOS 26. Early iPads didn’t even come with a Files app, but Apple finally added one in iOS 11, and then steadily improved it. The version in iPadOS 26 is quite close to the macOS one. You can expect resizable columns and collapsible folders.
The macOS Preview app just made the jump to iPad, too. I can view PDFs and images with it, and even make some edits.
iPadOS 26 multitasking features make the iPad more Mac-like
I approve of making the iPad act more like a Mac, but not because macOS is better. However, anyone who frequently switches back and forth between iPad and Mac has to mentally switch gears to handle the different user interfaces. iPadOS 26 makes the switch far easier.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, talked about it in an interview with iJustine this week, saying, “Those elements where things feel familiar from a Mac perspective is just a little bit less of this kind of cognitive overhead of [asking], ‘Oh, how do I do it?’”
Quite good for a first beta
I’ve deliberately not talked about bugs and other problems with iPadOS 26 because I’m trying out the initial beta of an operating system that won’t be released for three months. Of course there are problems.
There’ll undoubtedly be changes between beta 1 and the final version, too. And not just bug fixes.
What’s important is the overall direction Apple is taking the iPad with iPadOS 26, with Mac-like multitasking and other big advances — and that’s a good one.“
