WWDC25: Apple further narrows gap between iPads and Macs with iPadOS 26

WWDC25: With iPadOS 26, Apple brings an all-new windowing system, Mac-style menu bar, and enhanced file management-marking its most desktop-like iPad experience yet

At its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC25), Apple previewed iPadOS 26, the next major update for iPads. The update not only introduces a refreshed aesthetic based on Apple’s new “Liquid Glass” design language but also adds a series of productivity and multitasking features that bring the iPad experience closer than ever to that of a Mac.

 

“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. “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.” 

 

iPadOS 26: New productivity-focused updates

New Windowing System

The highlight of the update is the all-new windowing system, which Apple describes as a way for users to control, organise, and switch between app windows—all while maintaining the immediacy and simplicity of the iPad experience. Users can now freely resize windows, reposition them anywhere on the screen, and open more apps at once.

 

When an app is launched, it opens in full screen as before. But now, pulling from the bottom right corner of the screen allows users to resize the app into a PC-style window. Familiar window controls like close, minimise, and tile now appear on the top left. If a window was previously resized, reopening the app brings it back in the same size and position.

 

The windowing system also integrates with Stage Manager, letting users group windows into distinct stages for multitasking.

Menu bar

iPadOS 26 introduces a menu bar similar to macOS, allowing users to access in-app commands by swiping down from the top of the display or moving a cursor to the top. The menu bar also includes integrated search functionality for quickly locating features within apps.

Preview App

The Preview app from macOS now arrives on iPad, providing a dedicated space to view, edit, and mark up PDFs and images. Apple said that users can access all of their PDFs and images in the Files app right from Preview, create an empty page, use Apple Pencil to draw and write on it, and use AutoFill to quickly fill out PDF forms.   

Enhanced Files App

The Files app gets a redesigned List view with resizable columns and collapsible folders, allowing users to view more document details at a glance. Custom folders can now feature colours, icons, and emojis that sync across Apple devices. Users can also drag folders to the Dock for quicker access and set default apps for opening specific file types.

Background Tasks

With Background Tasks, iPads can now handle intensive operations like video exports entirely in the background. These tasks are displayed via Live Activities, letting users keep track without disrupting ongoing work.

New features for creators

iPadOS 26 introduces better audio input control, allowing users to select different microphones for each app or website. Apple also brings Voice Isolation feature which blocks ambient noise in recorded audio.

 

Another notable feature is Local Capture, which lets users record and share audio/video from any conferencing app, while cancelling out echo from other participants.

Intelligent Shortcuts

The Shortcuts app gains intelligent actions powered by Apple Intelligence. Users can automate tasks like summarising text with Writing Tools or generating images with Image Playground. Apple said that users can also tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to provide responses that feed into the rest of their shortcuts. For example, students can create shortcuts that compare a lecture's audio transcription to their own notes and add missing points automatically.

Other features

• Live Translation is now available in Phone, FaceTime, and Messages.
• Genmoji can now be created by combining emojis with text descriptions.
• Image Playground gains new ChatGPT-powered visual styles.
• The Journal app from iPhones is now available on iPads.