With iPadOS 26, iPad takes things to the next level

After 15 years, the iPad has received some important software features, most notably the addition of resizable and movable windows that make the device a true computer.

“This is what you’ve been waiting for,” Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi declared with a big smile on his face as he introduced the latest changes to the iPad at WWDC 2025.

This past week, many experts have given their latest comments on iPadOS 26 with the public beta version. Most of them agree that the new operating system brings the iPad experience closer to the Mac computer than ever before.

At WWDC 2025, Federighi wasn’t talking about new iPad hardware, new software features, or a bad AI implementation. Apple’s VP of Software Engineering was simply talking about the window interface.

With iPadOS 26, Apple has equipped these tablets with a window multitasking system, which makes the iPad a real computer.

Leaning towards macOS

The desktop-like multi-window system on the iPad is something Apple has been missing for years, despite being a much-anticipated upgrade. Because of this omission, the iPad has always been placed between the iPhone and the Mac.

However, with iPadOS 26, Apple chose to lean towards macOS by adding a menu bar, which can be swiped down from the top to reveal different options for the open app.

The window system on iPadOS 26 allows for “dynamically resizable windows” and placement anywhere on the screen. Photo: Apple.

Additionally, according to Apple, the window system on iPadOS 26 allows for “flexible window resizing” and placement anywhere on the screen. Users can add windows to Stage Manager mode, drag and drop if using multiple screens.

Obviously, these windows come with a lot of clutter, so iPadOS 26 also introduces controls to help you sort and organize them all. For example, hovering over the corner of a window will bring up the Mac's three-button controls, allowing you to close or minimize the app, or make the window full screen.

Apple also added intuitive Mac trackpad gestures, including removing an app to view the desktop or letting users select an app from open apps, a classic Mac feature that has been part of Mission Control since 2011.

The windowing system isn't the only notable upgrade in iPadOS 26. The Preview app is also brought over from macOS to iPadOS 26, allowing you to view and mark up PDF files.

Meanwhile, the Files app supports a detailed list view of files similar to the Mac. Live Activities are integrated into iPadOS to update information about background apps.

"Suddenly, many of the tasks you're comfortable doing on a Mac can now be done almost identically on an iPad. Users really have a real computer in their hands," Wired commented.

Expecting the tipping point

The iPad initially launched as a larger iPhone, and that has always been the main criticism of the product line. Although users have since recognized it as a travel computer replacement, the iPad's long-term growth has been slow.

According to 9to5Mac , the iPad's hardware has outpaced the software's capabilities for at least four years now, and this is definitely one of the top complaints from tech enthusiasts.

Apple has gradually oriented the iPad as a miniature version of a computer. Photo: Apple.

That's why Apple has been slowly repositioning the iPad as a miniaturized version of a computer. In 2020, the Magic Keyboard brought an extra port and a full trackpad to the iPad.

Then in 2022, Apple introduced external display support, and in a 2024 update to the iPad Pro, the webcam was moved to portrait mode.

Wired commented that the update at WWDC 2025 really felt like the iPad had reached a tipping point, and Apple sold this idea in two notable ways.

First, most iPad users probably never realized the windows feature was there at all. Like many of the deeper iPad features, windows are completely optional and hidden by default.

“It’s likely that the average user will never notice the tiny resize icon in the bottom right corner of the app. It’s an important design decision, as it preserves the iPad’s core identity as a simple interface,” notes writer Luke Larsen.

Second, according to Larsen, Apple was smart not to call these new upgrades Mac-like during the keynote, instead just calling them "familiar."

The Preview app is also brought from macOS to iPadOS 26, allowing viewing and marking up PDF files. Photo: Apple.

The company even spaced out the introductions of iPadOS and macOS in the keynote, taking care not to draw attention to how similar the two products have become. Apple never wants to pit its two products against each other, and has always implied that there’s a reason for someone to own both an iPad and a Mac.

With iPadOS 26, however, the opposite has been true. The iPad Pro and MacBook Air have always been confusingly similar in price and specs. With the iPad looking more and more like a Mac, this could very well be a hint that a proper merger between iPadOS and macOS is in the works.

That makes even more sense given that the iPadOS 26 update will even be available on the base iPad and iPad mini when it officially launches later this fall.

Source: https://znews.vn/voi-ipados-26-ipad-da-buoc-len-mot-tam-cao-moi-post1560102.html