{"id":48026,"date":"2025-06-10T16:19:27","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T20:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=48026"},"modified":"2025-07-23T11:03:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T15:03:21","slug":"ipados-26-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2025\/06\/10\/ipados-26-announced\/","title":{"rendered":"iPadOS 26 Announced"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apple<\/a> (preview<\/a>, Slashdot<\/a>):<\/p>\n

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While maintaining the simplicity of iPad, iPadOS 26 introduces an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system with new features that help users control, organize, and switch between apps. Apple Intelligence becomes even more capable and integrated across iPadOS 26, with new features that help users communicate, express themselves, and get things done, including Live Translation, new ways to create with Genmoji and Image Playground, and intelligent actions with Shortcuts. The supercharged Files app offers new ways to organize files and customize folders. And with Folders in the dock, users can conveniently access downloads, documents, and more from anywhere. The Preview app comes to iPad, giving users a dedicated app to view and edit PDFs, with powerful features like Apple Pencil Markup and AutoFill built in. And with Background Tasks, audio input selection, and Local capture, iPadOS 26 unlocks new capabilities for creative pros working with audio and video.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

The new windowing system lets users fluidly resize app windows, place them exactly where they want, and open even more windows at once.<\/p>\n

Familiar window controls allow users to seamlessly close, minimize, resize, or tile their windows. Window tiling is designed for the unique capabilities of iPad, and enables users to arrange their windows with a simple flick. If a user previously resized an app, it opens back in the exact same size and position when they open it again. With Exposé, users can quickly see all their open windows spread out, helping them easily switch to the one they need.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

With a new menu bar, users can access the commands available in an app with a simple swipe down from the top of the display, or by moving their cursor to the top. Users can quickly find a specific feature or related tips in an app by using search in the menu bar.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Did they finally nail iPadOS multitasking? I haven’t tried it yet, but based on the demo this is the most optimistic I’ve been about iPadOS in a long time. I kind of don’t know whether to be happy that they did the obvious things people have been asking for or upset that so much time was wasted failing to reinvent the wheel. This reminds me of the quest to get rid of the file system, where they also essentially admitted that they didn’t actually have a better idea. There are still three separate modes (windowing, full screen, and Stage Manager), like on the Mac, but I guess that’s OK.<\/p>\n\n

Rui Carmo<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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The iPad’s (creeping) convergence towards macOS, which is something regular people will value highly. Although we are not<\/em> getting hypervisor support (or any sort of terminal), at least Stage Manager is now an option and not the default, and windows behave in a mostly sane way (including a proper tiling mode).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

Steve Troughton-Smith<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Hot take on iPadOS 26: they… did it? They fixed windowing and multitasking?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Joe Rosensteel<\/a>:<\/p>\n

… all these years of aborted multitasking and the answer was just to make a cursor and windows with Expose????????? All of that nonsense for no reason????<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Craig Grannell<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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“We held the iPad back for years and are now turning the iPad into a Mac. We hope you’re fucking happy now.” – Craig F.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

John Siracusa<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Turns out the Mac had some pretty good ideas when it comes to multitasking.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Brent Simmons<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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On the iPadOS changes — it’s as if Apple suddenly realized that Mac is pretty fucking good and a great model for the future of computing.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Brian Webster<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Arbitrarily resizable and overlapping windows with close, minimize, and full screen buttons on iPad!?<\/p>

Can’t innovate anymore my ass!<\/p>

OK at least Craig gave the snarky wink and nod at just copying the Mac after 15 years of dead ends on the iPad.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Peter Witham<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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IMO this years winner is iPadOS 26 with multitasking that we always wanted.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Jesse Squires<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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Is iPadOS 26 going to finally solve the windowing system?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Dave Mark<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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I am a fan of the new windowing scheme for iPadOS 26.<\/p>\n\n

Definitely brings me back to the early days when the Mac first got the ability to handle multiple windows. A game changer then, certainly a step up today.<\/p>\n\n

Really like the addition of Exposé. Very Mac-like.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Manton Reece<\/a>:<\/p>\n

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iPad windowing looks good. Funny we were so worried the Mac would become too much like iOS, but sort of the opposite has happened to the iPad over the years. Files app also becoming a little<\/em> more like the Finder.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Kuba Suder<\/a>:<\/p>\n

And Preview app! And better background tasks!<\/p>

Man, they’re gonna sell sooo many M5 iPad Pros<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Felix Schwarz<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Maybe it’s not so bad when seen on device & in person, but from this screenshot iPadOS’ new tool-\/title-\/sidebar look really pains my eye. At just a blink I see:<\/p>