iPadOS 26 is a huge upgrade for iPad, especially in areas of productivity. Alongside new windowing and multitasking features, dock and files changes, there’s a new iPadOS 26 capability for apps that pro users will love: Background Tasks.
Background Tasks is a new iPadOS 26 capability for apps
When the iPad first launched, it was heavily inspired by the iPhone and iOS.
Over time, iPad form factors have evolved and so too has iPadOS, the iPad’s own custom spin on iOS.
But one lingering holdover from the product’s iPhone-inspired origins has been its limitations on performing processes in the background.
Essentially, for the sake of preserving battery life, iOS and iPadOS will aggressively ‘pause’ an app when it’s no longer actively on screen.
This can be especially problematic for time-consuming tasks.
If you use a Mac and start exporting a file in Final Cut Pro, once the export begins you can immediately switch apps and start doing something else while the export completes. Not so on the iPad—at least, not until now.
Background Tasks is a new iPadOS 26 feature that lets apps run extended processes in the background.
Here’s how Apple explains it:
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