I’ve been using an iPad Pro as my primary computer since the big redesign in 2018. Back then, it was still running what was essentially an iPad version of iOS. But I loved the design and the raw power it offered so much that I decided to commit to the iPad full-time. Every year after that, Apple teased the idea that the iPad was becoming a more genuine computer replacement. And every year, the software fell just short.
Then Apple released iPadOS 26 in 2025, and for the first time, it genuinely changed what the iPad could be for a lot of people. It was transformative in many ways, but it also introduced a level of nuance that left some users hesitant. So the question is: was this update finally enough?
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What iPadOS 26 actually brought to the iPad
The update to iPadOS 26 brought a ton of great quality-of-life features. However, I want to highlight the ones that truly made the iPad feel like a brand-new device.
Real windowed multitasking
Let’s start with the obvious one here. The most significant change was the option to now go into a full-on windowing mode. We sort of had this with Stage Manager, which is still an option, but now Apple gives us the equivalent of macOS windowed multitasking. This really changed the game for the iPad this year. We got:
Infinitely resizable windows
Mac-style window controls (green, yellow, red management buttons)
The ability to keep many apps active at once (up to 12 in one view)
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