The iPadOS 26 public beta is rolling out now, bringing Apple’s packed new software update to any iPad user ready to take the plunge. Here’s everything new.
How to install the iPadOS 26 public beta
Anyone interested in getting advance access to iPadOS 26 can install the update by first signing up for Apple’s Beta Software Program. You can sign up at beta.apple.com, then access the new software via your iPad’s Settings app.
iPadOS 26 won’t launch widely until September. As a result, installing the public beta may result in a variety of bugs and performance issues on your iPad. Apple still has several weeks to continue preparing the update for wide release this fall.
New features in iPadOS 26
Brand new, Mac-like windowing system
App windowing in iPadOS 26 has been completely revamped. Now, just like on the Mac, you can freely resize and place windows anywhere on screen, in whatever way you’d like.
There’s no need to enter a separate mode, like with Stage Manager. Instead, while every app will launch in fullscreen by default, you can now resize them to suit your exact needs. Windows will stay the same size and shape whenever you relaunch the app.
iPadOS 26 also adds the Mac’s familiar ‘traffic light’ controls in the top-left of every window. You can use these to close, minimize, and tile windows. And Exposé lets you view all open windows via a simple gesture.
Menu bar for iPad
macOS inspired more than just the new windowing system in iPadOS 26. Now, the iPad has its own menu bar too.
Swipe down from the top of the screen, or move your cursor near the top, to reveal the menu bar with app-specific controls. Everything that once lived in an app’s keyboard shortcut menu is now displayed in the menu bar instead, and developers can further customize what’s displayed.
You won’t find Mac-like menu bar apps in iPadOS 26, but the new menu bar offers a convenient and familiar hub for app actions.
Dock gets more powerful than ever
The iPad’s dock benefits from two key upgrades in iPadOS 26:
Folders from the Files app can now be added to the dock You can now keep the dock always visible on the screen
Document folders work just like they do on the Mac. They live on the right side of the dock in a dedicated section, and you can even drag and drop files to and from those folders.
Thanks to a new iPadOS 26 setting, you can choose to have the dock stay visible at all times—similar to how it does on the Mac. There’s one key difference though: if any of your app windows encroach on the space needed to display the dock, it will automatically hide. But if your windows are resized to leave room for the dock, it can stay perpetually visible on-screen.
Liquid Glass design
Apple’s big new Liquid Glass redesign of iOS 26 extends to iPadOS 26 too. App icons have been given fresh designs, buttons and menus have a glassy effect, and overall the UI has been given a fresh look.
iPadOS 26’s new design also creates greater uniformity with Apple’s other platforms, since Liquid Glass is the foundation of similar redesigns on the iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
File management upgrades
The Files app gets a lot more like the Mac’s Finder in iPadOS 26. New features include:
customizable folder colors and icons
resizable columns
collapsible folders
the ability to choose which app a given file opens in
similarly, you can change the default app for a file type
The Preview app also comes to iPad for the first time as a dedicated hub for viewing and editing PDFs and images—just like on the Mac.
Pointier, more precise cursor
iPadOS 26 updates the system cursor with a new design. Gone is the round cursor blob, replaced by a pointer cursor that’s more similar to the Mac.
The new cursor still morphs in all the same ways as the prior version, but is more precise than before. It also gains the fun macOS ‘shake to find’ feature.
Background Tasks with Live Activities
One of the iPad’s long-standing limitations is that apps generally have to be active on screen to perform intensive tasks. That’s because iPadOS formerly was more aggressive about closing apps in the background if they drained too many resources.
But in iPadOS 26, a new Background Tasks feature allows apps to run more intensive processes entirely in the background. So the next time you’re exporting a video, rendering a 3D model, or some other demanding workflow, you won’t need to twiddle your thumbs waiting for the app to finish before moving on to something new.
Even after you leave an app, Background Tasks will show that app’s progress at the top of your iPad’s display via a Live Activity—the first time Live Activities are available on iPad.
Whether you’re a podcaster, video conferencing vet, or just want more control of audio recording on your iPad, iPadOS offers several new tools.
Accessible from Control Center, iPadOS 26 users can now find options for Local Capture, Voice Isolation, and a new Input Picker.
Local capture lets you get a clear recording of just your side of a video call. Voice Isolation was formerly exclusive to phone calls, but now it can be enabled in audio recordings too. Finally, the Input Picker makes it easy to choose your preferred microphone for any given app.
Four new iPad apps: Journal, Apple Games, Preview, and Phone
Apple is bringing four new apps to the iPad in iPadOS 26:
Journal is now available on iPad for the first time, with a variety of new features added including Apple Pencil support. Apple Games is a central hub where you can access all installed games on your iPad, plus leaderboards, challenges, events, and much more. Preview comes over from the Mac, offering similar support for viewing and editing PDFs and images. Phone expands to the iPad, powered by the Continuity features that tap into your iPhone’s cellular connection.
Feature upgrades for Apple’s system apps
Some of Apple’s most popular pre-installed iPad apps are getting improved with a variety of new features. For details on everything new, use the links below:
iPadOS 26 device compatibility
Almost all of the iPads that could run iPadOS 18 last year are also supported in iPadOS 26. But there has been one dropped model: the 7th generation base iPad.
Here’s the full list of compatible iPads:
iPad Pro (M4)
iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (3rd generation and later)
iPad Pro 11‑inch (1st generation and later)
iPad Air (M3)
iPad Air (M2)
iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
iPad (A16)
iPad (8th generation and later)
iPad mini (A17 Pro)
iPad mini (5th generation and later)
You can find your iPad’s model name by visiting Settings ⇾ General ⇾ About.
9to5Mac’s Take
iPadOS 26 is a major step forward for the iPad.
As a longtime iPad user, I’m well acquainted with Apple’s various attempts to make the device better for productivity.
This year feels like the first time they’ve truly nailed it.
Freeform windowing, the menu bar, an upgraded dock, Files improvements, and a lot of other smaller changes make iPadOS 26 the start of a new iPad era.
For all the update’s strengths, though, I have one main critique. As a heavy user of the old Slide Over multitasking feature, it’s been tough losing that option entirely. While Stage Manager still exists in iPadOS 26, Apple has removed both Slide Over and Split View.
The loss of Split View isn’t a problem, since Apple’s new windowing system can do more or less the same thing. But Slide Over was a crucial part of my iPad workflows pre-iPadOS 26. I can no longer pop into and out of different apps on the side of my screen, while keeping one main app fullscreen and usable. That functionality is gone.
The core of the new windowing system is much more powerful than what the iPad has ever supported before. And overall, I think it’s a huge win. But I hope Apple has a Slide Over-like enhancement coming in a future software update, because even weeks after installing iPadOS 26, I still miss it.
I’m thrilled to see where the iPad goes from here, including this fall’s rumored M5 iPad Pro. Finally, iPad power users are getting the kind of powerful software in iPadOS 26 they’ve been asking for.
Which iPadOS 26 features are most exciting to you? Let us know in the comments.
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