5 iPadOS 26 updates that might make us ditch our Macs

Apple has officially taken the wraps off iPadOS 26, and it’s clear the company isn’t playing it safe. This update a sweeping reimagination of how the iPad works, looks, and thinks. With a striking new design language, proper windowed multitasking, and deeper integration of Apple Intelligence, iPadOS 26 positions the iPad as a genuinely powerful productivity and creative platform, not just a big-screen companion.

Rolling out this fall, iPadOS 26 introduces a mix of aesthetic and functional changes that push the device closer to the versatility of a Mac, without losing what makes it uniquely iPad.

Here’s a closer look at what’s new:

Liquid glass redesign, where form meets (reactive) function

iPadOS 26 leads with a visual overhaul built around a new design layer called Liquid Glass. Think translucent surfaces, ambient blur, and responsive UI elements that shift subtly based on light, context, and interaction. The update touches everything from the Lock Screen to Control Center, bringing a new sense of dimensionality and responsiveness to the interface.

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App icons and controls now adapt more fluidly to the system’s light/dark modes, and navigation in key apps like Safari and Mail has been tightened up. It’s Apple design at its best, restrained, detail-driven, and undeniably modern.

A legit windowing system... Finally!

The multitasking story gets a huge rewrite here. iPadOS 26 debuts a real windowing system. Yes, actual resizable, floatable windows. You can snap, tile, stack, and rearrange apps freely, and a new Exposé-style view shows all open windows in one place. When connected to an external display, the experience finally feels cohesive and desktop-grade.

There’s even a global menu bar now, floating just a swipe away, giving you access to app-wide commands and contextual options. It’s a long-requested feature that makes multitasking feel less like a workaround and more like a natural way to use the iPad.

Apple Intelligence gets smarter and more context-aware tools

Apple Intelligence takes a step forward with broader integration and a clearer sense of purpose. Live Translation now works system-wide, whether you’re mid-FaceTime or exchanging messages, and it’s fast and surprisingly natural.

Creative features like Genmoji and Image Playground let you whip up expressive visuals from simple prompts. Shortcuts become genuinely useful, capable of summarising notes, generating drafts, or executing workflows with minimal input. These tools feel less like tech demos and more like thoughtful enhancements to how you get things done, provided you’re on compatible hardware.

Files and preview come as pro-grade utilities on iPad

The Files app grows up in iPadOS 26, especially for users who treat the iPad like a laptop alternative. There’s now a more powerful List view with resizable columns, and you can customize folders with emojis and icons (because why not?). You can even assign default apps for specific file types. Finally.

But the real MVP here is the long-awaited Preview app. It’s full-featured, supports Apple Pencil, and handles PDF annotation, form-filling, and markup like a champ. For students, legal professionals, or anyone buried in docs, it’s a game changer.

Tools for creators are built for real workflows

Apple is leaning hard into the iPad’s role as a content creation tool. Support for Background Tasks means you can export video or render audio in the background while working on something else. Live Activities keep you updated on progress without breaking focus.

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There’s also a big focus on audio workflows with better mic input control, voice isolation, and multi-mic setups make the iPad an increasingly viable device for podcasters and video producers. And new native apps like Journal and Apple Games round out the creative toolkit with tools for reflection and play.

iPadOS 26 availability and compatibility

iPadOS 26 drops later this year as a free update, with most features available across recent models, including M-series iPads and newer iPad minis. The Apple Intelligence features will require supported hardware and languages, so not every device will get the full experience out of the box.

Still, this feels like the update the iPad has been steadily building toward. With a proper windowing system, smarter AI, and desktop-grade tools, iPadOS 26 makes a compelling argument that the iPad isn’t just versatile, it’s maturing into a platform all its own, and can be called a laptop alternative, actually.