- Apple has revealed iPadOS 26
- The new software update brings a new look, new apps, and vastly improved multitasking capabilities to iPad
- Apple is calling it the “biggest iPadOS release ever”
Apple has revealed iPadOS 26, one of the most expansive iPadOS updates of all time.
New features include a totally overhauled design, new windowing tools for multitasking, the addition of the Preview app, Genmoji, and Image Playground, and a revamped Files app.
In an official press release, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi said: “iPadOS 26 is our biggest iPadOS release ever, with powerful features that take the experience to the next level and transform what users can do on iPad”
With this year’s WWDC – which we’re still covering via our WWDC 2025 live blog – Apple has taken a step towards giving the iPad the software power it needs to make the most of its fantastic hardware. We expect iPadOS 26 to release in September 2025 based on the release pattern of previous versions.
As an iPad user myself, I’m glad to see Apple pushing the tablet’s capabilities. Without further ado, here are the new iPadOS features we’re most excited for.
A new name
The rumors were true – Apple has officially revealed that the successor to iPadOS 18 will be called iPadOS 26, instead of iPadOS 19.
If you’re wondering what happened to the seven version numbers between iPadOS 18 and iPadOS 26, Apple has decided to change the naming convention of all of its operating systems to reflect their year, rather than their version number.
However, Apple seems to be going the route of high fashion and automotive naming conventions by naming each version after the following year – iPadOS 26 is still expected to fully release in September 2025.
A new look
iPadOS 26 is getting a full-on visual overhaul, which is perhaps the most immediately exciting change coming to iPad.
Alongside iOS 26 and macOS 26, iPadOS 26 brings a new visionOS-inspired look to the iPad’s UI and software experience, constructed with a digital material called Liquid Glass.
Expect translucent textures, rounded corners, and bubbly icons both on the homescreen and within first-party apps, as well as a new ‘clear’ theme to sit alongside light mode, dark mode, and the color tint options.
Windows and multitasking
iPadOS 26 brings better, more flexible window management that improves on the limited windowed view offer by Stage Manager.
This is a heavy hitter of a new feature that also pushes the iPad further into Mac territory – proper window management.
iPadOS 26 offers the ability to resize and rearrange windowed apps to any size or position on screen. When you close and reopen an app, it appears in the same position and at the same size you last opened it.
For years, iPad users have been left wanting when it comes to window management – the addition of Stage Manager in 2022 added a kind of multitasking to iPad, but it’s never really felt as smooth as a Mac desktop or something like Samsung DeX. That could be about to change.
The new windowing system also includes the new Exposé view, reminiscent of macOS’ mission control, and the mouse pointer has been updated to be, well, an actual pointier.
The WWDC keynote confirmed that this new window system, with support for up to six simultaneous windows, will come to all currently available iPads.
iPadOS 26 also adds a menu bar to the new windowed mode, accessible by bringing the mouse to the top of the screen.
The new menu bar is reminiscent – but not identical – to the menu bar on macOS, with specific options based on the currently opened app.
Preview
Preview – Apple’s dedicated PDF app – comes to iPad with iPadOS 26, making it much easier to read, edit, and export PDFs.
The app’s features include the ability to open PDFs from the Files app, create empty pages and use Apple Pencil to draw or write, and use Apple’s AutoFill system to fill in forms and documents.
As an iPad user I’ve often been frustrated by the tablet’s limited options for working with PDFs – I’m glad to see Apple implementing Preview.
Apple Games
iPadOS 26 brings a dedicated gaming app to the iPad. The new Apple Games app is a spiritual successor to the Game Center app that was removed from iPadOS and iOS in 2016, and brings together all of your games in one place.
Apple Games also replaces Game Center’s more recent function as the gaming-focused aspect of a user’s Apple ID. The new Game Overlay enables users to call friends or invite them to games, check out updates, and access settings.
The new app is also coming to iPhone via iOS 26.
Apple Intelligence updates
iPadOS brings a number of Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Apple’s tablet platform.
Genmoji and Image Playground make their way to iPad for the first time, offering users the ability to create custom-made emoji and images.
Siri has also got an upgrade, remaining aware of the context of prior requests and benefiting from a large database of Apple product knowledge.
Furthermore, Live Translation comes to FaceTime and Messages on iPad and iPhone, making communication across language barriers easier.
Background tasks
iPads are the most powerful tablets you can buy, and with iPadOS 26 users can now access that power with tasks in the background.
For example, you’ll now be able to export a video with Final Cut for iPad while using other apps. The export progress will appear as a live activity.
This is another feature that adds flexibility to the astounding hardware power of M-series equipped iPads, and opens doors for more professional creative workflows.
Journal
The Journal app, previously exclusive to iPhone, makes its way to iPad with iPadOS 26. Journal pretty much does what it says on the tin – it’s a place to write about and store memories, photos, and events.
Journal on iPad supports Apple Pencil, which ostensibly means there’ll be space to write and draw in each entry.
Better audio recording
The iPad’s audio recording powers have expanded with iPadOS 26. As well as the ability to choose different microphone inputs for different apps, the iPad’s Voice Memos app now supports Voice Isolation, which blocks out background noise.
Additionally, users with compatible AirPods models (AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, AirPods Pro 2) can benefit from what Apple calls ‘studio quality audio recording’.
Other app updates
As for other iPadOS 26 app updates, the Files App has recieved some key improvements. List view now shows more detail and a preview of each document, while folders can be added to the dock.
The Messages app gets themed backgrounds, polls, and a refreshed UI, while Notes and Calculator get advanced 3D graphing in both the Calculator itself and Math Notes.
Also, the pen toolkit accessible in apps like Notes gets a new reed pen, designed for calligraphy.
Let us know which of these iPad features you’re looking forward to most in the comments below. There’s plenty more to explore from this year’s WWDC – be sure to check out our WWDC 2025 live blog for a blow-by-blow rundown off all the updates and announcements.
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jamie.richards@futurenet.com (Jamie Richards)
