Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC for short, has come and gone, with the 2025 iteration shifting its focus to one of the key foundations that power product experiences – user interface (UI) design. The company’s Liquid Glass update, its first major visual overhaul in 10 years, continues in the same vein of sleek minimalism, eschewing the old frosted glass look for a see-through, more fluid look for app widgets, menus, buttons, and the like.
Hailing from a blend of different influences, from the operating system (OS) in the Vision Pro headset to real-time Gaussian blurring in iOS 7, the new design language is set to roll out across all Apple devices, including the iPad, iMac, iPhone, and more. The change isn’t purely for aesthetic reasons, however, as Liquid Glass also forms the basis for unifying its entire OS under a new numbering convention based on the year after its debut – iOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, visionOS 26, and iPadOS 26, alongside macOS Tahoe 26, the only outlier of the lot.
To that end, the lineup of software brings new capabilities and quality-of-life improvements – some shared, and others, platform-exclusive – into the mix. Here are five iPadOS 26 features that blur the line between tablet and laptop, turning the former into a mini computer (of sorts).
1) All-new window management
Say goodbye to Split View and Slide Over, as Apple presents a revamped, more intuitive windowing system for multitasking. Where the process is currently confined to toggling between two open windows at once, iPadOS 26 allows users to view all their open windows simultaneously, switch to the one they need, and place them anywhere on the screen, or arrange and resize them with the flick of a finger, making it possible to run tasks side-by-side, or several at a time in the same window.
Apps that were previously resized will also open in the exact size and position as before, while tiling locks a window screen to the left or right side of the display. For those who favour grouping their windows into distinct stages, iPadOS 26 is compatible with Stage Manager and supports external displays on the side.
2) Improved menu and file navigation
Managing files and navigating menus is easier than ever with iPadOS 26. An updated List view, taking after its Mac counterpart, displays more details about a document in resizable columns and collapsible folders, and folders can be pinned or dragged from Files to the dock. Customisation options, such as custom colours and icons, will make them more easily identifiable, with users able to choose default apps for specific file types.
Separately, the addition of Mac’s menu bar simplifies the process of locating specific commands or features within an app or window through tabs like File, Edit, View, Format, and more. Specific to developers, the menu bar in their own apps can be customised as well.
3) Apple Journal integration
Previously only available on iOS, the Journal app unlocks the ability to track day-to-day activities and experiences with images, videos, and audio recordings on the iPad. Drawings and handwriting can be incorporated through Apple Pencil or touch, which is a natural fit for the tablet’s larger canvas. Apart from greater viewing comfort, the extra screen real estate should evoke a feel that aligns closer to traditional hand-to-paper journaling – a welcome invitation for illustrators and writers who prefer to do things the old-fashioned way.
Additionally, users can keep multiple journals for various aspects of life, with access to a map view that sorts entries by location.
4) Preview app functionality
iPadOS 26 offers a dedicated app for editing and viewing PDFs in the form of Preview, where documents and images can be marked up via Apple Pencil or touch, eliminating the need for third-party software. Alongside AutoFill, used to quickly fill out forms, the iPad will make it possible to create an empty page or pull up saved files directly from the Files app.
5) New audio and video recording features
Here’s one for the content creators, podcasters, video editors, and multimedia professionals. With iPadOS 26 comes an audio input selector, allowing different microphones to be selected for each app and individual websites, and better audio clarity, enhanced through Voice Isolation that blocks ambient noise.
Local Capture, meanwhile, touts high-quality recordings with any video conferencing app. Powered by echo cancellation, it keeps the user’s voice front and centre, and enables the sharing of both audio and video files once the call is over.
The first iPadOS 26 developer beta is now live, with public betas following in July. The final version is slated to launch this fall, likely after the next big iPhone reveal event, which typically takes place in September. When it eventually arrives, iPadOS 26 will be available on the following models:
- iPad Pro (M4)
- 11” iPad Pro (1st gen and later)
- 12.9” iPad Pro (3rd gen and later)
- iPad Air (M2 and later)
- iPad Air (3rd gen and later)
- iPad (A16, 8th gen and later)
- iPad Mini (A17 Pro, 5th gen and later)
The iPad may still fall short of the utility that a MacBook brings, but the software update promises added versatility that pushes productivity to greater heights. Between that and inherited accompaniments like Apple Intelligence and Continuity features, tablet multitasking is inching closer to becoming a total game-changer.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
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