At WWDC 2025, Apple officially introduced iPadOS 26, calling it the most transformative update ever for the iPad. From a brand-new Liquid Glass interface and AI-integrated productivity features to enhanced multitasking and powerful app additions, this update takes iPadOS a major step closer to a true desktop-class operating system — while retaining its touch-first simplicity.
A Bold New Look: Fluid and Adaptive with Liquid Glass
The visual centerpiece of iPadOS 26 is Liquid Glass, Apple’s latest UI design evolution. This new interface adds translucency, adaptive light refraction, and fluid motion across the system — from the Lock Screen to the Control Center. It reacts subtly to both touch and ambient light, creating an almost 3D-like experience.
Other visual changes include animated app icons, refreshed theme color palettes, and improved UI consistency across default apps like Safari, Mail, and Apple Music. The entire OS now feels smoother and more dynamic, aligning more closely with visionOS.
Smarter Multitasking: A Full Windowing System for Pro Users
Multitasking gets a complete reimagining in iPadOS 26, introducing a flexible windowing system for managing apps:
Resizable windows with drag-and-drop controls
One-tap tiling using simple gestures
Exposé-style window management to see all open apps at a glance
A persistent menu bar at the top of apps for fast navigation and commands
Stage Manager also gets tighter integration with the new windowing tools and now supports custom layout presets and better external display scaling. Power users will find multitasking on iPad more desktop-like than ever before.
Apple Intelligence: AI-Powered Tools Now Built into iPadOS
Building on last year’s debut of Apple Intelligence, iPadOS 26 dramatically expands AI features across the OS:
Live Translation for voice and text, directly in Phone, FaceTime, and Messages
Genmoji and Image Playground enhancements for creating expressive custom visuals
Smart Shortcuts that analyze user behavior to recommend AI actions
Study tools like summarizing lecture notes or comparing notes to audio recordings
AI now feels deeply integrated, making iPadOS not just reactive, but proactively helpful.
New Files & Preview Apps: Professional File Handling on iPad
The Files app sees its biggest update yet, gaining:
A fully customizable list view with collapsible folders and resizable columns
Folder color tags, icons, and emoji labels for better organization
Drag-and-drop folder management in the Dock
Ability to assign default apps for specific file types
Joining it for the first time on iPad is Apple’s Preview app, enabling full PDF and image markup, annotation, and editing. With Apple Pencil, users can sketch, sign, and even use AutoFill tools in documents, mimicking the macOS experience.
Media Creation & Performance: New Tools for Creators
For creators and professionals, iPadOS 26 introduces Background Tasks — allowing render jobs, exports, and encoding processes to continue running while users multitask.
Other creative enhancements include:
Per-app and per-website microphone selection
Voice Isolation for cleaner audio recording
Local Capture, which records high-fidelity audio and video even during calls
These features make iPad a more serious tool for podcasts, live streams, and video production.
New Built-in Apps: Journal, Apple Games & More
Several new apps debut with iPadOS 26:
Journal: A dedicated space for multimedia journaling with sketch, text, and image support
Apple Games: A unified hub for all installed games, complete with Game Overlay for in-game multitasking
Phone App: Yes, you can now place and receive phone calls directly from your iPad, featuring Hold Assist and Call Screening for a better call experience
Messaging & Productivity: Richer Interactions
The Messages app receives several updates:
Conversation backgrounds with effects
Polls for group chats
A redesigned Details View for contact and media management
Notes gains markdown support, while Calculator introduces Math Notes with support for complex equations and 3D graphing — perfect for students and engineers alike.
Accessibility and Usability: Designed for Everyone
Apple continues its accessibility leadership with:
Accessibility Reader for screen content narration
Share Accessibility Settings across devices
A new Braille Access Interface with improved navigation and haptics
These updates ensure iPadOS 26 is inclusive and powerful for all users.
Device Compatibility & Rollout Timeline
iPadOS 26 is now available to developers and will enter public beta next month. The final release is expected this fall. It supports a wide range of devices, including:
iPad Pro (M4, 3rd gen+ 12.9-inch, 1st gen+ 11-inch)
iPad Air (M2, 3rd gen+)
iPad (A16 chip, 8th gen+)
iPad mini (A17 Pro, 5th gen+)
Apple Intelligence features may require newer hardware and specific region-based availability.
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