The iPad Just Got a Lot More Like a Mac Thanks to These 20+ New Features
With iPadOS 26, Apple is moving the iPad closer to the Mac than ever before with a host of productivity and multitasking improvements.
Here's everything Apple today announced for the iPad that's set to make the device more Mac-like:
- App windows on iPad can now be freely resized.
- Multiple windows can be open at once, including multiple instances of the same app.
- Windows can be snapped into halves, thirds, or quarters using new tiling gestures.
- Each window has red, yellow, and green traffic-light controls for closing, minimizing, and maximizing.
- Apps remember their window size and position when reopened.
- On external displays, app windows remember their layout.
- A swipe-up Exposé gesture reveals all open windows, similar to Mission Control on Mac.
- A new menu bar appears on swipe or cursor hover, giving access to app commands like on Mac.
- Third-party apps can implement their own menu bar options.
- Users can search for commands in the menu bar.
- The cursor is now a true pointer, rather than a morphing circle.
- Cursor interactions on iPad now match the behavior and precision found on macOS.
- The Files app now features resizable columns and collapsible folders.
- Folders in the Files app can be customized with colors, icons, and emoji.
- Users can assign a default app for opening each file type.
- Folders can be dragged into the Dock for quick access, like Finder stacks in the macOS Dock.
- The Preview app, long a macOS staple, is now available on iPad for PDF and image editing.
- Background Tasks allow long-running operations to continue while using other apps.
- Users can choose different microphones for each app or website, reflecting macOS input/output controls.
- Audio and video from video calls can be captured locally in high quality.
- Notes can now be exported as Markdown files.
The line between the iPad and the Mac is now more blurred than ever. Do you think these new features are enough to enhance the iPad? Let us know in the comments.
Popular Stories
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future.
To set up the...
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
