Apple tried everything to make iPadOS more productive, from Split View (two apps side by side) to Stage Manager. But it never took off, as these features weren't up to the standard of macOS. With iPadOS 26, the manufacturer finally realized that there was no point in reinventing the wheel: it was enough to simply take inspiration from the Mac.
Just like the Mac, but with touchscreen
iPadOS 26, which will be available in final version this fall, introduces a brand new windowing system that strongly resembles the macOS Finder. App windows float on top of each other, they can be resized, and to further emphasize the Mac's kinship, the control buttons for opening the window in full size, minimizing it to the dock, or closing it are the same as in macOS: red, orange, and green. We haven't done anything better.
Previously resized windows will reopen to the same size and location when the user relaunches them. A retractable menu bar appears at the top of the screen, and wait for it, the Exposé feature is also available! This allows you to see all open windows. And it all works in conjunction with Stage Manager.
It took Apple a long time to find the perfect solution—it's been right in front of them for 14 years! — but it seems that iPadOS 26 has something to satisfy all those who want to use their tablet for something other than viewing content, playing games or responding to emails. However, we will have to see for ourselves: in iPadOS 16, Stage Manager also raised a lot of hope and then it fell flat.
Another borrowing from the Mac: the Preview app is finally part of the iPadOS package. No need to download a third-party app to view a PDF, annotate it, or simply view an image to crop it. Two other notable new features: apps now have the ability (FINALLY!) to work in the background, for example to render a video. And podcasters will also be able (finally, here too) to record conversations directly from the iPad.
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