Your iPad is getting a significant improve without cost. 4 high options I can not wait to attempt in iPadOS 26

Apple on Monday introduced the newest updates coming to the iPad’s working system — iPadOS 26 — throughout WWDC 2025. The brand new iPadOS 26 helps Apple’s purpose of providing customers a extra seamless expertise throughout gadgets, making its person interface extra intuitive and constant. 

Additionally: Did Apple lastly flip the iPad right into a MacBook different? My first take a look at iPadOS 26 says sure

All of Apple’s working techniques throughout gadgets have a brand new model variety of 26, which streamlines the totally different variations for customers. As an alternative of every OS having a unique model quantity, Apple is rebranding all of them in response to the yr through which most customers could have entry to them. iPadOS 26 was introduced as we speak and launches to the general public in September.

These are the perfect iPadOS 26 options that Apple unveiled throughout its yearly WWDC occasion. The corporate additionally unveiled iOS 26, WatchOS 26, MacOS 26, VisionOS 26, and TvOS 26.

1. Mac-like productiveness expertise

With iPadOS 26, Apple is giving the iPad person a extra MacOS-like expertise. iPadOS 26 brings us higher app window controls to make multitasking and app switching on the iPad simpler and extra intuitive than ever. 

Apple has put quite a lot of concentrate on enhancing productiveness and app administration on the iPad, one thing that is not at present very intuitive. Apple launched an upgraded window administration system that allows you to resize, transfer, decrease, and tile home windows, very like you are able to do on a Mac. You can even use Expose view to see all of your open home windows at a look, or use a flicking motion to tile your home windows. 

Additionally: CarPlay’s iOS 26 makeover is nearly right here: 3 new options coming to your dashboard

iPadOS 26’s new menu bar makes menus and instructions simpler to entry. 

2. Apple Intelligence (AI) options for iPadOS

Apple Intelligence was the principle occasion at WWDC 2024; this yr, it was extra of a supporting character. After failing to ship on some AI options and falling flat on others, Apple goes again to what it does finest: the person expertise. This yr, the AI options are extra of a complement to the general iPad interface. Here is what we noticed at WWDC:

• Actual-time translation: Much like Google’s glasses announcement throughout I/O, Apple desires to deliver stay translations for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. Apple says that Stay Translation will work for texts, FaceTime, and telephone calls with each captions and spoken translations. 
• A wiser, genAI Siri: Apple introduced an enormous Siri improve final yr that may make the digital assistant context-aware, but this function has but to be rolled out for customers. This function remains to be to come back to Siri, however Apple introduced a brand new set of Shortcuts that now assist AI-powered actions like summarizing textual content and producing photos. 
• Genmoji and Picture Playground: Apple’s picture era options now allow you to embrace new kinds and edit attributes like hair and equipment.

Additionally: Your AirPods might get 3 main upgrades without cost due to iOS 26 – here is what to anticipate

3. New iPadOS apps: Video games and Preview

Throughout WWDC 2025, Apple introduced new updates to current apps, together with new apps for iPad:

• Preview for iPadOS: Apple is bringing the Preview app to the iPad. The app will allow you to view, edit, and mark up PDFs. It’ll additionally embrace AutoFill for varieties and combine with the Recordsdata app. 
• Apple Video games: The brand new gaming hub is now Apple Video games, a brand new residence for gaming on the iPad. It introduces Recreation Overlay, and allows you to see invitations, settings, and updates mid-game.

4. Liquid Glass on iPad

The massive visible redesign on iPadOS 26 makes use of what Apple calls Liquid Glass, a set of clear layers that dynamically alter with motion and scrolling. This adjustments the way in which your iPad show responds to your contact and motion, and allows you to customise app icons and notifications with a brand new translucent look. Apple makes use of superior laptop imaginative and prescient strategies to create the phantasm of motion on pictures utilized in your wallpaper, making the visible expertise extra fluid.