Apple is bringing a boatload of new features for iPad, with a brand-new design, live translation during FaceTime calls, new organisation tools in the Files app, the ability to crunch through tasks in the background, and a Mac-like way to rearrange multiple app windows. The next update is called iPadOS 26 and is scheduled to launch this autumn.
Apple revealed an early look at its next update during its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, where it also showcased its next iPhone update and its 'broadest software redesign ever'.
As the name suggests, Apple took inspiration from the properties of glass for its next major design shake-up
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And that brand-new redesign is coming to iPad with the next update.
Dubbed Liquid Glass, this new design language replaces the straight lines and block colours found in earlier iterations of the operating system and replaces them with a frosted glass-like translucency, specular highlights that react to the movement of the device, and curved menus that mirror the corners on Apple devices.
You can choose a new clear design for your apps and widgets on iPadOS 26, adding to the existing dark and light options that have been available for years
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Alongside Light and Dark modes that iPad owners will already be familiar with, this new update adds a new clear look that strips the colour from app icons for a sleek, see-through appearance across the operating system.
Control Centre settings and Widgets also adopt this glass-like design, with your wallpaper still visible through these tools. This new design is visible across Apple's portfolio of iPad apps, including Mail, Safari, Apple TV, and Apple Music, to name just a few.
iPadOS 26 brings functionality that you'd typically associate with a traditional laptop or desktop computer, including resizing windows, minimising applications into the Dock, and tiling windows side-by-side
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But it's the shake-up to the way iPad owners can manage multiple apps on-screen at once that has people very excited. When it arrives later this year, iPadOS 26 will let you resize and reposition apps in a manner that'll be immediately familiar to anyone who has used a Mac.
You can resize, reposition, tile, and minimise iPad apps, bringing the experience much closer to a traditional laptop than ever before. In fact, the same traffic light icons from macOS make an appearance on iPad. When you reopen an app that you've previously resized, it'll return to the exact same size and position.
This new functionality works on the built-in iPad screen and any external monitors.
This is something that iPad owners have been clamouring for. Aside from the entry-level £326 iPad, every tablet available in the Apple Store is powered by one of Apple's custom-designed M-branded processors — the same chipsets found in its MacBooks. With so much power under the bonnet, iPad owners who rely on these devices as their primary computers have long called hoped that Apple's operating system would add these features.
Early reaction to the announcement of iPadOS 26 shows the pent-up demand for these Mac-like tricks.
I have to say, iPadOS 26 looks like the update we’ve all been waiting for on iPad ever since the M1 iPad Pro debuted. pic.twitter.com/vhAKNNXS5D
— Adam The Tech Enthusiast (@adam_tech_enthu) June 9, 2025
iPadOS 26, everyone! Feels like a 8 inch macbook pic.twitter.com/4ET90kylab
— Chu (@Vagotarian) June 10, 2025
I’ll likely never be able to comfortably switch to using an iPad as my main device for work, but the iPadOS 26’s multitasking is what I’ve always wanted from the OS. It’s intuitive and just makes sense. pic.twitter.com/6oIifThbiB
— Patrick O'Rourke (@Patrick_ORourke) June 9, 2025
Take a look at these screenshots from iPadOS 26 and tell me it doesn’t look like macOS: menu bar at the top, expanding folders in the Dock, traffic light buttons on windows, which can be arranged arbitrarily around the screen, etc. pic.twitter.com/vhf2RAZEB6
— Erik Berlin (@sferik) June 9, 2025
iPadOS 26 looks.... amazing? Real mouse cursor, real overlapping windows, menubar, traffic lights on windows, audio input selector, real file management, Preview app... they really macOS-ified iPadOS and it looks and feels so much more like a real computer now. pic.twitter.com/xtU24QgcLP
— Yining Karl Li (@yiningkarlli) June 9, 2025
Another new addition that brings the iPad closer to Mac is the supercharged new Files app. Apple has added a slew of new organisational tools to quickly sort files, while the Preview app makes an appearance to let you sign and edit PDFs.
Look familiar? iPad OS 26 brings the tablet closer to a traditional laptop and desktop experience than ever before, with developers able to add a menu bar with all options for an application
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Rounding out the similarities with the Mac, Apple has added a menu app that appears with a downwards swipe from the top of the display or by hovering a cursor at the top of the screen if you've paired a mouse or trackpad. Like a traditional laptop or desktop PC, you'll find extra options sorted under the File, Edit, View menu items.
Apple has included search functionality, so you can quickly find a specific feature or tip within in an app. Developers will be able to customise the menu bar in each of their applications, Apple says.
You can drag any folder onto the Dock on iPadOS 26 for speedy access and set default apps for specific file types.
Apple Intelligence, which was introduced during the same developer conference last year, brings new features to iPad, including real-time translation for phone conversations and FaceTime calls, making it easier to talk with someone who doesn't speak the same language. During FaceTime video calls, you can follow translated live captions while still hearing the speaker's original voice, and phone conversations feature spoken translations throughout.
"iPadOS 26 is our biggest iPadOS release ever, with powerful features that take the experience to the next level and transform what users can do on iPad," said Craig Federighi, Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering.
"With a beautiful new design, an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system, even more features powered by Apple Intelligence, huge improvements to working with files, and new capabilities for creatives to power their workflows, iPadOS 26 makes our most versatile device even more capable."
If you've started a process that'll take a while to finish, you can close the app and let the new Background Tasks feature continue to crunch in the background
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iPadOS 26 can crunch tasks in the background. When you kickstart a longer operation in an app, Background Tasks will show progress in the notification drop-down, so you'll always have visibility of what's running. Until now, iPad owners had to keep the app open to ensure the process continued.
Genmoji — the ability to conjure never-before-seen emoji from a written prompt using on-device AI — has been treated to an update, so you can start with an existing emoji and describe the changes you'd like to make. You can change hair length or add new accessories.
iPadOS 26 will be released this autumn as a free update. It's compatible with iPad Pro (M4), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (A16), iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad mini (5th generation and later).
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