The dock in iPadOS 26 has been significantly enhanced, drawing inspiration from macOS. Users can now keep the dock visible at all times, provided app windows don’t overlap its space. The dock’s capacity has also expanded, accommodating up to 29 apps on a 13-inch iPad Pro, compared to the previous limit of around 15. Additionally, folders from the Files app can now be pinned to the dock, streamlining access to critical documents with drag-and-drop support. This upgrade makes navigating complex workflows, like organizing project files or switching between tools, faster and more intuitive.
Stage Manager Gets a Major Overhaul
Previous versions of Stage Manager left some users wanting more, but iPadOS 26 redefines it as a cornerstone of iPad productivity. Unlike its earlier iterations, which felt restrictive, the updated Stage Manager allows seamless app window management with snap layouts and persistent floating apps. The addition of macOS-style “traffic light” controls—red, yellow, and green buttons for closing, minimizing, or tiling windows—brings a familiar desktop feel. These changes make multitasking smoother, especially for users who rely on the iPad as their primary device.
Mac-Like Features Elevate Usability
iPadOS 26 borrows heavily from macOS, introducing a menu bar that appears when swiping down or hovering near the screen’s top. This bar consolidates app-specific controls, replacing scattered keyboard shortcut menus with a centralized hub developers can customize. The Files app now mirrors the Mac’s Finder, with a column view and enhanced external storage support. A new Preview app also debuts, offering a dedicated hub for viewing and editing PDFs and images, complete with Apple Pencil support for annotations. These additions make the iPad feel like a true computer, blending tablet simplicity with desktop power.
Liquid Glass Design Refreshes the Interface
The iPadOS 26 update introduces Apple’s Liquid Glass design, a visual overhaul that aligns the iPad’s interface with iOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and other Apple platforms. App icons sport a sleek, glassy aesthetic, while buttons and menus gain a modern, translucent look. The system cursor has been refined, replacing the round blob with a precise pointer that supports macOS’s “shake to find” feature. This cohesive design not only enhances visual appeal but also ensures a consistent experience across Apple’s ecosystem, making transitions between devices seamless.
Why the M5 iPad Pro Shines
While iPadOS 26 runs on a range of iPads, the M5 iPad Pro is poised to maximize its potential. Expected to launch soon, the M5 chip promises modest performance boosts over the M4, with improvements in CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine efficiency, built on TSMC’s advanced 3-nanometer process. Rumors also suggest 16GB of RAM as standard across all models, supporting the demands of multitasking and Apple Intelligence features. A dual front-facing camera setup, with lenses in both portrait and landscape orientations, could enable new video call and multi-cam capabilities, further enhancing the device’s versatility.
