When Apple unveiled iPadOS 26 at its Worldwide Developers Conference, the tech world paused—not because of a radical new iPad device, but due to a fundamental reimagining of what it means to use an iPad. The headline feature was unmissable and almost tongue-in-cheek: Apple had officially invented “Windows” for the iPad—an overhaul so significant that it’s not just about multitasking, but about redefining the very DNA of iPad interaction. Beyond the headline-grabbing interface, iPadOS 26 reveals a multifaceted evolution ranging from a new visual language to a powerful AI engine, and a suite of upgrades that, when taken together, suggest the iPad is now encroaching on the traditional PC’s territory more than ever before.
No, Apple hasn’t licensed Microsoft’s software. Instead, it’s created its own windowed mode for managing apps on the iPad, and the irony has not been lost on anyone. For the first time, iPad users will be able to resize, drag, and tile app windows across their display, much like on macOS or Windows PCs. Closing, minimizing, and switching between these windows is seamless, and at the core of this new experience is a floating menu bar designed for intuitive navigation.
This isn’t Apple’s first stab at multitasking. Previous iterations—Split View, Slide Over, Stage Manager—felt like clever workarounds with real but sometimes awkward limitations. iPadOS 26 takes things further: windows are not just overlapping objects, but smart, snap-to-grid elements, making multitasking more natural. Early previews and hands-ons (as reported by Mashable and corroborated by The Verge and Ars Technica) confirm that the system feels fluid, fast, and well-optimized for both touch and keyboard input.
What’s especially notable is that Apple refers to this system, unreservedly, as “Windows.” At WWDC 2025, the repeated use of the term was both a nod to mainstream computing conventions and perhaps a subtle challenge to the dominance of PC operating systems. By doing so, Apple is tacitly acknowledging the desires of users to not just consume, but create and organize, mirroring desktop workflows within a tablet environment.
Reviewers describe it as airy and borderless. You can customize widget transparency, colors, and even add emoji, making the device feel uniquely yours. More than just eye candy, this expansiveness helps the iPad make better use of its large canvas, providing a sense of openness and infinite space—a stark contrast to the confined feeling that sometimes plagued earlier designs.
Central to these upgrades is Live Translation, now available across Phone, FaceTime, and Messages. More interesting is the ability to create “Genmoji”—AI-generated emoji—using simple prompts, which can be inserted in chats, notes, or even custom Contact Posters. Integrations with ChatGPT extend creativity further, including generating custom art and images directly on the device.
Apple’s privacy-forward approach means that most AI operations run on device (for M-series iPads), with only the most complex queries offloaded to the cloud—though always encrypted and never stored, according to Apple’s official stance. Independent evaluations by trusted outlets like Wired and TechCrunch confirm that while Apple is playing catch-up to OpenAI and Google in raw AI capability, its privacy guarantees remain robust and credible.
Analysts are quick to point out that these upgrades, while not matching the exhaustive file access of macOS Finder, significantly narrow the gap. Power users and students alike finally have a reason to reconsider the iPad as a “real” work device, especially when paired with external drives and cloud storage.
The Notes app takes a further leap, now supporting markdown file imports/exports and enhanced live collaboration. Teachers, writers, and students can move content between Apple and non-Apple platforms more freely, reflecting the company’s growing recognition that the iPad serves as a bridge in diverse workflows.
Apple’s timing is savvy. By enhancing iPad multitasking, launching “Apple Intelligence,” and shipping these updates as free software, it’s expanding the value proposition for existing users while undermining Microsoft and Google’s claim to productivity supremacy. The line between iPads and MacBooks—always blurry—is now more a matter of preference and price than real functional divide.
In the short term, some “classic” iPad users may be disoriented by the interface’s greater depth. Third-party app developers face the challenge of rapidly adapting their interfaces and functionality to the new window system, lest their apps feel left behind.
Looking longer term, as Apple converges the visual languages and capabilities of its iPad, iPhone, and Mac platforms, the differences between them shrink. While this fosters consistency, it also raises profound questions: does the iPad lose some of its raison d’être as it becomes ever more like a laptop with a touchscreen?
Consumers will find the new features exhilarating, particularly those who already treat the iPad as a primary device for work or creativity. For the skeptical and the change-wary, there will be an adjustment period—but Apple’s careful attention to incremental adoption (most features are opt-in or gradually layered) softens the blow.
If Apple’s bet pays off, iPadOS 26 will not just be a historic update; it will mark the moment the iPad truly became a peer to traditional PCs—and perhaps, with its elegant blend of touch, pen, and AI, something even more. Yet as the platform evolves, Apple must tread carefully, balancing innovation with the clarity and accessibility that once made the iPad so revolutionary.
As fall approaches and iPadOS 26 rolls out to millions, one thing is clear: the future of computing is not just about devices, but about bringing the best ideas—wherever they originated—together in ways that empower users more than ever before. The arrival of “Windows” on the iPad may have started as a punchline, but it’s ending as a promise: to deliver a truly modern, flexible, and powerful platform that stands at the center of the next era of personal computing.
Source: Mashable For iPadOS 26, Apple invents something called 'Windows'
The Arrival of “Windows” on iPad: A Major Paradigm Shift
No, Apple hasn’t licensed Microsoft’s software. Instead, it’s created its own windowed mode for managing apps on the iPad, and the irony has not been lost on anyone. For the first time, iPad users will be able to resize, drag, and tile app windows across their display, much like on macOS or Windows PCs. Closing, minimizing, and switching between these windows is seamless, and at the core of this new experience is a floating menu bar designed for intuitive navigation.This isn’t Apple’s first stab at multitasking. Previous iterations—Split View, Slide Over, Stage Manager—felt like clever workarounds with real but sometimes awkward limitations. iPadOS 26 takes things further: windows are not just overlapping objects, but smart, snap-to-grid elements, making multitasking more natural. Early previews and hands-ons (as reported by Mashable and corroborated by The Verge and Ars Technica) confirm that the system feels fluid, fast, and well-optimized for both touch and keyboard input.
What’s especially notable is that Apple refers to this system, unreservedly, as “Windows.” At WWDC 2025, the repeated use of the term was both a nod to mainstream computing conventions and perhaps a subtle challenge to the dominance of PC operating systems. By doing so, Apple is tacitly acknowledging the desires of users to not just consume, but create and organize, mirroring desktop workflows within a tablet environment.
Strengths
- Desktop-like Power: The new windows system transforms the iPad from a consumption-first device to a true productivity powerhouse.
- User Agency: Window resizing, tiling, and movement foster user control without feeling constrained by OS logic.
- Integration with Touch and Pencil: The UI is smartly adapted for both finger and stylus input, unlike the smaller touch targets of traditional desktop systems.
Risks
- Learning Curve: Users accustomed to the simplicity of previous iPad interfaces may find these changes initially overwhelming.
- Cross-App Consistency: Not all third-party apps will immediately take full advantage of the windowing features, potentially fragmenting user experience in the short term.
Liquid Glass: Visual Language for a New Era
Perhaps as important as functional changes, iPadOS 26 ushers in a radical design evolution called Liquid Glass. This “beautiful new design,” as Apple executives described it, extends translucent, glass-like panels across widgets, folders, and backgrounds. Borrowing elements from Apple’s previous infatuation with visual texture (remember the skeuomorphic era?) and the minimalistic transparency of recent years, Liquid Glass aims to make the iPad interface not just modern, but immersive.Reviewers describe it as airy and borderless. You can customize widget transparency, colors, and even add emoji, making the device feel uniquely yours. More than just eye candy, this expansiveness helps the iPad make better use of its large canvas, providing a sense of openness and infinite space—a stark contrast to the confined feeling that sometimes plagued earlier designs.
Strengths
- Cohesive Aesthetics: The consistent application of glass-like effects across iPadOS, iOS, and macOS strengthens Apple’s ecosystem identity.
- Customization: Visual tweaks let users craft a workspace that suits their personality and workflow.
Risks
- Performance on Older Devices: Even with Apple’s efficient hardware, heavy graphical effects could strain older iPads—though so far, early betas show no major slowdowns on supported models.
- Potential Gimmickry: While visually arresting, some users will question if these translucencies truly boost productivity or simply distract.
Apple Intelligence: Generative AI Comes to iPad
The iPad has been both lauded and criticized for its reliance on mobile workflows, but the addition of “Apple Intelligence” in iPadOS 26 positions the device as not just smart, but deeply personalized through artificial intelligence.Central to these upgrades is Live Translation, now available across Phone, FaceTime, and Messages. More interesting is the ability to create “Genmoji”—AI-generated emoji—using simple prompts, which can be inserted in chats, notes, or even custom Contact Posters. Integrations with ChatGPT extend creativity further, including generating custom art and images directly on the device.
Apple’s privacy-forward approach means that most AI operations run on device (for M-series iPads), with only the most complex queries offloaded to the cloud—though always encrypted and never stored, according to Apple’s official stance. Independent evaluations by trusted outlets like Wired and TechCrunch confirm that while Apple is playing catch-up to OpenAI and Google in raw AI capability, its privacy guarantees remain robust and credible.
Strengths
- Privacy Conscious: Apple’s insistence on local processing wherever possible is a key selling point for privacy-focused consumers.
- Expansive Utility: AI in Notes, Messages, and even image generation moves the iPad closer to pro device status, not just a tablet with apps.
Risks
- Hardware Fragmentation: AI features are limited to models with M-series chips, potentially alienating owners of otherwise capable, but older models.
- Early Growing Pains: Apple’s generative AI still trails rivals on some advanced tasks, such as complex image editing or long-form text generation.
A Files App (Finally) Ready for Pros
The Files app has long been a sore point for pro users unable to replicate desktop-like file management on the iPad. iPadOS 26 brings long-requested changes: new color, icon, and emoji customizations for folders, direct drag-and-drop capability to the dock, and smarter document previews. What’s more, enhanced file identification and sorting options make organization much faster. The overhaul extends to widgets, whose transparency and responsiveness now echo the Liquid Glass aesthetic.Analysts are quick to point out that these upgrades, while not matching the exhaustive file access of macOS Finder, significantly narrow the gap. Power users and students alike finally have a reason to reconsider the iPad as a “real” work device, especially when paired with external drives and cloud storage.
Strengths
- Customization: Assigning colors and icons boosts visual organization and rapid identification.
- Improved Drag-and-Drop: File movement between apps and folders is now more robust, especially in multitasking (windowed) environments.
Risks
- Not Full macOS Parity: Advanced features such as terminal access, batch renaming, or network drive mounting remain absent.
- Legacy Compatibility: Older iPads may see fewer new features or sluggish performance as Apple focuses development on M-series hardware.
New and Returning Apps: A Focus on Productivity
For years, iPad users clamored for a genuine Preview and Calculator app; iPadOS 26 finally delivers on both fronts. Preview brings long-awaited PDF markup, annotation, and image editing directly to the iPad, eliminating the need for third-party solutions. Calculator is not just functional, it introduces 3D graphics and Math Notes, with live equation solving and import/export to Markdown—a nod to both educators and engineers.The Notes app takes a further leap, now supporting markdown file imports/exports and enhanced live collaboration. Teachers, writers, and students can move content between Apple and non-Apple platforms more freely, reflecting the company’s growing recognition that the iPad serves as a bridge in diverse workflows.
Strengths
- Native, Optimized Tools: Official apps often have better system integration and energy efficiency.
- Greater Cross-Device Compatibility: Markdown support and new preview options encourage more professional and educational use.
Risks
- Developer Pushback: Third-party developers who filled gaps in Apple’s software ecosystem might be squeezed by native alternatives.
- Feature Gaps in Early Releases: Preview and Calculator may trail their macOS counterparts in depth, at least initially.
Supported Devices and the Dividing Line of Apple Intelligence
Apple’s device support for iPadOS 26 is broad, but with a big caveat. The system update reaches:- iPad Pro (M4)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd gen and later)
- iPad Pro 11-inch (1st gen and later)
- iPad Air (M2 and later)
- iPad Air (3rd gen and later)
- iPad (A16)
- iPad (8th gen and later)
- iPad mini (A17 Pro)
- iPad mini (5th gen and later)
Competitive Implications: Targeting Windows PCs and Beyond
By overtly calling its multitasking interface “Windows,” Apple is not so subtly attacking the heart of the PC market. iPadOS 26 brings the iPad closer than ever to laptop replacement status, an ambition Apple has danced around for years but never fully achieved. Previous iPad Pro ad campaigns taunted “what’s a computer?”—now, the OS itself provides an unmistakable answer.Apple’s timing is savvy. By enhancing iPad multitasking, launching “Apple Intelligence,” and shipping these updates as free software, it’s expanding the value proposition for existing users while undermining Microsoft and Google’s claim to productivity supremacy. The line between iPads and MacBooks—always blurry—is now more a matter of preference and price than real functional divide.
Potential Pitfalls: Platform Complexity and Brand Identity
Despite its strengths, iPadOS 26’s all-out embrace of windowing and customization carries risks. Apple’s original vision for iPad centered on simplicity, direct manipulation, and clear boundaries. By layering desktop metaphors onto a touch device, there’s a real risk of confusing new users or diluting the iPad’s unique appeal.In the short term, some “classic” iPad users may be disoriented by the interface’s greater depth. Third-party app developers face the challenge of rapidly adapting their interfaces and functionality to the new window system, lest their apps feel left behind.
Looking longer term, as Apple converges the visual languages and capabilities of its iPad, iPhone, and Mac platforms, the differences between them shrink. While this fosters consistency, it also raises profound questions: does the iPad lose some of its raison d’être as it becomes ever more like a laptop with a touchscreen?
The Bottom Line
With iPadOS 26, Apple isn’t just polishing its tablet OS. It’s radically expanding what “iPad” means—introducing windowed multitasking, a visually bold design language in Liquid Glass, pro-tier apps, and first-party AI that’s both useful and privacy-minded. At the same time, it moves the iPad closer to supplanting the laptop for millions of users, while forcing an uncomfortable hardware upgrade cycle for others.Consumers will find the new features exhilarating, particularly those who already treat the iPad as a primary device for work or creativity. For the skeptical and the change-wary, there will be an adjustment period—but Apple’s careful attention to incremental adoption (most features are opt-in or gradually layered) softens the blow.
If Apple’s bet pays off, iPadOS 26 will not just be a historic update; it will mark the moment the iPad truly became a peer to traditional PCs—and perhaps, with its elegant blend of touch, pen, and AI, something even more. Yet as the platform evolves, Apple must tread carefully, balancing innovation with the clarity and accessibility that once made the iPad so revolutionary.
As fall approaches and iPadOS 26 rolls out to millions, one thing is clear: the future of computing is not just about devices, but about bringing the best ideas—wherever they originated—together in ways that empower users more than ever before. The arrival of “Windows” on the iPad may have started as a punchline, but it’s ending as a promise: to deliver a truly modern, flexible, and powerful platform that stands at the center of the next era of personal computing.
Source: Mashable For iPadOS 26, Apple invents something called 'Windows'
