It is not just a gimmicky small update. It is completely transforming the environment, bringing in a brand new look and a huge uptick in how users accomplish tasks on their iPad.
Before anything else, let's look into the aesthetics. Taking its cue from the sleek visuals of visionOS, iPadOS 26 will be possessed by a design language that Apple terms Liquid Glass, built around beautiful translucent layers like floating toolbars and an all-over cleaner modern feel across the system. It is designed to be more fluid, and even the tabs menu has been reinvented as a transparent bubble at the bottom of the screen, giving you back precious screen space.
This is where the fun really begins with the iPad-as-a-work-and-creative-device user. iPadOS 26 is all set to revolutionize multitasking
You heard that absolutely right Now, you can work on, control, organize and even switch between a whole host of application windows. This is a huge step toward making the iPad seem much more like an outright productivity machine in the viewer's eyes than a Mac-the very purpose to which users have been striving.
For the first time, this old, reliable, and incredibly useful menu bar from the Mac will make its way to the iPad. As any Mac user knows, this can drastically improve how your day goes. This could be the jolt many power users are waiting for.
Besides design and great multitasking, iPadOS 26 mostly brings really helpful new applications and features
Built to connect the iPad and Mac more closely, the new Preview app will feature a multitude of time-saving document viewing and editing tools.
Gamers, rejoice A new Games app will be your central hub for all things Game Center, including leaderboards and a personalized storefront based on your gaming tastes.
These activities, previously exclusive to iPhones, are now integrated with the iPad. Track flights, order deliveries, and do much more in real-time right on your screen.
The popular Journal app from an iPhone is finally available for an iPad and provides fantastic space to mull over ideas and brainstorm on the go.
The Files app introduces an updated List View, and you can now add folders straight from Files to your dock.
The developers are already on iPadOS 26. For everyone else, here's a fun fact a public release is anticipated later this year, likely around September, probably mid-September. We'll be watching all the updates and discovering new revelations, so check back for more details.
