iPadOS 26 was announced at WWDC 2025 and released to the public later that fall. One year later, it stands as one of the most significant updates to the iPad operating system in years. For users who rely on the iPad Pro as their primary computer, the changes have been both liberating and frustrating. This article examines the highs and lows of using iPadOS 26 day in and day out on the latest M5 iPad Pro.
What Works Well in iPadOS 26
The most touted feature of iPadOS 26 is its revamped windowing system. After 15 years of limited multitasking, Apple finally introduced a true windowed environment that allows users to resize and reposition app windows freely. This has been a game-changer for productivity. On the M5 iPad Pro with 16GB of RAM, the system handles multiple windows without significant slowdown. The ability to have a Safari window filling most of the screen while a Notes window sits to the side as a compact popover is a workflow that many desktop users will find familiar.
Another major improvement is the always-visible dock. By keeping app windows away from the bottom of the screen, users can enable a setting that keeps the dock permanently displayed. This makes app switching much more fluid, especially since the dock now supports more apps and even folders. It mirrors the Mac experience more closely than ever.
The Files app has also received a substantial upgrade. Combined with the new Preview app, file management on iPadOS now feels comparable to macOS. Users can view file metadata, quick look documents, and even perform batch operations that were previously clumsy. The Preview app brings quick image and PDF viewing without needing to open a full app, similar to Quick Look on the Mac.
A menu bar has been added to the iPad interface, though it remains less powerful than its macOS counterpart. It provides a convenient way to expose an app’s features and controls without cluttering the screen. Finally, Apple Journal arrived on iPad, giving users a dedicated space for personal reflection and note-taking, which is a welcome addition for creatives and diarists.
For the first time, iPadOS feels like it fully leverages the hardware power of the iPad Pro. The M5 chip with its 10-core CPU and GPU can handle demanding tasks like video editing, 3D modeling, and software development. The operating system no longer feels like a bottleneck.
Where iPadOS 26 Still Falls Short
Despite these advances, using the iPad Pro full-time reveals several persistent issues. One of the most frustrating is the instability of the windowing system. Apple promoted “persistent size and placement” — windows should stay where users put them. In practice, apps frequently crash or reset to fullscreen mode, requiring the user to resize and reposition them again. This happens almost daily, even on the most powerful iPad Pro available. On a Mac, such behavior is rare. It suggests that the underlying window management code is not yet robust enough for heavy multitasking.
Slide Over, a feature that was removed in iPadOS 26's initial release but brought back in iPadOS 26.1, is another sore point. While many users were thrilled to see its return, the implementation is worse than in iPadOS 18. Users can only keep one app in Slide Over at a time, whereas before they could stack multiple apps. For an update that otherwise pushes multitasking forward, this regression is disappointing.
Minor but cumulative issues include right-click lag. On the iPad, using a trackpad and cursor for right-click actions often feels sluggish compared to the instant response on a Mac. Additionally, resizing windows can accidentally move them, and vice versa. Keyboard bugs in Safari sometimes cause typed characters in the address bar to be erased by auto-suggestions. And on certain websites, Safari on iPad still fails to register clicks on specific buttons, forcing users to switch to a Mac to complete tasks.
These bugs are not unique to iPadOS; macOS Tahoe has its own share of problems. But for users relying on the iPad as their only computer, the frequency of these issues undermines confidence in the platform.
Looking Ahead to iPadOS 27
Overall, iPadOS 26 represents a major leap forward. It lays a solid foundation for future improvements. The windowing system, persistent dock, improved Files app, and menu bar are all steps in the right direction. However, the software still feels like a work in progress. Users hope that iPadOS 27 will address the stability issues, restore full Slide Over functionality, and smooth out the remaining rough edges. With the continued evolution of Apple’s hardware — including foldable iPhones and touchscreen Macs on the horizon — the iPad’s place in the ecosystem remains a topic of debate. But for now, iPadOS 26 proves that Apple is willing to invest seriously in the platform. The question is whether that investment will deliver a truly flawless experience in the next iteration.
Source: 9to5Mac News