iPadOS 26 Changes Everything — Your Mac Must Be Jealous

Finally, Apple heard us!

An image by the author.

We finally got the dream iPad update that we had been wanting for ages. The iPad is yet again a step closer to replacing your MacBook, and this time, it’s as real as it can be.

The iPadOS 26 is still in its beta stages and won’t be officially out until September, but you can try it out as early as next month after Apple rolls out the public betas.

I’ve been testing the developer build of this update on my M1 iPad Pro 12.9” for over a week. Do I regret the laggy experience? Yes! But are the new features worth the pain? Double yes!

Here’s everything new in the iPadOS 26 update that makes it feel more like a Mac:

1. Windows Support

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Don’t get misled by the subheading. You cannot install Windows 11 on your iPod. I’m talking about the app windows here, just like you have it on Mac.

Although Stage Manager offered a windowed app experience, there was something still off about it. It felt more like…how do I put it? More like ‘iPadOSy’