Apple wrapped the WWDC 2025, its annual developer convention. The corporate has introduced large adjustments coming to all its main platforms, together with the brand new liquid design interfaces.
Whereas iOS 26 obtained blended opinions, iPadOS lastly has helpful characteristic additions after so a few years, bridging the hole between iPadOS and macOS.
In case you are unaware, Apple now features a matching yr prefix for all of its model updates, and this yr’s replace may have a 26 matching the 2026 yr.
iPadOS 26 is already out there as a developer beta, and it’s coming to older iPads. In the event you personal an iPad and are questioning whether or not your gadget helps the most recent iPadOS 26, right here is the official assist checklist.
iPadOS 26 official assist checklist
iPad Customary Mannequin
- iPad eleventh era
- iPad tenth era
- iPad ninth era
- iPad eighth era
iPad Air
- iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M3)
- iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
- iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
- iPad Air fifth era (M1)
- iPad Air 4th era (A14)
- iPad Air third era (A12)
iPad mini
- iPad mini seventh era (A17)
- iPad mini sixth era (A15)
- iPad mini fifth era (A12)
iPad Professional
- iPad Professional 11-inch (M4)
- iPad Professional 11-inch 4th era (M2)
- iPad Professional 11-inch third era (M1)
- iPad Professional 11-inch 2nd era (A12Z)
- iPad Professional 11-inch 1st era (A12X)
- iPad Professional 13-inch (M4)
- iPad Professional 12.9-inch sixth era (M2)
- iPad Professional 12.9-inch fifth era (M1)
iPadOS 26 anticipated rollout timeline
|
Date
|
iPadOS 18 (2024) Timeline
|
iPadOS 26 (2025, Anticipated) Timeline
|
|---|---|---|
|
June 10/11
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Introduced, Dev Beta 1 launched
|
Introduced, Dev Beta 1 launched
|
|
June 24
|
Developer Beta 2
|
No data
|
|
July 8
|
Developer Beta 3
|
No data
|
|
July 15
|
Public Beta 1
|
Public Beta 1 (round July 15)
|
|
Late July–August
|
Extra Dev & Public Betas
|
Extra Public Betas
|
|
Early September
|
Launch Candidate (remaining beta)
|
Anticipated Closing Beta
|
|
September
|
Official public launch
|
Anticipated public launch (Sept 16-25)
|
Tips on how to set up iPadOS 26 in your iPad
In case your iPad is within the assist checklist, you may set up the developer beta in your iPad. Nonetheless, since it’s a developer beta, the expertise is tremendous buggy, and I’d advocate not putting in it in case your iPad is your main gadget.
In the event you want to proceed and get entry to the most recent options, you may set up the replace by going to Settings > Normal Settings > Software program Replace > Beta Replace and choose iPadOS 26 Developer Preview. The replace is about 10 GB in dimension.
High 5 options coming to iPadOS 26
Liquid Glass Design
Apple has introduced a brand new Liquid Glass Design that overhauls the complete person interface for all main platforms.
Whereas it obtained blended opinions on iPhone, after spending a while with this new design on iPad Professional, it feels nice on iPad.
In contrast to iOS, iPadOS may be very buggy and never as fluid as iOS 26. However you get a whole design revamp with glass and clear design all through the OS. The Management Centre feels so much higher on iPad in comparison with iOS 26; the animations will not be as fluid as iOS, however since it’s a developer beta, we anticipate issues to get higher within the close to future. There are new icons, and Apple system apps get a whole revamp. General, the brand new design felt so much higher in comparison with iOS 26.
Higher multitasking assist on iPad
Lastly, after years, Apple has lastly introduced windowing to iPadOS.
Now as an alternative of opening 4 home windows, you may place limitless variety of home windows on the iPad display with none limitations and every window could be resizable, has its personal capabilities akin to reduce, resize, shut and extra capabilities much like macOS, and in addition will get menu bar and talent so as to add and handle folders to dock, nearly replicating the macOS expertise.
Run background duties
One other limitation that iPads had for years, regardless of having the identical efficiency as Macs, is the limitation on background duties.
Whilst you can technically run background duties with the Stage Supervisor on iPad, it’s nonetheless restricted.
However Apple eliminated this background job limitation in iPadOS 26, which means that now apps can run within the background with out crashing.
So now you may add recordsdata whereas the app is within the background, export movies in case you are utilizing a video modifying software program and extra. You can too preserve monitor of this background course of within the Stay Actions which are additionally coming to iPadOS this yr.
Preview is coming to iPadOS
Apple is bringing the favored and most beloved Preview characteristic to iPadOS and iOS 26, which now enables you to make edits to the recordsdata immediately and save them in any format you need. It’s now out there as a devoted app on iPad.
3D math notes, Journal, and all-new Video games app for iPadOS
Together with the core OS adjustments, Apple can also be bringing the Journal app with Apple assist to iPadOS 26, letting you lastly save your ideas utilizing Apple Pencil.
Math notes within the Notes app are getting assist for 3D objects, which you’ll be able to visualize 3D graphs and objects natively contained in the writing interface and work together with them.
And eventually, a devoted Video games app that will help you handle and uncover all of your put in video games, join with your mates, and see their progress contained in the app.
These are the 5 largest adjustments coming to iPadOS 26 this yr. That is essentially the most thrilling replace for iPad in a very long time, and it’s really a game-changer to benefit from a big display. There are additionally a number of different updates coming to iPad, and right here is the whole change log.
iPadOS 26 Changelog
- New Liquid Glass Design
- Clear, glass-like look throughout the system and apps
- Up to date Residence Display, Lock Display, Management Heart, and app icons with smoother animations
- Mac-style Windowing System
- Resize, transfer, tile, and shut app home windows freely
- Exposé view to see all open home windows
- New menu bar on the high for instructions and search
- Break up View and Slide Over are eliminated, and windowing replaces them
Apple Intelligence (AI options)
- Stay translation in Messages, FaceTime, and Cellphone
- Create/edit emoji (Genmoji) and pictures (Picture Playground) with AI
- Smarter Shortcuts with new clever actions
Enhanced Recordsdata App
- New checklist view with adjustable columns and collapsible folders
- Customise folders with colours, icons, and emojis
- Drag folders into the Dock
- Select default apps for file sorts
Preview App on iPad
- Annotate PDFs and pictures
- Use Apple Pencil or contact for sketches
- AutoFill assist for kinds
Background Duties & Audio/Video Instruments
- Run lengthy duties within the background with Stay Actions
- Choose audio enter per app/website; voice isolation and echo cancellation for clear recordings
- Native seize enables you to document video calls with top quality
New Apps & Options
- Journal: write, draw, add pictures/audio, view by maps
- Video games: unified app with reside overlays, challenges, leaderboards
App Updates
- Messages: polls, backgrounds, Stay Translation
- Calculator: math handwriting (Math Notes), 3D graphs
- Photographs: Library & Collections tabs, spatial 3D results
Accessibility & Household
- New Braille reader assist
- Improved studying choices and movement cues
- Higher parental and communication controls
