The iPad is a computer! When Apple added window management to the iPad, MacBooks started coughing suspiciously. iPadOS 26 is more than just an upgrade – it's the final recognition that a tablet can go to work and become a computer.
If he was iPad so far a kind of digital bohemian – always ready to sketch, scrolling through Pinterest and the occasional video call with grandma – has finally graduated from productivity with iPadOS 26. Apple has given it windows. Real windows. The iPad is a computer! With drag-and-drop corners, minimizing, tiling, and even a kind of Exposé that is no longer exclusive to the MacBook.
Yes, the iPad can now multitask. So much so that it's a little scary.
More than just windows: it's an entire ecosystem for adults – the iPad is a computer
Drama-free windowing
The new window management scheme is fluid, natural and – you won’t believe it – even pleasant to the touch. Drag to a corner to resize, click to minimize, push to the edge to snap. If it sounds like something from Windows 11… yes, it does to me too. Except here everything works with that Apple fluidity that could be bottled.
Windows remember their positions. You can have an unlimited number of them. You can summon them with a swipe-up gesture like some kind of digital wizard. And the best part? You can look at your home screen without everything falling apart. Apple has finally found the balance between zen and productivity.
Finder with Botox – iPad is a Computer
The redesigned Files app is now a real reason to say “I work on iPad.” Column view? Here. Metadata? Folders? Color-coded folders and emoji? Everything. Apple Intelligence even understands your “where’s that excel spreadsheet with prices from April” and finds it for you.
If the Finder on the Mac knew what was coming, it would go on vacation.
Creators, get your microphones ready.
iPadOS 26 has probably quietly heard all those podcasters and video creators who have been trying to record with iPad for years. Now you can choose which microphone to use – per app. Recording a podcast? Use the right microphone. Going on a Zoom call? Let the microphone filter out sound with voice isolation. Recording TikTok? AirPods are now better than half the USB microphones.
And yes – recording during video calls with audio recorded separately. Good morning, Zoom episodes without echo.
A touch that can also think
iPad is now more than just a tablet. It's a tablet with artificial intelligence. Apple Intelligence helps you find files, edit text, sketch ideas, and even journal. But no clouds, no tracking—it's all on the device. Poetic and paranoid at the same time. A great combination.
For all but iPad 7
Yes, practically every iPad from the Air 3 on is supported. The Mini is no longer a third-class citizen. We can all get in on the action. Only the 7th generation iPad is left out – because, honestly, it's been with us long enough.
Conclusion: The iPad is mature. And still beautiful.
iPadOS 26 doesn’t just change the interface. iPad is a computer. It changes its identity. Once a minimalist gadget for the couch and creativity, iPad is now ready for the market economy. With new multitasking, file system, recording, and AI, it’s ready for work, serious creation, and—yes, maybe even Excel.
But don't worry – there's still that coolest gadget in the bag.
The iPad is all grown up. It can now work – but it still doesn't wear a tie.
