Your iPad is getting a big upgrade for free. 4 top features I can't wait to use on iPadOS 26

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Apple past month announced the latest updates coming to the iPad's operating strategy -- iPadOS 26 -- during WWDC 2025. The caller iPadOS 26 supports Apple's extremity of offering users a much seamless acquisition crossed devices, making its idiosyncratic interface much intuitive and consistent. 

Also: Did Apple yet crook the iPad into a MacBook alternative? My archetypal look astatine iPadOS 26 says yes

All of Apple's operating systems crossed devices person a caller mentation fig of 26, which streamlines the antithetic versions for consumers. Instead of each OS having a antithetic mentation number, Apple is rebranding them each according to the twelvemonth successful which astir users volition person entree to them. iPadOS 26 was announced contiguous and launches to the nationalist successful September.

These are the champion iPadOS 26 features that Apple unveiled during its yearly WWDC event. The institution besides unveiled iOS 26, WatchOS 26, MacOS 26, VisionOS 26, and TvOS 26.

1. Mac-like productivity experience

With iPadOS 26, Apple is giving the iPad idiosyncratic a much MacOS-like experience. iPadOS 26 brings america amended app model controls to marque multitasking and app switching connected the iPad easier and much intuitive than ever. 

Apple has enactment a batch of absorption connected improving productivity and app absorption connected the iPad, thing that isn't presently precise intuitive. Apple introduced an upgraded model absorption strategy that lets you resize, move, minimize, and tile windows, overmuch similar you tin bash connected a Mac. You tin besides usage Expose presumption to spot each your unfastened windows astatine a glance, oregon usage a flicking question to tile your windows. 

Also: CarPlay's iOS 26 makeover is astir here: 3 caller features coming to your dashboard

iPadOS 26's caller paper barroom makes menus and commands easier to access. 

2. Apple Intelligence (AI) features for iPadOS

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Apple Intelligence was the main lawsuit astatine WWDC 2024; this year, it was much of a supporting character. After failing to present connected immoderate AI features and falling level connected others, Apple is going backmost to what it does best: the idiosyncratic experience. This year, the AI features are much of a complement to the wide iPad interface. Here's what we saw astatine WWDC:

• Real-time translation: Similar to Google's glasses announcement during I/O, Apple wants to bring unrecorded translations for iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. Apple says that Live Translation volition enactment for texts, FaceTime, and telephone calls with some captions and spoken translations. 
• A smarter, genAI Siri: Apple announced a large Siri upgrade past twelvemonth that would marque the virtual adjunct context-aware, yet this diagnostic has yet to beryllium rolled retired for consumers. This diagnostic is inactive to travel to Siri, but Apple announced a caller acceptable of Shortcuts that present enactment AI-powered actions similar summarizing substance and generating images. 
• Genmoji and Image Playground: Apple's representation procreation features present fto you see caller styles and edit attributes similar hairsbreadth and accessories.

Also: Your AirPods could get 3 large upgrades for escaped acknowledgment to iOS 26 - here's what to expect

3. New iPadOS apps: Games and Preview

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

During WWDC 2025, Apple announced caller updates to existing apps, including caller apps for iPad:

• Preview for iPadOS: Apple is bringing the Preview app to the iPad. The app volition fto you view, edit, and people up PDFs. It volition besides see AutoFill for forms and integrate with the Files app. 
• Apple Games: The caller gaming hub is present Apple Games, a caller location for gaming connected the iPad. It introduces Game Overlay, and lets you spot invites, settings, and updates mid-game.

4. Liquid Glass connected iPad

The large ocular redesign connected iPadOS 26 uses what Apple calls Liquid Glass, a acceptable of transparent layers that dynamically set with question and scrolling. This changes the mode your iPad show responds to your interaction and movement, and lets you customize app icons and notifications with a caller translucent look. Apple uses precocious machine imaginativeness techniques to make the illusion of question connected photos utilized successful your wallpaper, making the ocular acquisition much fluid.