Apple has announced that iPadOS 26 will introduce much more flexible window-based multitasking to its tablet lineup. But there’s one huge question; why didn’t it happen before?

Stage Manager was introduced late in iPadOS 16 as well as macOS Ventura in 2022 – but it didn’t work well on smaller displays and just wasn’t that good at actually doing the thing it was supposed to. It’s still there “for those who want to group their windows into distinct stages.”

Apple previously tried other multitasking gestures for Slide Over and Split View and while these have persisted, they were never made the most of.

While the iPad is really good for so many things, it’s been held back by its software for many years now. Could this finally be solved?

I guess the problem is that someone at Apple – or many people – don’t want the iPad to ape the Mac’s operating system. But the problem is that most people are pretty used to windows as a way of working since it’s been around for most of the last 50 years. And some of the actions – and now gestures – we’ve seen from the Mac and iPad over the last year or two to handle windows. Well, they date back to 2009’s Windows 7 and its Aero Snap feature.

The iPad’s more freeform resize windows options – previously in Stage Manager – are similar to the Vision Pro. I’m a big fan of Apple’s headset, even if it’s not really a consumer device. And one of the best things about it is the way you can resize windows.

You can now put windows where you want and open more, too. You can flick windows to either side of the screen (that’s properly good) and tile windows, too. And you can use Mac-like window controls to close or minimise windows too. Apps also re-open with the same size windows you had before. Exposé has also come across from macOS – you can quickly see all your open windows spread out, helping you switch between them

And, perhaps most interestingly, there’s now a new menu bar, too., where you can access an app’s commands. Just flick down from the top or move your cursor to the top of the screen if you’re mousing around. And the menu bar can be customised too.

Hopefully the new look and feel can finally draw a line under what has been a rather messy time for multitasking on the iPad. It’s a hugely capable device, sure. And it’s not a Mac, sure. But it still needs to have the features that everyday users expect. Apple seems to have finally admitted that and it’s also brought the Preview app across from the Mac, too.

But there is another request – power up the Files app so it’s a lot more like the Mac’s Finder or Windows File Explorer. OK, so it does have some new features this time around like being able to drag files to apps in the dock. But we need more. Unfortunately, most of us also need to shunt stacks of files around every day.

Why Apple skipped iOS 19 and went straight to iOS 26 – the reason makes so much sense

Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Areas of expertise

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home