It has been a year since Apple unveiled iPadOS 26, a major update that promised to transform the iPad into a true productivity powerhouse. As someone who uses the iPad Pro as their full-time computer, I have lived with every beta, every bug, and every new feature. After 365 days, here is where the software has excelled and where it still frustrates.

What iPadOS 26 got right

The biggest change is free-form app windowing. For the first time, you can resize windows arbitrarily rather than being stuck with split-screen or Slide Over. I typically keep certain apps in full-screen mode—like email or a code editor—while others, like Messages or a reference app, sit as compact popovers on the side. This flexibility alone makes multitasking far more natural. It is not quite macOS, but it is close enough for most tasks.

Another underrated feature is the always-on dock. In previous iPadOS versions, the dock would hide unless you swiped up from the bottom. Now, as long as no window covers the bottom edge, you can keep the dock permanently visible. This might sound trivial, but it eliminates the constant need to invoke the dock and then wait for it to appear. Combined with the ability to add more apps and even folders to the dock, it feels like a proper desktop launcher.

The Files app also received a significant overhaul. With iPadOS 26, file management now rivals the Mac in many ways. You can open multiple windows, use columns, preview files with the new Preview app, and drag-and-drop seamlessly. The Preview app itself is a welcome addition, letting you quickly view images, PDFs, and even videos without launching a separate app. It is not as deep as Quick Look on macOS, but it handles the basics well.

Apple also introduced a menu bar in iPadOS 26, which sits at the top of the screen in certain apps. It provides quick access to app-specific controls—like file, edit, and view menus—without cluttering the window itself. I appreciate the idea, but I wish it would behave more like the Mac menu bar, especially supporting keyboard shortcuts and right-click contextual menus. Still, it is a step in the right direction for power users.

On a more personal note, I have been delighted to have Apple Journal on the iPad. While it is not a productivity tool, it has become my go-to for quick note-taking and reflection. The larger screen makes journaling more enjoyable than on iPhone, and the app integrates nicely with the rest of the ecosystem.

Overall, iPadOS 26 finally feels like the software the iPad’s hardware deserves. The M5 iPad Pro with 16 GB of RAM and a 10-core CPU is an absolute beast, and now the OS does not hold it back as much as before.

Where iPadOS still stumbles

Despite the progress, daily use reveals cracks. The most annoying issue is window persistence. Apple advertises that windows should stay where you put them, and most of the time they do. But almost every day—or at least every other—an app will crash or reset to full-screen mode, forcing me to move and resize it again. This happens on the most powerful iPad Apple sells, so it is clearly a software problem. On the Mac, such behaviour is rare; on iPad, it is a constant nuisance.

Slide Over was brought back in iPadOS 26.1 after initially being removed, and I applaud Apple for listening to feedback. But the new implementation is a downgrade from iPadOS 18. You can no longer keep multiple apps in the Slide Over stack. I used to have a few apps—like a calculator, weather, and a notes widget—that I could swipe between. Now you get only one. For a feature that once excelled at quick app switching, this feels like a regression.

Several minor bugs also grate on me. Right-clicking with a trackpad often lags by a second or two, whereas on the Mac it is instant. Resizing windows frequently triggers an accidental window move, and vice versa. In Safari, typing in the address bar sometimes gets disrupted by auto-suggestions that erase characters. And on certain websites, buttons simply do not respond to cursor clicks, forcing me to pull out a Mac to complete tasks. These issues may sound minor, but they add up over a full workday.

It is worth noting that no operating system is perfect. macOS itself has its own share of bugs, as evidenced by complaints about macOS Tahoe. But the frequency and consistency of these glitches on iPadOS suggest the OS is not yet as polished as its desktop counterpart.

I could go on, but every user has their own list of grievances. The important thing is that iPadOS 26 has laid a strong foundation. The core framework of free windowing, an always-on dock, and improved file management is exactly what the iPad needed. Now Apple must spend iPadOS 27 on refinement—fixing window persistence, bringing back multi-app Slide Over, and ironing out cursor and keyboard quirks.

Looking ahead, the iPad’s future is uncertain in a world of foldable iPhones and touchscreen Macs. But based on iPadOS 26’s trajectory, Apple is clearly investing in the iPad as a serious computing platform. I am excited to see what iPadOS 27 brings.

What are your highs and lows with iPadOS 26? What features do you want in iPadOS 27? Let us know in the comments.

Best iPad accessories

• AirPods Pro 3
• 100W USB-C fast charging power adapter
• tomtoc Tablet sleeve bag for protection and style
• Baseus 10ft USB-C cable for extended reach
• Apple Pencil Pro

Source: 9to5Mac News