Ever Trend Zone When Apple finished the iPados 26 section of WWDC, I was in awe. It felt like all my kids were growing up. They added almost every feature I’ve ever wanted on my iPad and iPads. They made the iPad feel brand new with a simple OS update and finally made it feel like a Mac! Here are some of the best features that make your iPad feel truly like a Mac.
Make sure to see the features that make your iPados 26 comprehensively practice, make it work and feel like a Mac.
New window system
This should be the headliner for your iPads 26. They brought the best part of window-being and window management from MacOS, but still, whatever it manages, it just feels like it’s not ported. I still feel it belongs to the iPad alone. Now you have:
- MacOS-style signal control
- Full control of windows and sizes
- Tile options when working with multiple apps
- The ability to open 12 windows at a time
- There is still the ability to use normal mode or stage manager (but don’t use stage manager again)
- External monitor support (for iPad with M)
- New Task/Menu Bar
All of this made the iPads look instantly more like a computer than before. One thing to note is that the slideover is completely gone and the splitview is still there, but that looks a bit different. As someone who slides in a fair amount, I’m happy to make that trade-off.
File app is revamped
I’ve always mentioned that the file app on iOS and iPads is a bit weird and unstable. There’s very little that the Finder app can do, but something was still missing and I couldn’t pinpoint what was off. Apple has completely changed it with this new file app. Some improvements include:
- You can pin files to the dock (GameChanger)
- Customize file folders with colors and emojis
- Background download management
- Resizing a Custom Column
- More information data
The best feature for me is that I can pin my iCloud desktop folder to the dock. Now I have access to all the important files on the iPad dock. I didn’t expect to see that day!
External audio input control
You can’t tell the number of times you want to connect your Shure MV7 to your iPad or iPhone and cross your fingers to expect it to be recognized. Unless you use a third-party app, there was no way to check if the iPad made the external microphone the default microphone input method. Well, Apple changed that. Plug in your microphone physically or wirelessly to make it the default input method through the Control Center.
New cursor
This may be overlooked, but the new cursor/pointer is actually a big deal for this experience. When Apple first allowed trackpads and mouse to be used on iPads, it didn’t want it to be a regular cursor that’s much closer to traditional point-and-click type MacOS cursors. But it’s still a little more rounded and is different enough where it doesn’t feel like a desktop cursor. However, this will make your touch targets more confident and accurate. I think it’s amazing! It also offers all the customizations and controls, including pointer color, size, outline thickness, and even adding system tactile sensation to the trackpad.
Final Thoughts
For years, I have always believed that software will catch up with great hardware, so I have forced my iPad to use as a computer replacement. However, I couldn’t recommend it to anyone via my MacBook Air. But now this is the closest thing the iPad felt like a proper laptop replacement, and honestly, I’m here for it. The setup feels cleaner, more capable and intentional than ever.
If you are already using an iPados 26, please let me know how you are using it. And if you’re still waiting for a public beta, trust me. It’s worth the wait.
Favorite iPad accessories
(TagStoTRASSLATE) iPados 26
