iPadOS 19 Will Be 'More Like macOS' in Three Ways

[MacRumors]

A common complaint about the iPad Pro is that the iPadOS software platform fails to fully take advantage of the device's powerful hardware.

That could soon change.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS."

Gurman said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like a Mac" in three ways:

• Improved productivity
• Improved multitasking
• Improved app window management

"I'm told that this year's upgrade will focus on productivity, multitasking and app window management — with an eye on the device operating more like a Mac," said Gurman, in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. "It's been a long time coming, with iPad power users pleading with Apple to make the tablet more powerful."

Gurman did not provide any specific details.

iPadOS 19 will be announced alongside iOS 19, macOS 16, and other software updates during the WWDC 2025 keynote on Monday, June 9.

Article Link: iPadOS 19 Will Be 'More Like macOS' in Three Ways

 

[Kylo83]

So more stage manager, at this rate just let us use macOS

 

[sracer]

The one "more like macOS" upgrade I'm waiting for is a universally accessible filesystem. The Files.app (which is essentially Apple's version of Documents by Readdle) doesn't cut it for me. But I realize that for most people the Files.apps is just fine.

 

[iToph]

Give us 120hz on external displays and the possibility to turn off display while on external. Thanks

 

[Edsel]

IPadOS needs to mimic MacOS.

 

[applefan8254]

Could we get multiple users please? Thank you

 

[pugxiwawa]

Why not just enable MacOS instead of spending all these men hours and resources to make it look like partial MacOS? Doesn't make any sense.

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

iPad Pros should use MAC OS and iPhone Pros should use iPad OS
😏

 

[SamRyouji]

I don't want it to be "more like macOS". I want macOS in it. Make it at least dual boot. Or this: when I snap the keyboard, it's macOS; when I took off the keyboard, it's iPadOS.

 

[Johnny Steps]

Why not just enable MacOS instead of spending all these men hours and resources to make it look like partial MacOS? Doesn't make any sense.

I feel like they have to have that feature ready as a last resort if sales on iPad’s start to fall significantly.

 

[idahoidahoidaho]

MacOS (lightly optimized) should be a $99 annual fee on iPad. Or $299 lifetime. That should give Apple the money to make the team for optimizing this. MacOS on iPad would shift a lot of folks away from Mac. Just make it a tad more expensive, which it would deserve to be at that point, and we can make a deal. I would hope just 3-4 touch optimizations would come from it.

 

[Flamingdeathbolts]

If the iPadOS is like my MacOS I will be running to the store to get an iPad Pro

 

[Falhófnir]

Perhaps it's time to fork off the higher end iPads into an 'iBook' lineup? They're already designed to be mostly used docked, or at least the value proposition without the keyboard dock is quite questionable. That way they could make a version of iPadOS that more closely resembles macOS, with a few tweaks to make it more touch friendly. The basic iPad could continue to run a more classic iPadOS without the extra overhead needed to support the extra features.

 

[toto75]

Why not just enable MacOS instead of spending all these men hours and resources to make it look like partial MacOS? Doesn't make any sense.

Wouldn’t be very pleasant to use the Mac OS interface with fingers

 

[kirbyrun]

"I'm told that this year's upgrade will focus on productivity, multitasking and app window management

That's vague!

 

[artifex]

The one "more like macOS" upgrade I'm waiting for is a universally accessible filesystem. The Files.app (which is essentially Apple's version of Documents by Readdle) doesn't cut it for me. But I realize that for most people the Files.apps is just fine.

That accessibility needs to include the ability to plug it into a desktop or laptop, unlock the iPad appropriately, and then present (almost) the full directory structure so you can backup and add individual user files. Something even the cheapest Android devices have been able to do since the beginning.

 

[MayaUser]

Another news
"According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman though, Apple is developing “its own glasses with cameras and microphones” in the meanwhile, similar to Meta Ray-Bans. Despite this interim product, AR glasses are Tim Cook’s “top priority.”"

 

[arkmannj]

I’ve used MacOS on touch screens and it’s pretty good, especially since I still use a physical keyboard with it. My iPad pro would get used so much more if it had MacOS on it. Time to make use of those M class processors

 

[Rogifan]

Federico Viticci doing the happy dance.

 

[AlexESP]

That scares me a bit. iPadOS is great precisely because it’s not a desktop OS. It’s built from the ground up for a touch interface, where concepts such as windows don’t work well. All attempts to go against that (stage manager, trackpad support, etc.) haven’t been successful. The iPad doesn’t need to be like macOS to keep evolving, it just needs more iPad-like experiences — it already excels at many professional use cases like 3D modelling, art, in the medical field…

 

[SUGAR RAY WONKA]

Wouldn’t be very pleasant to use the Mac OS interface with fingers

It’s absolutely fine, you’d be surprised.

I use Splashtop on my iPhone or iPad to use and control my Mac remotely from inside my network and via Tailscale can do this from outside my network too.

It feels pretty natural - navigation is def a bit cramped on the iPhone due to small screen but it is usable in a pinch - but the 12.9 inch iPad Pro is fine, the screen size isn’t that much smaller than my 14 inch MacBook Pro’s display.

 

[Rogifan]

Why not just enable MacOS instead of spending all these men hours and resources to make it look like partial MacOS? Doesn't make any sense.

Because there are enough people who are buying an iPad and a Mac. Allowing iPad to boot into MacOS would cannibalize Mac sales.

 

[attohs]

Get rid of Files and Stage Manager and port Finder to the iPad Pro.

 

[Nismo73]

Have videos playing in separate windows opened capability?

 

[chucker23n1]

So, there's almost zero substance here.

"Improved productivity" means nothing without elaborating. "Improved multitasking" is a form of productivity. And finally, "Improved app window management" is… probably just the same thing as multitasking.

Good to hear they're doing stuff. What are they doing? Who knows! Guess we'll find out more next week as we're in for "Mark Gurman plays another round of 'MacRumors needs traffic'".