iPadOS 26 is an Absolute Mess

[tweaknmod]

I don’t mean bugs. I expect bugs in a beta.

I mean the UX is a hot mess.

The entire multitasking system is now so convoluted and cumbersome that I am truly worried about how on Earth this was approved. I guarantee the people working on these systems did not want them to go live – this reeks of c-suite pushing things live to appease shareholders and stock analysts.

I really hope some on the leadership team are able to steer the ship back to reliability and ease-of-use focused UX.

This is not a “Jobs would never have done this” kind of post. This is a frustration post at how far Apple has strayed from the values which made them one of the top players in tech - those values, and the products they drive were not built my one man.

I think Apple jumped the shark. Time to repair this breaking organization and get back to fundamentals.

Customer experience, reliability, usability, and functionality.

Edit: I’ve asked the mods for the post to be deleted. I don’t know if they will, but I’m done.
Check my replies below if you like. This was a simple vent/rant that’s turned way too ugly for my liking.
Take care.

 

[Digitalguy]

I don’t mean bugs. I expect bugs in a beta.

I mean the UX is a hot mess.

The entire multitasking system is now so convoluted and cumbersome that I am truly worried about how on Earth this was approved. I guarantee the people working on these systems did not want them to go live – this reeks of c-suite pushing things live to appease shareholders and stock analysts.

I really hope some on the leadership team are able to steer the ship back to reliability and ease-of-use focused UX.

This is not a “Jobs would never have done this” kind of post. This is a frustration post at how far Apple has strayed from the values which made them one of the top players in tech - those values, and the products they drive were not built my one man.

I think Apple jumped the shark. Time to repair this breaking organization and get back to fundamentals.

Customer experience, reliability, usability, and functionality.

There are things I don't like in the new windows multitasking system, and many things that I like, but your post is a generic rant with no details about what doesn't work for you. Not very useful unless you are more specific.

 

[Ludatyk]

There are things I don't like in the new windows multitasking system, and many things that I like, but your post is a generic rant with no details about what doesn't work for you. Not very useful unless you are more specific.

What things you don't like?

I don't really see much I don't like... obviously I want things to improve as far as bugs. But not entirely sure things I want anything changed or reverted. I've always wanted Apple to have some form of 'pin' feature that's on Samsung DeX or maybe 'Stay on top' that's on macOS.

Wish Apple had iPadOS adopt macOS notification system as in have it off to the side or perhaps do something different than copy iOS system.

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

There are things I don't like in the new windows multitasking system, and many things that I like, but your post is a generic rant with no details about what doesn't work for you. Not very useful unless you are more specific.

Exactly. iPadOS complainers are so vocal yet provide no or little feedback outside of dual boot. It’s a hybrid device, it’s always gonna have compromises and if you can’t accept that then don’t buy it. For me, the iPad has never been a serious device which is why I don’t spend big money on them and don’t feel bad when it doesn’t do everything my Mac does…just a big phone for me that I sometimes use as a 2nd monitor.

 

[baconcat_8964]

New windowing system and the menu bar shift a bit too far for cursor control, causing confusion to touch controls.

 

[aperfectcircle]

Exactly. iPadOS complainers are so vocal yet provide no or little feedback outside of dual boot. It’s a hybrid device, it’s always gonna have compromises and if you can’t accept that then don’t buy it. For me, the iPad has never been a serious device which is why I don’t spend big money on them and don’t feel bad when it doesn’t do everything my Mac does…just a big phone for me that I sometimes use as a 2nd monitor.

I feel like the majority of these type of posts are from people who’ve just installed the beta and spent the grand total of 5 minutes with it and are just quick reacting to change they haven’t given the chance to adjust to. I think the changes to iPadOS are great now that I’ve had a few weeks of using the betas and getting used to things. If you’d asked me in the first few hours after first installing 26, I would have said I disliked it and it’s clunky.

 

[tweaknmod]

There are things I don't like in the new windows multitasking system, and many things that I like, but your post is a generic rant with no details about what doesn't work for you. Not very useful unless you are more specific.

You’re absolutely right - genuinely.

I was just annoyed and wanted to rant. I should have waited until I had something to add to the conversation.

I’m going to jot down some notes and will reply to you once I have that together.

 

[Slartibart]

I’m going to jot down some notes and will reply to you once I have that together.

and put them in Apple’s Feedback app too. 🤜🤛

 

[mentaluproar]

Dude, I loathe the new iPadOS multitasking. Huge letdown. The windows are ridiculous on this device. It’s harder to swipe back and forth between groups of apps. I used to just snap what I wanted as a split screen view, then swiped over to whatever view I wanted, like in virtual desktops on macOS. It was super simple and fast. Now, I have just larger bulkier windows with big gaps between them that show whatever other app is behind them that I did not want as part of that grouping. They dont have a clean and simple way to just switching between groups of full screen apps in a split screen arrangement. They literally removed a perfectly good feature I used all the time and replaced it with this **** which only kind of works and uses extra steps.

Give me back snap to!

 

[Michael0816]

Dude, I loathe the new iPadOS multitasking. Huge letdown. The windows are ridiculous on this device. It’s harder to swipe back and forth between groups of apps. I used to just snap what I wanted as a split screen view, then swiped over to whatever view I wanted, like in virtual desktops on macOS. It was super simple and fast. Now, I have just larger bulkier windows with big gaps between them that show whatever other app is behind them that I did not want as part of that grouping. They dont have a clean and simple way to just switching between groups of full screen apps in a split screen arrangement. They literally removed a perfectly good feature I used all the time and replaced it with this **** which only kind of works and uses extra steps.

Give me back snap to!

On my iPad Pro I can swipe between split screen apps and fullscreen apps. 🤔

 

[The Game 161]

Macrumours where people will moan regardless

 

[ofarlig]

There are quite a few problems right now with the windowing system, the two most annoying to me are these. Already sent feedback to Apple but I doubt they even read any since they have had bugs that persisted for years that people have reported.

1) Making two apps side-by side now requires more actions than previously. Instead of just pulling the app you wanted on the side you have to first pull the app then resize (or flick) the app you had open to make that one share half the screen. Adding actions to multitasking isn’t great, adding dead space between the apps also wastes screen real estate.

2) Flicking windows to make them full screen or half screen works very well with fingers but very poorly with the touchpad on my magic keyboard. The close to 100% success rate I have with fingers is below 50% with touchpad.

EDIT: Apparently 2) above can be solved by not trying to flick the window with the cursor but barely moving it on the intended direction.

 

[transmaster]

I don’t run beta’s, and I have never understood why someone running a beta copy can complain. Observe problems, yes but complain about problems, isn’t why it is a beta?

 

[TechnoMonk]

Macrumours where people will moan regardless

Free therapy.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I don’t run beta’s, and I have never understood why someone running a beta copy can complain. Observe problems, yes but complain about problems, isn’t why it is a beta?

Esp the one with big changes. It was far worse with ios7 when Apple made huge changes in the UI.

 

[ignatius345]

You’re absolutely right - genuinely.

I was just annoyed and wanted to rant. I should have waited until I had something to add to the conversation.

I’m going to jot down some notes and will reply to you once I have that together.

Better yet: jot down some notes and send feedback to Apple. That's literally the whole point of the beta. Ranting here does nothing.

 

[TheSynchronizer]

This is a frustration post at how far Apple has strayed from the values which made them one of the top players in tech - those values, and the products they drive were not built my one man.

I think Apple jumped the shark. Time to repair this breaking organization and get back to fundamentals.

Customer experience, reliability, usability, and functionality.

Brother.. I mean I see this kind of thing being said all the time, you’re not the only one, but please..

Apple is purely a business. They have always been purely a business - their only real value since inception has been to make as much money as possible, as consistently as possible, in a sustainable, repeatable way.

People need to stop treating corporations like Apple like they’re some living, breathing entity that has any ultimate goals beyond making as much money as possible.

That is what they’re good at doing, that is the companies purpose, and that is what influences any and all of their decisions. And they have proven time and time again that various decisions they make, even when controversial, more often than not lead them to making more profit than the previous year.

 

[tweaknmod]

Better yet: jot down some notes and send feedback to Apple. That's literally the whole point of the beta. Ranting here does nothing.

Oh, I do - I give regular and detailed feedback. As you said, that’s the point of a beta.

A rant here is not intended to change things on Apple’s end, it to engage in conversation (and relieve a little frustration, lol). That’s literally the point of forums.

 

[ignatius345]

Oh, I do - I give regular and detailed feedback. As you said, that’s the point of a beta.

A rant here is not intended to change things on Apple’s end, it to engage in conversation (and receive a little frustration, lol). That’s literally the point of forums.

Fair!

 

[sre.live]

You’re absolutely right - genuinely.

I was just annoyed and wanted to rant. I should have waited until I had something to add to the conversation.

I’m going to jot down some notes and will reply to you once I have that together.

you can post whatever you want any time you want, regardless of what some eagles here would say.

Would love to hear more thoughts on this though. And thanks for sharing.

 

[sre.live]

Apple is purely a business. They have always been purely a business - their only real value since inception has been to make as much money as possible

haha how'd they ever built that place? stupidity of this comment is exceptional.

 

[tweaknmod]

Brother.. I mean I see this kind of thing being said all the time, you’re not the only one, but please..

Apple is purely a business. They have always been purely a business - their only real value since inception has been to make as much money as possible, as consistently as possible, in a sustainable, repeatable way.

People need to stop treating corporations like Apple like they’re some living, breathing entity that has any ultimate goals beyond making as much money as possible.

That is what they’re good at doing, that is the companies purpose, and that is what influences any and all of their decisions. And they have proven time and time again that various decisions they make, even when controversial, more often than not lead them to making more profit than the previous year.

Agreed - to a point.

My comments are related to how they make that money.

Apple products got so popular by adhering to the values mentioned above. They sell more of those products over years, making more money, because people trust that the company keeps those values in mind when developing those products.

By rushing out services or features before they are ready (and I’m not just talking about a beta - the state of these features clearly show they aren’t even ready for that), they are eroding the trust in those values.

If customers see, over time, that Apple no longer has a reputation for “it just works”, then they may look to the competition. If they do that, then Apple’s profits will go down.

I do not think Apple is an entity. Adhering to the values of customer experience, reliability, usability, and functionality was a business decision – one meant to generate a profit.

What I was saying was that I think those values have shifted for more short-term ones. And the new values of faster, flashier, and more bullet listed updates, go directly against those that made them so profitable and successful today.

 

[Ludatyk]

1) Making two apps side-by side now requires more actions than previously. Instead of just pulling the app you wanted on the side you have to first pull the app then resize (or flick) the app you had open to make that one share half the screen. Adding actions to multitasking isn’t great, adding dead space between the apps also wastes screen real estate.

You do not have to resize the app… if an app is in full screen, grab the top area of the app and swipe down it would automatically go into (floating) window mode then do the side-by-side action.

But then again… I do agree. It does take more action than previously did under iPadOS 18. Before you could grab the second app and place it in the far left or right area. However, you gain more actions under iPadOS 26.

 

[tweaknmod]

I feel like the majority of these type of posts are from people who’ve just installed the beta and spent the grand total of 5 minutes with it and are just quick reacting to change they haven’t given the chance to adjust to. I think the changes to iPadOS are great now that I’ve had a few weeks of using the betas and getting used to things. If you’d asked me in the first few hours after first installing 26, I would have said I disliked it and it’s clunky.

Fair point. Admittedly, I haven’t spent much time with it yet. I am frustrated, but will give it a fair shot and see if my perspective changes.

 

[christopherx]

I really like the multi window mode. I've got the iPad Air M2 so not a top of the range/new iPad and I can't believe how well it works. I'm not installing iOS26 on my phone until the public release, so I've been resizing the main apps like mail, photos and music, and it basically shows you how it'll look on mobile.