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iPadOS 26 is an Absolute Mess
- Thread starter tweaknmod
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Please go on eBay and spend $300 on a used M1 MacBook Air for him to pair with his iPad as he takes on college.
the thread is appropriately titled. I have no idea what you expected posting in it except for people voicing frustration.
Just provide one logical reason why it would make sense to not allow someone to revert back to split screen if the new windowed environment wasn't for them?
You keep saying that iPadOS 18 was restrictive. I cannot think of a more restrictive thing to do than to force people to use windowed mode on an iPad mini just to have two apps side by side.
There is no logical reason for it, particularly when one pops into existing iPadOS 18 settings for multitasking and sees all the various toggles in there now.
Apple should have allowed for folks to continue using iPads as they had been in the past.
I already explained a reason in a previous post. It may not be the logical one you want, but from a software/coding aspect it’s perfectly logical.
Just because you have to do something different does not make it more restrictive. iPadOS26 allows you to do much more with windows than you could with 18.
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Which was what?
From a software coding standpoint, what? It would be hard? Please.
What I am not understanding is why your stance is: I like the new way to multitask, but also, I want the people who have iPad minis and really liked the old to multitask to not have it anymore.
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Where did I say it was hard??? There’s a reason Microsoft had so many issues over the years supporting legacy apps in its kernel.
If you are going with a new paradigm, eliminate the old for long term maintainability.
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Window Modes
I also fail to understand this stance.
Are we all just digging in on our positions to a fault here?
It seems nonsensical to not advocate for everyone to get what they want here.
Explain Samsung Dex then.
How does Samsung offer exactly what I am suggesting Apple do? Have a tablet mode for touch input, and a more advanced windowed mode that also pairs great with a mouse/keyboard/monitor, that you can easily turn on and off.
You make it sound like it's crazy to want both, as if it doesn't already exist in this space.
Come to think of it, I even like that the windowed mode has it's own name: Samsung Dex
It makes it even less confusing for the user. You are now in Dex mode. You are turning off Dex mode and returning to tablet mode. It's so simple. And Apple would make SUCH a slam dunk of a Dex mode if they just swallowed their pride and admitted they were late to the party, that Samsung had a good idea and they now want to replicate it, and make their own version of it.
Neat. What if you just want your tablet to operate like a tablet?
Using your logic: You could do more with an iPhone if you put MacOS on it.
LOL.
It definitely isn't.
I get @achappy 's point about not adding split view capabilities to the Full Scree Apps option in the multitasking settings. I initially thought that it might be the best place to put slide over functionality but I can understand the potential for confusion and it making things more convoluted.
I do still think that getting two apps into split screen mode can be made a little easier for people than it is now in the Windowed Apps mode. Adding targets to the left and right edges of the screen to snap a window to that forces the window to take that half of the screen would be an intuitive solution. Being able to drag an app from the dock to do so would also help.
At a certain point, there’s an inverse correlation between complexity (difficulty) and utility. Multitasking in iPadOS 26 is complicated enough that I find myself using the multitasking features less frequently than I did in 18. So iPadOS 26 has reduced the utility of multitasking for me.
Even if they wont give us the option for splitscreen and slideover, they could even add some optional gestures, as for widgets - “pinned” windows could be pulled from the right outside of the screen replicating slideover, a flick to the right could push a window to half screen right with no padding, i will take anything at this point lol.. and a floating keyboard if anyone is reading! It really does feel like its a push to sell keyboards. Certainly not buying a magic keyboard though, if i wanted a laptop i would have gotten a laptop..
For me split screen/two apps side by side is as easy as it was. Only slide over is gone. Used it since the beginning. But who cares. Way better now.
single app mode is kinda shameful for tablets with m1 m2 m3 processors, such a waste. enforcing the tablets to be useless, forcing the user to adapt to drastic changes. I kinda wish I never spent 900 euros for the damn bigger unwieldy thing six months ago.
sure. just senseless for the os to put brakes on it, since it could easily handle two apps (and a third in slideover 
) in a relatively full mode.. it really should be able and have developers choose to, I absolutely 100% don't get single app mode in a 13 inch tablet. add a switch for users to disable it sure, but omit it altogether?
*shaking my fist to the clouds
) in a relatively full mode.. it really should be able and have developers choose to, I absolutely 100% don't get single app mode in a 13 inch tablet. add a switch for users to disable it sure, but omit it altogether?*shaking my fist to the clouds
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First since I've been using my tablet with touch, I'm not sure what you mean "tablet mode for touch" input. One technically can use any of the modes and never use a "window". One can open and close apps full screen in any of the window modes and use as a "tablet".
Regarding the second part Apple does exactly that. You can put it in Full Screen Mode when using as a table and put in Window/Stage Manager with keyboard. There's even a Shortcut action to turn Stage Manager on/off if you want a faster solution.
I prefer Apple's implementation because it's seamless going from keyboard to touch or combining them when dealing with multitasking. Sometimes I just reach up and do something with my fingers and other times I'll use the trackpad or a keyboard shortcut. But I can easily just plop off the iPad from the MK and continue using the iPad with all my apps, windows and stages as is. It's not somehow switching "modes".
Is this a serious question?
Touch input doesn’t equal tablet. Would you say Windows 11 is a tablet interface then because it supports touch input? With your argument, they could put full blown MacOS on an iPad and you could technically call it a tablet by your definition. Even though it would be clunky and frustrating to operate with your finger, technically you could.
Otherwise what’s the point of being able to turn all of it off and go into single screen mode only, if Apple didn’t realize there’s an audience that wants simple touch controls?
I am willing to entertain some of this argument on the the iPad Pro lineup, because a lot of those users are actually looking to replace their laptop. But on the iPads and especially the minis, which for many are the intermediate device Steve Jobs envisioned, I don’t want to manage windows on a screen that small. Which you have to do if you want split screen.
So the two steps forward, one step back approach. How innovative.
I didn't ask a question.
The goalposts keep moving. First it was SlideOver was removed and if they brought back SlideOver all would be good. Now somehow iPadOS is no longer a touch device or you can't use it as a tablet and now you need multiple modes with one being a "tablet mode".