iPadOS 26 to Bring These Mac-Like Features to Your iPad

[RLRabb]

I thought automatically show and hide the dock wasn’t new. Also, I don’t see it anywhere in multitasking and gestures.

Show and hide Dock is already an option if you enable Stage Manager. I suspect on iPad OS 26 you have to enable one of the windowing modes to get the option to appear.

 

[SFjohn]

I hope I can turn all that new stuff off. My iPad m4 11” is my most used  device & I like the interface as it is in iOS 18.6.2. My MacBook m2 Pro is great for what it is, but it’s one of my least used  devices… 🤞🏻

 

[Astuces iOS]

I think Chromebooks will live on, even though I prefer using an iPad.

My kids tried using both an iPad and a Chromebook for school work. Their school entirely uses Google Docs, and the Chromebook was by far easier to use. All of the Google Apps are available on the iPad, but they weren't as fully featured as accessing them through the web on the Chromebook.

However, I'm looking forward to iPadOS 26 as I've been using an iPad as my only home computing device, and this update is going to make that a lot easier.

You can use Google Docs on web on iPad too here is a screenshot

Chromebooks are dead now !

 

[Astuces iOS]

Until Apple has an educational suite equivalent to Google's, Chromebooks aren't going anywhere. Even then, they aren't.

Local schools here are paying $350 for their touchscreen Chromebooks, which includes a keyboard and touch pad, and a per-student license for Google's education suite. The keyboard rolls all the back to become a tablet. Apple has nothing in that league.

Edit: Oh yea, they can generally fix them on site, and keep new screens, keyboard, individual keys and such on hand.

Well yes you will find Chromebook cheaper but those really sucks, I have some friends who have one and just by looking the screen it’s terrible…

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Well yes you will find Chromebook cheaper but those really sucks, I have some friends who have one and just by looking the screen it’s terrible…

Schools don't buy Chromebooks based on the quality of the screens, the buy them based on price, durability, repairability and ecosystem.

...and it's not a Chromebook, but my parents use a Asus Chromebox hooked to a 24in monitor. It can have multiple accounts, so both parents can (and do) use their own accounts, and it doesn't have a touch screen, which they can't stand. They have no use for a full Mac.

 

[Oberhorst]

Still no user profiles. Goodness Apple…

 

[subjonas]

not software related but i wish they would keep the usbc port but add the mac magsafe power connector on ipads…at least higher models.

it’s very convenient, more efficient than qi charging (which ipad doesn't have anyway) and saves wear and tear on the single usbc port. my usbc port still works but is definitely looser than it used to be regardless of how careful i am.

Well there is the Smart Connector on the back you can charge with if you have a Magic Keyboard. It's a kind of Magsafe connector, except probably lower-powered than the MacBook Magsafe, but also can transmit some data, and the magnets are around the edge of the entire backside of the iPad instead of on the Connector itself. Perhaps Apple could make a back case with a Smart Connector for those who want to use iPad without a keyboard but want to charge via Smart Connector.

 

[citysnaps]

I hope I can turn all that new stuff off. My iPad m4 11” is my most used  device & I like the interface as it is in iOS 18.6.2. My MacBook m2 Pro is great for what it is, but it’s one of my least used  devices… 🤞🏻

Same here. I have an M4 11" iPad. And a M4 13" MBA. They both serve different purposes.

Combining MacOS into iPadOS is not something that interests me.

 

[c.o.d.]

Is there any Font Manager added to the iPadOS26 or we still need to jump through some loops with external apps ?

 

[WarmWinterHat]

You can use Google Docs on web on iPad too here is a screenshot View attachment 2542924

Chromebooks are dead now !

They're not dead. Not even hurt.

Show an iPad, with an attached keyboard/trackpad, for anything near for $250-$350 that schools pay for Chromebooks...and at least Chromebooks can have multiple user accounts on the same device.

Oh yea, you can plug in a USB device and charge, at the same time, without an adapter. Revolutionary.

 

[Astuces iOS]

They're not dead. Not even hurt.

Show an iPad, with an attached keyboard/trackpad, for anything near for $250-$350 that schools pay for Chromebooks...and at least Chromebooks can have multiple user accounts on the same device.

Oh yea, you can plug in a USB device and charge, at the same time, without an adapter. Revolutionary.

Revolution is on the iPad Air + Magic Keyboard too with the usb-c port on the keyboard

For the price I understand… Tho you can always get the educational price and it’s a very good deal, definitely worth it at 100% My eyes cannot stand on entry Chromebooks

 

[Astuces iOS]

Schools don't buy Chromebooks based on the quality of the screens, the buy them based on price, durability, repairability and ecosystem.

...and it's not a Chromebook, but my parents use a Asus Chromebox hooked to a 24in monitor. It can have multiple accounts, so both parents can (and do) use their own accounts, and it doesn't have a touch screen, which they can't stand. They have no use for a full Mac.

If you pay for an iPad with a better screen, then the experience is better making the user happier and having better grades in school…

For your parents Mac mini is a very good deal too or wait for the cheap MacBook !

 

[Redlegs20]

Plenty of reasons, and I'm not a gamer: It's missing a ton of apps, you need a keyboard/trackpad or mouse to make it useful, it lacks ports, it doesn't have a terminal, it's locked down to Apple's App Store, you can't get Firefox with extensions, they can work entirely offline, multiple user accounts on the same device (my family shares non-phone devices at home). I could go on and on.

What is "both worlds"? I can't see any advantages, and have bought and eventually sold four iPads because I could never find a use for them.

Oh yea, the iOS/iPadOS 26 liquid glass layout is terrible.

Welp… I have a Magic Keyboard and a cheap Logitech mouse. It works perfectly and even better if I hook up my iPad to an external monitor. There’s not a single app I’m missing, I don’t need more than the “locked down” Apple Store, I am more than happy with Safari, I don’t want any of my kids touching my devices. I could go on and on.

The advantage is that I have an awesome tablet, but also a very powerful computer. (M4 iPad Pro) A device to read/study/draw… but also a device I can edit 4K video with, make graphics AND edit podcast recordings.

Oh yea, the iOS/iPadOS 26 layout ain’t bad either.