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With iPadOS 27, I would like to see…

Apple_Robert

Apple_Robert

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Original poster
As the OS update clock starts for the consumer release, I thought it might be fun to see what is on the wish list (read: reasonable expection) for iPadOS 27.

Last night while using my 13” M5 iPad Pro while watching t.v., I thought to myself, ‘it really would be nice to have…
1) The iPhone Mirror feature added for the iPad
2) Ability to pair and or update your Apple Watch using the iPad
3) Ability to use the Apple Pencil to swipe up and unlock the iPad
4) Ability to set specific battery charging percentage

What would you like to see?
 
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ZebraDude said:
Multiple user capability (Android handsets have had this for awhile)
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Maybe something for a guest user... to allow them to use the device for a moment, but for multiple users don't see this happening in the near future. Think this is more of a business decision... iPads are more inexpensive compared to Macs and perceptually more personally.

And @Kal Madda did a comprehensive post in the iOS 27 Wishlist regarding what they would like to see on the iPad.
iPadOS 27:

  • Some improvements to extended display support such as clamshell mode (I don’t really care about this, but others do, so I’m including it), Control Center displayed on extended display when clicked on the extended display, and ability to save customized wallpaper and widget configurations for extended displays.
  • Improved Apple Intelligence features with deeper system integration and more Siri Shortcuts actions and automations.
  • Multiple user accounts/ guest mode. I also don’t personally care much about this, but it’s an often requested feature, and could be useful for those who wish to provide curated access to their devices for children and such with a combo of age appropriate apps and restrictions.
  • Manual eject option for external storage drives in Files. This would give some users greater peace of mind when disconnecting storage drives from the iPad. And it could also potentially allow for dynamic caching between the drive and the computer to enhance performance.
  • Continued enhancements and iteration for the Liquid Glass UI, perhaps with additional theming options.
  • Automatic or manual controller mapping for games that don’t currently support controllers. Essentially either automatically mapping on-screen controls to physical gamepads, and/or providing a manual system for users to map such controls. This would be a big improvement for gaming with an extend display.
  • Better keyboard shortcut customization for the system and for third-party app functions. Since the new Siri will likely be able to access individual features within apps at some point, this could be tied to that functionality, providing full keyboard shortcut customization for triggering app functions. But aside from that, just a unified system for customization of app keyboard shortcuts that apps could tap into would be good. 👍🏻
  • Font Book app. Or at least the functionality of Font Book within the Settings app. Good alternatives like iFont do exist, but a better first-party font installation system that allows simple downloading of fonts from the web would be better. And also Font Book’s font categorization and organization functionality would be great for creatives using the iPad. 👍🏻
  • Enhanced Spotlight features including system clipboard. But DO NOT replace App Library with the Spotlight Apps page from macOS, that would be a major regression.
  • Instead, provide more manual customization options for App Library, with different views for it that can be set as default, and bring that new App Library system to macOS 27 as well to REPLACE the dumb Spotlight Apps page where a search bar isn’t easily identifiable as a search bar, and categories are basically useless because none of the apps in the categories are visible without opening them, so they’re a guessing game…
  • Sidecar and Universal Control type features between iPads. Use one iPad as a second display for another iPad. And allow users to use the cursor on their iPad Magic Keyboard Case to adjust something on their nearby iPhone as well, such as music playback and such.
  • AirPlay Receiver that works between iPhone and iPad. So a user could AirPlay from an iPhone to an iPad’s larger display.
  • iPhone Mirroring.
  • Continuity Camera between iPhone and iPad.
  • Greater unification of the app ecosystem (not really an iPadOS 27 item in particular, but a broader developer facing initiative).
  • Added permissions in Privacy & Security settings to allow third-party apps access to on-screen content, like the Screen & System Audio Recording permission on macOS.
  • Possibly support for alternative browser engines if it can be done while still maintaining security and privacy.
Click to expand...

For me... it's simple. Simultaneously audio stream. This feature has been rumored for the past 2 to 3 years and haven't arrived yet. And I understand it's going to be tricky... having multiple apps playing in the background, maybe that's the reason why Apple hasn't released it.
 
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For iPadOS 27 I wholeheartedly like to see… Apple adding back iPadOS 18 multitasking, even if it’s just replacing the current “one window” mode. Or, said in a different way, adding the Split View we all know -and maybe the slide over mode- back to the “one window” mode.

That way we could switch between the more reliable iPadOS 18 split screen multitasking system when just using the iPad, and the new multi-windowing mode for those moments we “dock” our iPad, connect it to an external display, and attach our trackpad and keyboard.

Because I like the direction the new windowed multitasking is getting, but when I’m just using my fingers, on an 11” display, I honestly miss the previous multitasking system.

I already know someone is going to tell me that “iPadOS 26 already does that” but I’m not going to argue, again, why is not the same.

Now that Apple has brought back Slide Over -in a weird way- and Safari’s compact tab view, one can dream this is next…

EDIT: Other additions that you might agree with:

- Better, more granular “open with” to be able to choose which app opens which file type. E.g. when I click on an .mkv file, I want it to be opened with VLC player. Right now, in order to open PDFs in Noteful first I have to click on them, open them in Preview, then share -> Noteful.

- Definitely a more customizable keyboard shortcuts, and display them on the menu bar. I would also encourage developers to use such menu…

- Customizable App Library categories (for both iOS and iPadOS.. and macOS, why not?)
 
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My main wish is for improved optimization when handwriting with a stylus in the stock apps. Notes is still usable, albeit with some lag, if you have a long note. But Journal is so utterly broken when handwriting beyond any trivial length in the OS 26 version that it's genuinely one of the worst pieces of software I've ever had the displeasure of using.
 
Multiple audio streams. Disable it if you are in “basic” iPad mode for casual users, but I’m on my iPad right now working in stage manager, with a YouTube video playing in PIP. If I move my mouse cursor over a video in Safari in google results (not even hover - literally drag the cursor over it for a millisecond) the PIP video pauses because the audio source changes to the new video (That isn’t even going to play audio!)

Also sometimes you just want to play a random video clip on social media without stopping your podcast/music/etc in the background. This was fine on the iPhone, but just feels super archaic when using a 13” M5 iPad Pro swapping between 5 different apps. Plus they could make it user configurable to go back to the old way if they don’t like it.

That and adding back Split View to the “basic” iPad mode. I love the new multitasking especially with stage manager when I have a keyboard/trackpad…but this is an iPad - sometimes I use it as a tablet. And those times I don’t want to have to futz about with resizing windows - just drag one app here and one app there.
 
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In no particular order:

1. The return of Split View + Slide Over, as it worked in iPadOS 18. Perhaps with the ability to have three apps in Split View, rather than than two.
2. The ability to completely disable the menu bar and traffic lights. The menu bar is not useful; it mainly gets in the way of viewing notifications.
3. Multiple audio streams.
4. Largely remove or mitigate the impact of the “Preview” app. This app is largely unhelpful, and its workflows are slower than what existed in iPadOS 18.
5. iPhone screen mirroring.
 
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I will say, broadly speaking, now that Alan Dye is gone, I hope that Apple can go back to making the iPad easy to use again. I love my iPad, but, my gosh, iPadOS is the most difficult to use consumer operating system I’ve used on any platform in a very long time. User friendliness is NOT a strength of this platform.
 
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jclardy said:
Multiple audio streams. Disable it if you are in “basic” iPad mode for casual users, but I’m on my iPad right now working in stage manager, with a YouTube video playing in PIP. If I move my mouse cursor over a video in Safari in google results (not even hover - literally drag the cursor over it for a millisecond) the PIP video pauses because the audio source changes to the new video (That isn’t even going to play audio!)

Also sometimes you just want to play a random video clip on social media without stopping your podcast/music/etc in the background. This was fine on the iPhone, but just feels super archaic when using a 13” M5 iPad Pro swapping between 5 different apps. Plus they could make it user configurable to go back to the old way if they don’t like it.
Click to expand...

YES -- THIS 👆

I have no idea how this doesn't drive Apple employees INSANE when using their own iPads.
 
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TigerMSTR said:
I will say, broadly speaking, now that Alan Dye is gone, I hope that Apple can go back to making the iPad easy to use again. I love my iPad, but, my gosh, iPadOS is the most difficult to use consumer operating system I’ve used on any platform in a very long time. User friendliness is NOT a strength of this platform.
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iPadOS is like iOS if you don’t much with the settings it’s similar to previous operating system versions and still iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 is still easy to use.
 
TigerMSTR said:
iOS 26 isn’t particularly user friendly either… All of Apple’s operating systems are a bit of a mess nowadays.
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iPadOS 26 is at least as user friendly as iPadOS 18. iOS 26 is at least as user friendly as iOS 18, which is at least as user friendly as iOS 17 and so on and so forth.

In my own view all of apples operating systems are NOT a bit of a mess nowadays.

Of course YMMV.
 
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I7guy said:
iPadOS 26 is at least as user friendly as iPadOS 18. iOS 26 is at least as user friendly as iOS 18, which is at least as user friendly as iOS 17 and so on and so forth.

In my own view all of apples operating systems are NOT a bit of a mess nowadays.

Of course YMMV.
Click to expand...
I don’t know about that. When I watch clips of older versions of iOS and iPadOS, the biggest thing that sticks out to me was how much faster those operating systems were to navigate, and how much easier it was to perform basic manipulations of the operating systems. Whereas with iPadOS 26 and iOS 26, even as an expert user, I find myself scratching my head on how to perform basic system manipulations.

Broadly speaking, it feels like it takes a lot more steps to do things in these operating systems now. And I’m not certain that it’s for much benefit, since the things I use these devices for hasn’t changed at all since iOS 15 or whatever.

Basically, it feels like the complexity of iOS and iPadOS user experience has scaled a lot faster than their capabilities.
 
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TigerMSTR said:
I don’t know about that. When I watch clips of older versions of iOS and iPadOS, the biggest thing that sticks out to me was how much faster those operating systems were to navigate, and how much easier it was to perform basic manipulations of the operating systems. Whereas with iPadOS 26 and iOS 26, even as an expert user, I find myself scratching my head on how to perform basic system manipulations.

Broadly speaking, it feels like it takes a lot more steps to do things in these operating systems now. And I’m not certain that it’s for much benefit, since the things I use these devices for hasn’t changed at all since iOS 15 or whatever.

Basically, it feels like the complexity of iOS and iPadOS user experience has scaled a lot faster than their capabilities.
Click to expand...
I have both iPadOS 18 and iPadOS 26. I do not agree there is an issue with basic system manipulations, whatever they are.

Agreed the complexity of iOS 26, is in the software not in the usage. I can’t figure out what makes iOS 26 complex to use.
 
I7guy said:
I have both iPadOS 18 and iPadOS 26. I do not agree there is an issue with basic system manipulations, whatever they are.

Agreed the complexity of iOS 26, is in the software not in the usage. I can’t figure out what makes iOS 26 complex to use.
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It’s very difficult to articulate, because it’s hundreds of interactions scattered across the system that don’t work as expected.

It’s the way the operating system is overloaded with conflicting gestures.

Or how basic functions are buried deep in menus with opaque gestures.

How buggy the operating system is generally.

How difficult it is to do basic multitasking manipulations, such as swapping the position of two apps in Split View.

Someone at Apple needs to go through the operating system and catalogue all of these broken interactions. But I’m sure it’s hundreds.

At this point I have very little interest in new features on Apple’s platforms. Apple needs to stop adding new features, and focus on fixing the UX and bugs associated with thier exiting features.
 
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TigerMSTR said:
It’s very difficult to articulate, because it’s hundreds of interactions scattered across the system that don’t work as expected.

It’s the way the operating system is overloaded with conflicting gestures.

Or how basic functions are buried deep in menus with opaque gestures.

How buggy the operating system is generally.

How difficult it is to do basic multitasking manipulations, such as swapping the position of two apps in Split View.

Someone at Apple needs to go through the operating system and catalogue all of these broken interactions. But I’m sure it’s hundreds.

At this point I have very little interest in new features on Apple’s platforms. Apple needs to stop adding new features, and focus on fixing the UX and bugs associated with thier exiting features.
Click to expand...
I cannot relate to the overall general issues you are claiming to have. I just use iPadOS 26 on my IPP M5 and it just works.

I will concede the windowed multitasking mode can use a little spit and polish. As it can be finicky, but I have figured out how to get it to do what I want. But the remainder of the interactions are just fine for me.

And I may add work fine for my wife on the IPP M1.
 
I would like to see a set of options for the keyboard appearance. I liked the old appearance better. There's plenty of room for "Caps Lock" "Shift" "Return" etc. Let each user decide!
 
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Apple should make the menu bar take up less space. It’s mostly useless, but it’s always at the top of the screen, interfering with my ability to view Notification Centre or to move around windows.

I suggest bringing back the three dot button that used to be in the centre of windows, and putting the menu options in there. They can also put the window control options in there as well and get rid of the traffic lights 🚥.
 
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