Apple’s (AAPL) iPad is getting some major enhancements that should make it a far more useful laptop replacement. Part of the company’s iPadOS 26, which Apple announced during its WWDC 2025 conference on Monday, the improvements include upgraded multitasking capabilities that will allow you to use the iPad more like a Mac and less like an iPhone.
It’s an enormous departure from Apple’s previous strategy, which saw the company hold off on adding too many multitasking features to its iPad line out of fear of cannibalizing its MacBook Air.
The updates include the ability to use windowed versions of apps that you can move and resize just as you would on a Mac. Previously, apps could only be resized in certain instances and and apps snapped to specific areas of the iPad’s screen.
Now, you’ll be able to layer apps on top of each other and have even more of them slightly offscreen to make room for other apps.
Apple also added a new menu bar at the top of the iPad’s screen where you can access options like app-specific commands, similar to the Mac. The company also updated its Files app, so you can navigate your saved documents, videos, and photos more easily. And Apple is finally bringing the Preview app to the iPad for when you need to quickly access a PDF file or photo.
The sweeping changes are all a part of Apple’s iPadOS 26, which includes the company’s new Liquid Glass design language and a number of Apple Intelligence features such as live translation in the Phone, FaceTime, and Messages apps.
Apple’s iPad segment is its smallest business, bringing in $26.6 billion of the company’s $391 billion in total revenue in 2024, down 6% year over year. The iPhone brought in $201.1 billion, while the Mac generated $29.9 billion. The software update, however, could give consumers a bigger reason to choose an iPad over a MacBook Air, helping to goose sales.
Still, the move isn’t exactly a death knell for the Air. A full-size laptop still offers more performance and flexibility than a tablet. And customers looking for more powerful systems will continue to opt for the MacBook Pro.
Email Daniel Howley at [email protected]. Follow him on X/Twitter at @DanielHowley.
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