iPadOS 26
| iPadOS 26 | |
|---|---|
| Version of the iPadOS operating system | |
iPadOS 26 running on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro | |
| Developer | Apple |
| Source model | Closed with open-source components |
| General availability | September 15, 2025 |
| Latest release | 26.3.1 (a)[1] (March 17, 2026) [±] |
| Latest preview | 26.4 RC[2] (23E244)[3] (March 18, 2026) [±] |
| Marketing target | iPads |
| Available in | 42 languages |
List of languages Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional (Hong Kong), Chinese Traditional (Taiwan), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Australia), English (United Kingdom), English (United States), Finnish, French (Canada), French (France), German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Lithuanian, (Latin America), Spanish (Spain), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese | |
| Default user interface | Liquid Glass |
| Preceded by | iPadOS 18 |
| Official website | apple |
| Tagline | Work. Flows. |
| Support status | |
| Supported. Drops support for the iPad (7th generation). | |
| Articles in the series | |
| iOS 26 macOS Tahoe visionOS 26 watchOS 26 tvOS 26 | |
iPadOS 26 is the seventh major release of Apple's iPadOS operating system for the iPad. It was announced on WWDC25 on June 9, 2025, and released on September 15, 2025. The direct successor to iPadOS 18, it was announced alongside iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, and tvOS 26—all of which introduced the "Liquid Glass" design language. Apple advanced the version number to 26 as part of a shift to a year-based versioning convention across its operating systems.[4]
iPadOS 26 only runs on iPads with Apple's Neural Engine. It dropped support for exactly one iPad (7th-generation iPad), becoming the third version to do so and the first since iOS 11. It was the first iPadOS version to drop support for an iPad with a 10.2-inch display.
New features and changes
Design language
iPadOS 26 introduced a new design language, the first since iOS 7, dubbed "Liquid Glass". Many UI elements are more transparent, similar to visionOS.
UI
A new optional windowing system replaced the Split View and Slide Over introduced in iOS 9,[5] creating a similar experience to macOS. Apps are freely resizable, with "traffic light" controls akin to macOS that let a user minimize, close, or make an app full-screen. Window tiling options are also available when flicking windows to the edges of the display or using new tiling options. A macOS-style menu bar is also available by swiping down on the top of the display.[6] The new system is powered by a new windowing engine that optimizes window rendering by analyzing which windows are being actively used. This enables the new windowing system on all iPads that support iPadOS 26, while also allowing more windows on the screen at once.[7]
Due to being revamped to use the same internal architecture, the existing Stage Manager is now supported on all iPads running iPadOS 26, rather than only on models with M-series chips and on A-series iPad Pro models with iPadOS 18 support.[8]
Journal
The Journal app, previously available only on iOS, now has a dedicated iPadOS and macOS version, with the iPadOS version having support for the Apple Pencil stylus.[9]
Preview
iPadOS 26 now includes a Preview app, similar to its macOS counterpart, with Apple Pencil support for features such as markup.[10]
Local Capture
iPadOS can now record high-quality video and audio streams separately while using applications like video conferencing, which can be shared or used in podcasting editing applications.[11] The local capture is encoded as an MP4 file, using HEVC video and FLAC audio.[12]
Supported devices
iPadOS 26 requires an A12 chip or later. It drops support for the 7th-generation iPad, which has an A10 SoC.[13][14]
The 3rd-generation iPad Air is the only supported iPad with a 10.5-inch display, while the 5th-generation iPad Mini is the only supported iPad with a 7.9-inch display. Both of these, along with the 8th-gen iPad, are the supported white bezel iPads that run iPadOS 26.
Certain older devices have a limited feature set, such as Spatial Scenes requiring an Apple A14 chip or newer.
iPads that support iPadOS 26 are:
| Device | Chipset | Release year | Supported | Apple Intelligence support |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad (8th generation) | A12 | 2020 | ||
| iPad (9th generation) | A13 | 2021 | ||
| iPad (10th generation) | A14 | 2022 | ||
| iPad (A16) | A16 | 2025 | ||
| iPad mini (5th generation) | A12 | 2019 | ||
| iPad mini (6th generation) | A15 | 2021 | ||
| iPad mini (A17 Pro) | A17 Pro | 2024 | ||
| iPad Air (3rd generation) | A12 | 2019 | ||
| iPad Air (4th generation) | A14 | 2020 | ||
| iPad Air (5th generation) | M1 | 2022 | ||
| iPad Air (M2) | M2 | 2024 | ||
| iPad Air (M3) | M3 | 2025 | ||
| iPad Air (M4) | M4 | 2026 | ||
| iPad Pro (3rd generation) | A12X | 2018 | ||
| iPad Pro (4th generation) | A12Z | 2020 | ||
| iPad Pro (5th generation) | M1 | 2021 | ||
| iPad Pro (6th generation) | M2 | 2022 | ||
| iPad Pro (M4) | M4 | 2024 | ||
| iPad Pro (M5) | M5 | 2025 |
Version history
The first developer beta of iPadOS 26 was released on June 9, 2025.
| Version | Build | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26.0 | 23A8330 | Preinstalled on iPad Pro (M5) models | |
| 23A341 | September 15, 2025 | ||
| 26.0.1 | 23A355 | September 29, 2025 | |
| 23A8464 | October 15, 2025 | iPad Pro (M5) models only | |
| 23A8466 | October 21, 2025 | ||
| 26.1 | 23B85 | November 3, 2025 | |
| 26.2 | 23C55 | December 12, 2025 | |
| 26.2.1 | 23C71 | January 26, 2026 | Support for AirTag 2 |
| 26.3 | 23D127 | February 11, 2026 | |
| 26.3.1 | 23D8133 | March 4, 2026 | |
| 26.3.1 (a) | 23D771330a | March 17, 2026 | Background Security Improvement |
| 26.4 RC | 23E244 | March 18, 2026 | |
Legend: Unsupported Latest version Preview version | |||
Reception
Reception of iPadOS 26 was mixed, with critics praising its all-new Liquid Glass design, desktop-class windowing, Live Translation feature, additions of Preview and Journal, and creative enhancements. However, it was criticized for its new design, causing controversy, a complex learning curve, launch bugs, limited hardware support, and the lack of multi-user support.
References
- ^ "About the security content of Background Security Improvements for iOS 26.3.1, iPadOS 26.3.1, macOS 26.3.1, and macOS 26.3.2". Apple Support. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ^ Clover, Juli (March 18, 2026). "Apple Seeds iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 Release Candidates". MacRumors. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
- ^ "iPadOS 26.4 RC (23E244) - Releases". Apple Developer. March 18, 2026. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
- ^ "There's No Apple iOS 19: iPhone 17 To Have iOS 26 In Radical Change, Report Claims". Forbes. 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
- ^ Christoffel, Ryan (2025-06-09). "PSA: iPadOS 26 removes Split View and Slide Over multitasking features". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ Pierce, David (2025-06-09). "Apple launches iPadOS 26 with a new look and way better multitasking". The Verge. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ "Interview: Craig Federighi Opens Up About iPadOS, Its Multitasking Journey, and the iPad's Essence". 2025-06-18. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ "iOS 26: All the Little Changes". MacRumors. 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ "Journal App Finally Coming to Mac and iPad". MacRumors. 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ "Apple is bringing Preview to iPadOS". Engadget. 2025-06-09. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ "How Local Capture immediately turns iPad into a podcasting studio". AppleInsider. 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ "A few notes on iPadOS 26 audio and video capture". Six Colors. 2025-06-20. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ Cunningham, Andrew (2025-06-09). "Apple drops support for just three iPhone and iPad models from iOS and iPadOS 26". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2025-06-10.
- ^ "iOS 26, iPadOS 26 Are Compatible With These iPhone and iPad Models". Gadgets 360. 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2025-06-10.