Apple’s latest update to iPadOS brings yet another round of multitasking improvements, part of a long-running push to market the iPad as a true alternative to a laptop. With iPadOS 26, users are getting a more streamlined Stage Manager experience, faster window resizing, improved external display support, and an overhauled app switching system. It’s a clear continuation of Apple’s efforts to bridge the gap between touch-based portability and desktop-grade productivity.
The new version of Stage Manager stands out most. It now supports more intuitive window snapping and better memory handling, reducing the lag and bugs that plagued earlier iterations. You can also drag windows between iPad and external monitors more reliably, something power users have been asking for since Apple first added extended display support in iPadOS 16.
App switching has also been cleaned up. There’s now a persistent sidebar when using a keyboard and trackpad, letting you jump between open apps or stages without returning to the Home Screen. This mirrors macOS’s Mission Control in a way that feels deliberate. Apple isn’t hiding its intentions here: the iPad is meant to feel like a MacBook, minus the macOS.
These updates are only the latest in a long list of multitasking enhancements Apple has been stacking onto iPadOS. Back in iOS 9, Apple first added Slide Over and Split View. That was followed by the App Switcher in iOS 11, and desktop-class multitasking in iPadOS 13 and beyond. With each new version, Apple has moved closer to making the iPad a modular work machine, one that adapts whether you’re using fingers, a Pencil, or a keyboard and trackpad.
iPadOS 15 introduced Quick Note and better multitasking gestures. iPadOS 16 brought full external display support and Stage Manager. iPadOS 17 expanded Stage Manager with customizable layouts and better windowing logic. Now, iPadOS 26 refines that vision with improved responsiveness and layout behavior, plus deeper hooks for third-party apps to integrate with Stage Manager.
But there’s still a gap between promise and execution. Despite years of iteration, multitasking on iPad still feels constrained compared to macOS or Windows. You can’t freely position windows without jumping through gestures. There’s no real window layering beyond what Stage Manager allows. And many desktop-class apps remain stripped-down on iPad, either by design or technical limitation.
Still, the direction is clear. Apple wants users to stop asking whether the iPad is a laptop and start accepting that it does laptop things differently. The company’s not backing off its unique blend of touch-first UI and Mac-adjacent features. With every update, it’s pushing iPadOS closer to parity with its desktop cousin, just without ever calling it that.
The iPad’s Multitasking Evolution Continues
Whether the new changes are enough to convince users to ditch their laptops remains to be seen. But for those already invested in the Apple ecosystem, iPadOS 26 offers the most capable multitasking experience yet on a tablet.
With iPadOS 26, Apple isn’t reinventing the wheel—it’s just making it roll smoother. Every iteration refines the idea that iPad isn’t a compromised computer, but a different kind. And for users who’ve stuck with it through the growing pains, the payoff is finally starting to show.