At the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, Apple unveiled a host of features coming to iPadOS 26. These include the Liquid Glass user interface, a new window system that unlocks new levels of multitasking, updates and additions related to system apps, and several features that can be handy when creating content using an iPad.
1 Liquid Glass User Interface
The biggest highlight of WWDC 2025 happens to be the new Liquid Glass user interface, which is a digital «material» that «behaves like glass in the real world.» The design language relies on translucent layers of visual elements, which interact with each other, reflect and refract the illumination from on-screen content, and respond to movement with a «fluidity only Apple can achieve.»
The new user interface also responds to user input, transforming to highlight the areas of focus. While the new design is evident in larger visual elements, such as sidebars and toolbars (which are now rounded), it is also visible in minor details, including buttons, switches, sliders, and media controls.
Moreover, the Liquid Glass design isn’t just a part of the iPadOS 26 user interface; it also extends to system apps, including Camera, Photos, Safari, Apple Music, and more.
2 New Lock Screen and Home Screen Experiences
As part of the Liquid Glass design language, the time on the Lock Screen adapts to the available space in an image without hiding the faces or other recognizable subjects. Then there’s another feature called Spatial Scenes that adds a three-dimensional effect to pictures, making the Lock Screen appear more lifelike (it is also available in the Photos app).
On the Home Screen, you’ll see updated app icons that appear more reflective (both in the light and the dark mode), feature colorful new tints, a rounder Dock, and, for the first time, a Clear Look theme with almost transparent app icons and text. Even widgets have adopted the Liquid Glass look.
3 A Window System for Enhanced Multitasking
A new (yet familiar) windowing system will let you use, organize, and switch between multiple app windows simultaneously. For the first time on an iPad, you’ll be able to resize app windows, place them anywhere on the screen, and open multiple windows at once. To organize the windows, you can use the close, minimize, resize, or tile buttons at the top left.
What’s great is that an app retains its size and position when you reopen it. Last but not least, you can view all the open windows (when not tiled) and bring the required ones to the front (similar to how you would on macOS). The windowing system is among the most significant additions to iPadOS 26. It also works with the Stage Manager.
4 A New Menu Bar
iPadOS 26 also includes a new menu bar for easy access to the in-app controls in the form of a drop-down menu (similar to what we’ve seen on macOS), allowing you to perform several actions with ease. You can access the controls by swiping down from the top of the screen or moving your cursor toward the top.
For instance, if you have the Pages app open, you should be able to see controls like File, Edit, Insert, Format, Arrange, and View in the menu bar at the top.
5 Live Translation
The new operating system for iPads also features Apple Intelligence additions, including Live Translation for Messages, FaceTime, and Phone. As the name suggests, the feature automatically translates a supported language into your preferred language during a conversation in either of the aforementioned apps.
On Messages, the translated text will be showcased below the actual message, while on FaceTime, iPadOS 26 will show live translated captions on the screen. During a phone call, you should be able to hear the translation. From what it looks like, this could be a pretty useful feature, especially for users who have to communicate with friends or colleagues who speak a different language.
6 Updates in the Messages App
With updates to Apple’s native Messages app, you can now screen texts from unknown senders, which will appear in a dedicated folder, and iPadOS won’t show you notifications for them either. Furthermore, you’ll be able to add custom backgrounds and polls in one-to-one and group chats, something that already exists in third-party messaging apps.
While group chats will also show typing indicators, you can now send, request, and receive Apple Cash directly from the Messages app.
7 AI-Powered Shortcuts
While iPadOS Shortcuts have always been useful, the upcoming operating system update will enable users to create quick actions that can summarize text and generate images using Apple Intelligence features, such as Writing Tools and Image Playground.
Previously, Shortcuts allowed users to automate tasks based on predefined actions. However, with the integration of Apple Intelligence, the app can now directly access on-device AI models and perform more complex tasks. In other words, Shortcuts can now analyze information, draw insights, and use them to perform further actions.
8 New and Improved Files App
The updated Files app now offers a new List view, showing additional document details in resizable columns. You’ll also be able to use folder customization options like distinct colors, icons, and emojis, which will appear across all your devices signed in with the same Apple ID.
You can also set a default app for viewing downloaded files, a feature that wasn’t available with iPadOS 18.
9 Preview Comes to iPad
Previously available on macOS, the Preview app is coming to iPads with iPadOS 26. It will not only allow you to create quick sketches and share them, but it will also let you view, edit, and mark up PDFs or images using an Apple Pencil (including handwritten notes, signatures, doodles, and more).
The app serves as a welcome addition, not just for professionals but also for students who rely on iPads for their educational needs. Using Preview, you can view forms, fill them in via the keyboard or Apple Pencil, and sign or annotate them without needing to upload the file to a third-party app or website.
10 Background Tasks
Next on the list of iPadOS 26 features is Background Tasks, which allows your iPad to perform computationally heavy tasks in the background and displays their real-time status through Live Activities. For instance, when you start exporting a video in Final Cut Pro and switch to another app, such as Messages, Background Tasks will display the progress of the export process with the option to stop it.
This feature, in particular, is more useful for content creators or professionals who prefer editing videos on their iPads instead of iPhones. With the Background Tasks API, developers can let their apps perform long-running background tasks as well.
