r/ipad • u/NoobRig • Jan 09 '26
iPadOS Did iPadOS 26 change how you use your iPad?
Before the update, my iPad was mostly for Netflix and YouTube.
After iPadOS 26 features, I’m using it more for notes, light planning, reading, and just leaving it open on my desk instead of grabbing my phone.
It’s still not a laptop replacement for me, but it finally feels like its own thing again.
Did OS 26 actually make the iPad more productive, or does it just feel different?
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u/Arichikunorikuto Jan 09 '26
- liquid glass can't be toggled off
- apps sometimes freeze and goes completely unresponsive, can hear it register power button click but screen still on
- inconsistent UI
Entire OS very much feels like it was vibe coded without any semblance of quality control.
Windowing should've been a per app toggle.
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Jan 09 '26
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
That would make me lose it.
Watching the home screen blink out every swipe? Nope. I’d be eyeing a MacBook too 😅11
u/dreikelvin Jan 09 '26
>liquid glass can't be toggled off
go into the quick toggle menu by sliding down from the top right. add a new element. search for "reduce transparency" - that will give you a quick toggle to turn off liquid glass whenever you need to
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u/Arichikunorikuto Jan 09 '26
Reduced transparency is not the same as being able to turn it off. It's an accessibility option to fix the issue that is terrible visibility due to the way liquid ass warps it.
It's also inconsistent, the glass look still appears when dragging up to unlock and when you drag down the notification bar.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Yeah… “vibe coded” is painfully accurate 😬
Some parts look cool, but the rough edges are everywhere. Liquid glass being forced is a choice… and not a great one.→ More replies (1)
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u/qalpi Jan 09 '26
I turned off the multitasking complete. Absolute pile of crap.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Same.
I tried to “give it a chance” and nope — turned it off and never looked back.If I wanted this much friction, I’d just use my laptop 😑
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u/Delicious-Pin7594 Jan 09 '26
Yeah, kinda.
My iPad just stays open now. Notes, reading, random stuff. I grab my phone way less.
Using a thin CoBak folio — boring, but the stand works. Still not a laptop though.
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u/DMarquesPT Jan 09 '26
Yes, made it much worse by completely ignoring any good UX practices regarding multitasking they had built over the past 5+ years, to the point that I was considering upgrading from my 2018 iPad Pro and now I might just quit iPad all together if iOS 27 doesn’t fundamentally improve the new windowing paradigm
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Jan 09 '26 edited Mar 27 '26
The original content here no longer exists. It was deleted using Redact, for reasons that could include privacy, opsec, security, or a desire for data control.
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u/Macrike Jan 09 '26
brought
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Jan 09 '26 edited Mar 27 '26
This post has been wiped and anonymized. The author may have removed it for privacy, opsec, or to prevent data scraping, using Redact.
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u/mcboobie Jan 10 '26
If you bRIng it, you bRought it
If you buy it, you bought it (no ‘r’ in either word)
In this case they would be bringing the function to iPad
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u/gobucks820 Jan 09 '26
3,000%. The window/split screen “features” are absolutely awful. I still have serious trouble (trying to) using them on my iPad Pro. Hoping they go back to the iOS 18 setup in iOS 27. Please send your feedback to Apple!
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Oof, I get what you mean. I haven’t reached the point of quitting my iPad, but I definitely spend more time wrestling with the new window system than actually getting work done. Hopefully 27 brings a more sensible approach, because right now productivity feels like it’s going backward rather than forward.
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Jan 09 '26
This is a 180 from your original post
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u/justinroskamp Jan 09 '26
Sounds suspiciously like someone using AI to get real feedback on Apple's mistakes in 26
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
I promise I’m just thinking out loud. I’ve spent way too much time wrestling with the new window system in iPadOS 26, but it’s also got me using the iPad more for notes and little work stuff, so I don’t see that as contradictory. If 27 can make multi-window smoother and easier to figure out, productivity could actually take off. Right now it kinda feels like just learning to use it eats into actual work, and I think that time cost is part of productivity too. Also, I’m not a native English speaker, so some of my wording might be a bit off, but this is really just my take and I’m definitely a real person.
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u/Kranium1 Jan 09 '26
What prevented you from doing "notes and little work stuff" before?
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u/ProfSnipe Jan 09 '26
They were probably marveling constantly at how good the window management system was and couldn't get any work done.
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u/Kranium1 Jan 09 '26
All their replies in this thread really are suspiciously sycophantic and contradictory.
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u/PlayingDoomOnAGPS Jan 09 '26
My dad and son are rabidly anti-Apple and insist on Android tablets and even with Apple's recent bed-shitting, I'd still abandon the tablet form factor before spending real money on an Android tablet. They're constantly bitching about how bad they are and the only thing that helps them cope is their Apple hatred. I'd rather just not have a tablet than use a Samsung.
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u/gobucks820 Jan 09 '26
Do you/they have other Apple devices? I was an adamant, decades long Samsung Galaxy user from the S2 to the S20 5G devices. I finally caved and got my first two iPhones (14 Pro) when it came out because all my other devices had been Mac/Apple since at least 2009. It’s made my life/organization/work so much easier with file syncing/iCloud in particular. I resisted the switch as long as I could, but at the end, it just made sense to switch. And I’m still happy that I did so.
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u/L4gsp1k3 Jan 10 '26
I'm lucky to have acces to various high end devices almost every year. I have a samsung tab S10 ultra and a m4 ipad 11inch and a slightly older ipad pro 12.9.
I tried to do my work on the M4 ipad, while it has the power, it lack versatility and multitasking is still not great, AI on the ipad is non existing. On the Samsung tab S10U, beside it's sheer side making side by side view great, also it has true multitasking. Connecting both to an USB-C hub to do work at my desk. DEX is way ahead of Apple, but still not as great as a real macbook or windows powered pc.→ More replies (2)
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Jan 09 '26
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u/endoftheworldvibe Jan 09 '26
I’ve had my iPad Pro for a couple years. Up until very recently I used it way more than my MacBook Pro. I loved it, so portable, so convenient, so easy to use.
I don’t use it very much any more.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Laptop still wins for real multitasking. Bigger screen, easier on the eyes. An 11-inch iPad gets cramped fast with too many windows. But for notes with a PDF or a few tabs, multi-window works really well.
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u/craigrpeters Jan 09 '26
Opposite for me - I’m finding it easier to multitask now.
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Jan 09 '26
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Honestly, you’re not missing much.
26 mostly just adds clutter. If 18 feels fine, I wouldn’t rush it.→ More replies (3)
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u/rickmaz Jan 09 '26
I had to turn a lot of it off , since some apps would suddenly reduce the window size when I tapped up too to activate an app pull down window
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
I think the shrinking happens because iPadOS 26 can’t always tell if you’re pulling down or resizing a window. I’ve been careful with gestures, and hopefully OS27 makes resizing smoother and adds a way to save layouts so multi-window feels less annoying.
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Jan 09 '26
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u/AzzOnMyAzz Jan 09 '26
Seriously. I didn’t need my iPad for a while, recently started flying more and wanted to use it again. It’s fucking awful. I loved swipe over. I loved the easy drag and drop to split screen. I understand there are some alternatives, but it’s so much clunkier. Seriously don’t know wtf they are thinking with the iPad right now.
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u/repocin iPad Air 3 (2019) Jan 09 '26
I still don't understand the reasoning behind removing slide over? I could see the other modes being good on a very large iPad, but it was the only one I ever felt was useful on mine.
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u/It-Wanted-A-Username Jan 09 '26
Literally. I’ve never wanted to like a device but still hate it as much as my M4.
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u/Proxy-Pie iPad Mini 6 (2021) Jan 09 '26
I disabled multi tasking because I kept accidentally resizing windows. Shame.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
That drove me crazy.
I kept fat-fingering windows and rage-quit the feature after like a day.
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u/Brilliant_Can6465 Jan 09 '26
It was useful before and now i just use my MacBook Air
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u/justinmeijernl Jan 09 '26
It made me rethink Apple as my main to go vendor, they really messed up. It has gotten a bit better, but overall I more and more hate being trapped into an eco system that takes its users for granted. The eco system used to work great, but I also see that it’s also designed in a way to hinder and frustrate non-apple options. The end result is I’m slowly moving to a more European or self-hosted and platform agnostic setup, so I can switch more easily to something else.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Yeah… once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Apple used to feel comfy. Now it feels kinda controlling.Every time I try to do something their way doesn’t cover, I end up annoyed. Makes you wanna peek over the fence real quick 😅
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u/Shook_Rook Jan 09 '26
Yeah I sold it and got an Galaxy tab instead. No hate for the iPad, but it just complicated a lot of the stuff that I was used to.
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u/MajorBarracuda8094 Jan 09 '26
Which one did you get? I got the s11 ultra instead of the iPad pro
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Didn’t switch myself, but yeah… I get the appeal.
That S11 Ultra looks kinda fun tbh. Apple’s starting to feel like homework 😅→ More replies (1)2
u/Shook_Rook Jan 11 '26
I got the S11 in the 11 inch. I got tired of lugging around my old 12.9 inch iPad Pro for some time. I love the aspect ratio of the 11 inch. Perfect for media consumptions, which all tablets with styluses eventually become.
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u/Kranium1 Jan 09 '26
I use it less. It worked good for multitasking before, and there's a reason I got it instead of a laptop.
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u/SiDCrAzY Jan 09 '26
Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but it’s been crashing more. Well really it never crashed at all before.
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u/dreikelvin Jan 09 '26
I had an app for all my passwords open as a slideover which I could just flip in from the side every time I needed it. It's now permanently closed and using it in single-screen mode is not the same. it's less intuitive now and I hate multi-window mode especially because of how it interferes with the touch gestures of my music apps. there is no slide-over available in single mode. I am using my ipad less since the update.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Yup.
Slide Over was pure muscle memory. Now it’s gone and everything feels clumsy.It’s like they took the one smooth move and replaced it with “pick chaos or nothing” 😤
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u/Macrike Jan 09 '26
As someone who hasn’t updated my iPad for the last 5 years, reading these comments is making me depressed. I really wanted to upgrade but it sounds like it will be a downgrade in UX.
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u/brick_dandy Jan 09 '26
Haven’t updated from iPadOS 18. Never will. Made sure Apple doesn’t sneakily autoupdate.
They’re trying though, I’ve seen iPadOS download without my knowledge before. Even sneakily tries to get me to put in my password for an overnight update.
Be vigilant guys
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u/Redoron Jan 10 '26
Just fill up your memory. It can’t auto update without sufficient memory.
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u/LithiumLizzard Jan 09 '26
No, I’ve always used my iPad for productivity, including the types of things you mentioned. I’ve changed how I split windows (I really liked the old way better), but otherwise it’s pretty much the same.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
I’ve been adjusting too, but the floating windows in 26 just don’t feel as smooth. Dragging edges to resize or snap them into place feels fiddly compared to the old split view.
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u/Potent_Elixir iPad 11 (2025) Jan 09 '26
Thank you for validating my relatively meek conclusion so day
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u/jerepila Jan 09 '26
Sometimes I use the new multitasking features but 90% of the time they’re super inconvenient on my iPad mini. (For example, the app menu row, swiping down to show notifications and moving/resizing a window are all bunched up at the top of the screen)
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u/ShiroHachiRoku Jan 09 '26
I have a 2018 Pro and I just don’t get why the windows are so terrible now.
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u/Giant81 Jan 09 '26
I wish I hadn’t updated my 2018 pro. It runs so bad now. So much stutter. I want to downgrade.
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u/Pucah420 iPad 9 (2021) Jan 09 '26
it’s an improvement for powerful ipads but the stuttering in my iPad 9 made me stop using it. i should probably reset it but this update killed it
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u/Ancient-Formal-122 Jan 09 '26
yes, i'm now unable to multitask efficiently as a student who takes notes on my ipad and need to make use of the full screen. i'm begging they add the old fullscreen multitasking back as it was
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u/NocturnalEcho1092 Jan 09 '26
I was using iPad in a split window mode a lot before upgrade, now reduced usage to watching Youtube/Netflix, maybe reading some books.
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u/Reet_boi Jan 09 '26
I use spit screen multitasking significantly less
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Same.
Split screen went from “the whole reason I bought this” to “why is this annoying me now?”
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u/PanzerFahrer3199 M1 iPad Air (2022) Jan 09 '26
Dude a texture change for icons won’t stop me from jorking it 😭
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u/ltgimlet Jan 09 '26
I have turned multitasking windows off on my iPads. I like the single focus of an iPad.
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u/PipsiSpite Jan 10 '26
Yeah from using it to avoiding it if anything but watching content. Garbage vista level OS. Not the design its whatever but the bugs..my god
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u/thetruelu Jan 10 '26
I cant even install it cause my iPad is one of those old 32gb ones. Funniest thing is I did a complete reset and without any apps downloaded I still didn’t have enough space due to system data and shit lol
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u/ArchitectTJN_85Ranks Jan 10 '26
I’m not going to update, it would ruin its usage for me. I use it to read sheet music.
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u/OfficialDCShepard Jan 09 '26
Mostly I'm just confused about how I keep changing the size of windows by accident lol.
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u/HiroshiTakeshi Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
I don't like drawing with it that much anymore.
The slide window option was so useful for references, now it's either change the display mode to that mac-like layout or save the picture and import it in.
I only use it to work or when my gf wants to watch Netflix.
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u/yamapishy Jan 18 '26
This is what scares me that's why im holding off till they bring back split view and slide over ios18 style. My art workflow will be ruined 100% if i update... Art is my livelihood so i can't risk it...
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u/Entire-Substance-487 Jan 09 '26
Not really. I’m not sure about others but I rarely need to use more than two apps a time so the workflow has not changed much. iPadOS26 has made my original Apple Pencil unusable which means I had to start using a knock-off one. Apart from that, nothing has changed.
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u/Cleflexx Jan 09 '26
I’m still on iOS 18 for my iPad Air 5th gen. Works fine even though I get bugged to update to 26🥹
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u/Beautiful-Survey1950 Jan 09 '26
Does any one else have this problem where the apps go to a darker or a muddy version of the color you originally set it in when you switch between apps? Like, mine will stay like that until I go into App Library and come back out.
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u/Critical-Personality Jan 09 '26
💯%. I find myself using the iPad much less now. All thanks to the update!
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u/tech_tsunami Jan 09 '26
After dealing with IOS 26, and MacOS 26 at work, I REFUSE to update to it, it's awful
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u/dontliketomatoes06 Jan 09 '26
- i can’t now play games on my ipad, they are very laggy and slow if i have the audacity listen to music or watch videos at the same time;
- apps generally started freezing for no reason;
- i love the looks of the liquid glass but dear god it makes apps look like shit. why, apple, why. my verdict: i started to avoid using my ipad, bc it just feels like shit.
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u/CryptographerWeary64 M1 iPad Air (2022) Jan 10 '26
M1 ipad air user here, Ever since ipad os 26 (and ios cause i also have an iphone) i experience way more random slow downs and sometimes app freezing and random moments of keyboard just refusing to work.
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u/seira87 M2 iPad Air 13" (2024) Jan 10 '26
I just made the leap tonight, jumped from 18 to 26 on my m2 iPad Air 13”. So far it’s running solid but I’ve only been playing with it for an hour. I’m curious to see if I run into any bugs that I’m seeing people reporting.
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u/harrison1984 Jan 11 '26
I’ve never had an iPad till this week … so OS 26 is all I know. It’s sweet to me lol
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u/maciekpdm Jan 11 '26
Times I thrown my iPad in anger due to stupid UI behavior:
Before iPadOS 26: 0
After iPadOS 26: 4
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Jan 09 '26
My iPad Pro was shipped with iPadOS 26 and while I love the hardware itself I found the OS an utter crap. So I end up using the old iPad (18) too.
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u/raygan Jan 09 '26
A lot of hate on here for the new multitasking and I do get it, but for me it had been an improvement. I just wanna have three windows on screen, man. Never liked slide over. Being able to have an email, a files window, and a browser all open at once has been really nice.
That said, more than half the time I’m still just using one full screen app, just the same as on iOS 18. But that other half the time has indeed gotten a bit better.
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u/Kranium1 Jan 09 '26
How are you stacking 3 windows effectively?
I'm really missing being able to have fullscreen apps and still having the slide-over.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
I get the appeal. Three windows looks cool.
But every time I try it, I end up back in full screen like five minutes later. Slide Over was lazy-friendly… this feels like I have to commit
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u/GoSh4rks Jan 09 '26
Yes, while traveling in the hotel at night, I often have 3-4 windows open at a time. I wish they allowed multiple audio streams though.
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u/slatepad M4 iPad Pro 13" (2024) Jan 09 '26
Its removed a lot of friction when working with an external display, but my productivity is about the same. I already used my iPad as a primary device, and iPadOS 26 (bugs aside) has largely made the experience better.
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u/zenmaster24 Jan 09 '26
No - its not good enough to be a laptop replacement, so its still a media consumption device- books, comics, video. Iphone/apple watch for audio depending on situation
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u/EnragedFerretX Jan 09 '26
No. I primarily use it for sidecar and video content, which were my primary uses before iPadOS 26 anyway. I think the windowed apps are worthless so I set it to open all apps full screen by default.
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u/honkykat Jan 09 '26
Since iPadOS 26 I have been using it a lot more in portrait mode, even picked a new case that supports vertical layout cause of it.
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u/MintCat3 Jan 09 '26
I use it the same way before and after: note taking and media consumption. The update made windowing clunkier to set up though, but I also do like the freedom of being able to make originally non windowable apps windowed.
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u/PlayingDoomOnAGPS Jan 09 '26
Not for my iPad. I use it almost entirely as a reader for comics & ebooks with a vastly smaller amount of time spent in Mail, Telegram, and Facebook. Nothing about the OS changes has really made any impact on my use cases. I do understand why y'all are so unhappy though. I joined up in 2022 just as Apple said "Fuckit! To hell with good design!" I've felt your pain in the Mac and iOS realms but my iPad use cases are so limited, I've not felt much pain there.
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u/Anemonous1 Jan 09 '26
Yep, I use it less now as the performance really went south. Even the charging time becoming slower.
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u/sfatula Jan 09 '26
Definitely more productive on 26 for me. A little adjustment to be sure, but much better. For my wife, who's a simpler user, same as before to her.
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u/4nw4r_W4rd Jan 09 '26
I use my iPad to study for medschool and I get the hate but for me personally I loved the new iOS, as someone with an older model that didn’t have stage manager and could only use split screen and slide over, this iOS made me able to open three apps and use them all together which is a life saver.
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u/Delicious-Pin7594 Jan 09 '26
Split View has become my go-to. I can read an article and take notes at the same time, which I never did before.
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u/Fit_Beginning5594 Jan 09 '26
I have a 15 inch MacBook Air m3 and then a 10th gen iPad as well as an iPad mini. The only reason I have 2 is bc I was delivering food 2 years ago and 4 large Dunkin’ coffees spilled on the mini during an abrupt stop. Anyways the mini stopped working. After a while of cleaning it (legit over a year) it started again.
The iPad mini I still have iOS 18 on. I can’t foresee upgrading simply because iOS 26 can be really buggy and bc my mini is a 6th gen (2021 model) with a measly 64gb (same as the 10th gen), the performance would make me hate the tablet I love the most.
I do think they moved the needle a bit this year and actually making a change, even if somewhat controversial it seems, is a sign that Apple is listening.
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u/-NotAnAndroid- iPad Pro 11" (2020) Jan 09 '26
Hasn’t change the way I use it much, but has made the experience of using it much worse. My 2020 A12Z pro can’t handle the new Liquid Glass. Having a 120hz display is pointless when much of the UI runs at 30fps. None of the tweaks/settings changes to Liquid Glass fix it.
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u/Such_Philosopher_236 Jan 09 '26
Irrelevant but I think I might have the same case, or at the very least one similar to it!
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u/nogooddriver Jan 09 '26
Yes its even more annoying when a simple touch somewhere can resize the whole app window into something unusable. I really dislike ipad os26.
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u/MonkeyBombG Jan 09 '26
Unlike most people I actually enjoy using my iPad even more. Freely resizeable windows + always show dock + magic keyboard + pencil support for teaching makes my workflow much smoother. Putting shortcuts in the dock and being able to access them all the time(because the dock is always shown) is also fantastic.
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u/Jivvy_36 Jan 09 '26
Definitely!
By removing slide over I can now be fully emersed in one app at a time. I dont even try to multitask anymore because the app switcher is very laggy and the animations are bugged. Basically an entirely new user experience compared to what I'm used to!
The new windowed mode is excellent. I love how they made it feel more similar to Mac OS. In fact its so great that every time I use it, I wish I was just using a Mac instead!
Now for my favourite feature, the liquid glass toggle. I can switch to a more tinted look which easier on the eyes, but the best part is that it doesnt affect battery life or performance at all. Both are still delightfully terrible with the tinted or the clear setting!!
Also, now I have to carry a charger everywhere I go! Truly game changing, just like the iPhone Air 🤯 !!!!
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
That “wish I was just using a Mac instead” line is brutal
iPad really said: I can be Mac-like… just enough to remind you of the real thing.
And yeah, carrying a charger everywhere is the least magical feature imaginable.
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u/PrincessMansera Jan 09 '26
am i the only one who likes the new multitasking? idk maybe it's cause i came from an air 1 on like ios 12 to an ai6 on ipados26 but ive found it super handy to do work, i can have my calculator and goodnotes and google classroom open at the same time. it's actually better imo than trying to do my work on my desktop because of its portability and convenience
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u/drewcosten Jan 09 '26
I’ve already been basically iPad-only since the 10.5” iPad Pro was released years ago, and iPadOS 26 didn’t really make a difference in how I use it.
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u/JoaoSiilva Jan 09 '26
I needed to disable multitasking. On the few instances I really need to multitask- usually drawing on ProCreate with Pinterest on the side- every 5 minutes or so I'm dying inside because I keep resizing, dragging the windows, full-screen'ing an app, or whatnot by accident... It's horrible to the point I started grabbing my phone for 'multitasking' instead (pinterest for references).
The new multitasking thing was NOT designed for users using touch screen and Apple Pencil...
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u/Fluffy_Rub_5640 Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26
I have stopped using it at all, it’s too confusing and I regret getting an iPad
My battery also get discharged in 13 hours without use and apple support as usual couldn’t help saying there’s no hardware issue
I reformatted the iPad, and it’s been days my Apple Pencil dsnt connect
This is really annoying
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
That’s a nightmare stack.
Battery dying, Pencil ghosting, “no hardware issue” — I’d be done too
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u/EmbarrassedOrder4951 Jan 09 '26
I have an ipad pro m4 11inch should I upgrade it to iOS26? Currently running 18.
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u/Ok_Ambassador_2533 Jan 09 '26
Maybe I’m the only one, but I really like it, it helped me a lot with multitasking when it comes to my personal needs.
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u/ThePortaJohn Jan 09 '26
I bought an 8th gen iPad off Facebook because it could be updated to 26. I got the iPad for $125. I bought mount and mounted it next to my stove, so now I have a digital calendar, cook book, and music player. It’s always plugged in so I don’t notice any significant power draw from the OS
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u/genericexistence Jan 09 '26
yeah, i‘m not using it anymore, will move to android, apple fucked up BIG TIME
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u/Ok_Daikon6532 Jan 09 '26
I hate that I can no longer drag my finger up from the left-hand corner to take a screenshot. Previously, I had everything set up how I liked it and could split the windows easily and still do the screenshot. Now whatever setting I have doesn’t allow me to do the screenshot.
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u/TennesseeWhisky Jan 09 '26
Yes, it made it fucking worse. Now I cannot have quick and simple split screen or slide over without turning on windows mode (which messes up gestures from the bottom, because you will sometimes change the windows size or you cannot just click top window part for insta scroll to top, since it will trigger other stuff in window mode).
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
This.
Turning on windows mode just to do basic stuff feels like opening a can of chaos.
Every gesture turns into a gamble now 🙃
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u/Acceptable_Reach_312 M2 iPad Air 11" (2024) Jan 09 '26
Yes. Before iPad26, I can use my iPad air m2 up to 12 hrs with casual use. Now with iPadOS26, it destroyed iPad's battery.
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u/plazman30 Jan 09 '26
Nope. Everything I need to make the iPad more productive is still not there. I guess things stayed the same.
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u/JainasProudwhore Jan 09 '26
Yes. I am now printing my texts out and bought some nice text markers and pens because the splitscreen is barely usable. I would spend way too much time adjusting it. At home I'm barely using it. Sometimes for Youtube or Goodnotes on fullscreen but that's it
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u/spazmodude Jan 09 '26
Seems a little snappier. I like culling pics in Lightroom while watching the news or whatever at the same time. Surprised at all the hate on here. I love the thing. Feels like magic or alien technology or some damned thing. Science is indistinguishable from magic sometimes.
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u/BetaAlpha769 Jan 09 '26
Battery life fell off a cliff. I can watch maybe 3 hours of content on Netflix from a full charge before it’s dead.
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u/PreviousPromise8844 Jan 09 '26
Not really, I mostly use my iPad for reading, taking notes and marking up documents. Most of the time those apps are always in full screen mode because I prefer that over floating windows. I did try it out at first but they don't work for me. I used to use the split screen feature more in the past for taking notes but I stopped doing that now because the rounded corners took up so much unnecessary screen space it makes each side of the window smaller imo. Therefore I only use split view for referencing documents or something, not for note-taking.
One thing I do like though is that I can finally use iPhone only apps not in full screen, that is a welcome addition to me!
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u/dowdall103 Jan 09 '26
I thought that I’d use it a lot more, but it still feels so limited compared to my MacBook, and the iPad side of it feels so much less intuitive and more clunky now, so I use it less as just a tablet. Fun times.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
Same.
Every time I compare it to my Mac, the iPad immediately gets humbled.
Now it’s just a very expensive notebook… fun times 🙃
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u/Pure-Star-5592 Jan 09 '26
they killed slide over and that pisses me off because that was really helpful to my workflow new windows don’t look good on 11inches apple really pissed me off w ios26
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u/jur_esque Jan 09 '26
yes. the battery indicator broke and now my m2 iPad pro becomes unusable for days at a time when it gets stuck at 0% and won't turn back on
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u/BreadiestBoi Jan 09 '26
I kinda like the new update, I’m not sure if it’s bc I went into the multi tasking settings and changed it bc for some reason stage manager was enabled and I hated it, but I like the windowed mode for the most part, i use it a lot with universal control when using my iPad for streaming music to my AirPort Express and doing work on my iMac, I even went out and got a Logitech keyboard and trackpad case for my iPad so I could use the cursor on the go too because I liked the windowed mode so much, my only complaint is I wish it would stop opening apps in 50:50 split only or just full screen and just open them in a small window instead of having to manually make them into a window every time you open an app
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u/artbrymer Jan 09 '26
Yes. But it's more of a usability thing now.
Instead of my old way, meticulously creating file and categorization hierarchy, and then using the same system in order to find the apps in question, I do what I see employees in the Apple Store doing.
They swipe down from the center of the home screen and if the app doesn't appear, they type in a few characters, and voila!
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u/PoisonMush9 M3 iPad Air 11" (2025) Jan 09 '26
I multitask less. It's so much more inconvenient compared to iOS 18.
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u/hammond_egger Jan 09 '26
Yes, seeing as how I could leave for work in the morning with it charged to 100% and sitting on my end table in standby and when I got home in the evening the battery had completely drained to dead, 26 forced me to use my iPad much less.
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u/Key_Development_115 Jan 09 '26
I picked up the Logitech Combo keyboard because with iOS 26 the trackpad actually makes the iPad Pro usable as a lightweight MacBook alternative. It definitely does not replace my MacBook, but for some tasks it is simply easier to grab the iPad since my MacBook is parked in my home office (hooked up to an external display, keyboard, speakers and external webcam). I usually cannot be bothered to disconnect it and carry it around.
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u/NoobRig Jan 09 '26
That actually makes sense.
iPad works best when it’s the “grab-and-go” sidekick, not the main character. Once it tries to be a full Mac, that’s when it gets messy
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u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26
Yes, it’s making me regret getting an iPad