While Stage Manager is still available in iPadOS 26, Apple is ditching the Split View and Slide Over options in favor of a new window-based multitasking system. In an interview with ArsTechnica, Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi explained why it took so long to bring proper multitasking to the iPad and how the company finally pulled it off.

There's a new menu bar on top, which shows settings and options based on the app you're using. And the Magic Keyboard (or a Bluetooth keyboard + mouse combo) works better, thanks to a new pointer and CMD-Tab app-switch capabilities while multitasking.

Apple’s iPadOS 26 brings Journal, Games, Preview and Phone apps to your iPad, alongside a new bold look and multitasking upgrades.