iPadOS 26: a new boost for tablet app development

A system designed for professional, educational, and creative use

iPadOS has branched off from iOS to meet productivity, learning, and creative needs. With iPadOS 26, Apple goes even further: a new Liquid Glass design brings consistency and vitality across the entire OS, while a reimagined window system gives much more control and flexibility, making the experience closer to that of a Mac.

Liquid Glass: a more vivid and immersive visual language

What is it?
Liquid Glass modernizes the interface at its core: translucent and dynamic elements, real-time reflections and refractions of content, updated app icons (light/dark variants, color tones, or “clear” rendering), plus a lock screen that animates with a 3D effect and a clock adapting to the photo. The result: a more “alive,” consistent, and immediate interface.

What it means for your apps

• Materials & transparency. Use translucent glass-like surfaces, refine contrasts, and ensure clear visual hierarchy.
  
• Icons & themes. Provide consistent variants (light/dark, tones) and check readability on richer backgrounds.
  
• Micro-interactions. Sleeker, more elegant controls encourage simplified toolbars and interface states.
  

Learn more on Apple’s website.

Multiwindow: a significantly more Mac-like experience

What is it?
iPadOS 26 introduces a reworked windowing system:

• Multiple windows, resizable and organized according to your needs.
  
• Simple tiling gesture left/right; the screen can now split into thirds or quarters.
  
• New Mac-style window controls (close, minimize, fullscreen, quick layouts).
  
• Exposé to view all open windows and switch seamlessly.
  

A menu bar accessible with a swipe from the top to quickly find app commands.

Credit : Apple.com.

What it means for your apps

• Robust multiwindow support. Design screens to work in multiple instances and variable sizes; manage state per window (documents, views, modals).
  
• Adaptive layouts. Prepare grid/flex layouts that remain readable in thirds/quarters and varied combinations.
  
• Keyboard/mouse/trackpad ergonomics. Optimize shortcuts and focus states as the iPad moves closer to a desktop workflow.
  
• Clear navigation. With Exposé + the menu bar, reduce the depth of in-app menus; highlight key actions in the menu bar.
  

And also: everyday productivity

Additionally, iPadOS 26 brings folders in the Dock, a Preview app to centralize/annotate PDFs (with Apple Pencil), and background task management so you can keep working while exports or heavy downloads run. Particularly useful for professional and educational use.

Why this matters for businesses in Switzerland

• Differentiated design. Liquid Glass sets a new standard of clarity and aesthetics—ideal for premium B2B/B2C apps.
  
• Desktop-like productivity. iPadOS 26’s multiwindow brings the iPad closer to a true workstation, perfect for business tools, training, and creative applications.
  

Learn more on Apple’s website.

In Geneva, Zurich, and throughout Switzerland, these advances enable more efficient, intuitive, and better-integrated tablet apps for team workflows.

How to prepare your iPadOS 26 project

• Define the use cases (education, sales, field, creation).
  
• Plan the interface architecture (multiwindow, states, session saving).
  
• Design adaptive layouts (thirds/quarters, orientations).
  
• Refine the visual theme (materials, contrasts, icons).
  
• Test with real-world scenarios (keyboard/trackpad, Apple Pencil, AR).
  

Need support ? Swiss Tomato designs and develops iPad apps optimized for iPadOS 26—from UX/UI planning to deployment—with local teams in Geneva and Zurich.