00:00Hey! In this video I'll be showing you how to set up the new multitasking
00:03features in iPadOS 26, including windowing, the new mini bar, and flick
00:07gestures, so your iPad starts to feel a lot more like a Mac. Quick welcome back
00:12to the channel, but if you're new here, hey I'm Paul and this is Setup Essentials,
00:16a recurring series where we help you get the most out of your favorite tech.
00:20Today's all about iPadOS 26, so let's get started. First we got to go over some
00:25housekeeping. Is your iPad even compatible with iPadOS 26? And if so, how do you
00:29download it? I'm gonna throw a list of the compatible iPad models up on screen,
00:33but generally, as long as your iPad currently supports iPadOS 18, you should
00:38be able to install OS 26. And yes, Apple has changed the naming system to reflect
00:43years, giving us that jump from iOS 18 to 26. But yeah, the only device that lost
00:50support is the iPad 7th gen from 2019, but otherwise you should be good to go.
00:58Now, if you're watching this down the road and it's already September 2025 or later, you can skip this
01:02section because it means you should just be able to download iPadOS 26 by following the regular update
01:07steps found in general settings. But at the time that we're publishing this video, iPadOS 26 is still in
01:12public beta, which means you'll need to install the public beta profile on your device first. And it's a lot
01:18easier than you might think. First, head to beta.apple.com and sign up for the beta software program.
01:24You can do this directly on your iPad using your own Apple ID and password. Now, the iPadOS 26 public
01:31beta
01:31should be waiting for you. Just head to settings, general, software update, then tap beta updates.
01:39From there, choose iPadOS 26 public beta from the list. Now, depending on how excited you are for
01:46this, you have two options. You can either update now if you're ready to go ahead and you want to
01:50start downloading right away, or you can click update tonight if you'd rather let the install
01:54happen while you're asleep so it's ready the next morning. Whichever you pick, your iPad will ask you
01:59for your passcode. And if you went with update now, the download will begin immediately. But just a quick
02:04heads up, these betas are pretty large and downloads can take a while to install. So make sure your iPad
02:08has enough battery or better yet, just keep it plugged in during the whole process. Once it's all
02:13downloaded, your iPad will prompt you again to install now or wait until later. Once installation
02:19is done, your iPad is going to restart. And just like that, you're on iPadOS 26 and ready to test
02:25out
02:25all its new updates and features.
02:30So the first thing you'll probably notice with iPadOS 26 is this new look called Liquid Glass,
02:35which introduces translucent icons and buttons. It might take a bit of getting used to, but hey,
02:40that's what we're here for. So if you like these kind of walkthroughs, give this video a thumbs up
02:44and subscribe for more setup essentials. I started this video off by saying iPadOS 26 features will make
02:50your iPad feel more like a Mac, and that's largely thanks to the new windowing and multitasking features,
02:56which are extremely useful for turning your iPad into a MacBook replacement, or even your main
03:01device for work, like I've been doing for the past couple of weeks. So here's how you can start using
03:06some of these new features. From the bottom right corner of a full screen app, you're going to tap
03:10and drag or use a mouse to resize your apps freely. Some apps may also change their layout depending on
03:16how small you size them so that they're still usable. To move the window around, just tap and hold it
03:22from
03:22the top. You can also open a second app and do the same thing. And now we've got our windows.
03:27If you
03:28turn on stage manager from settings, you can group and organize your windows into multiple stages.
03:35To go back to your apps or your home screen, use the flick gesture to push the windows to the
03:40side.
03:40When you're ready to jump back in, just tap on the app window or the middle of your screen.
03:47I mentioned the flick gesture. There's actually a few more things that you can do with it that I'll
03:51point out. So if you have your windows open here, you can also flick your windows to the top edge
03:56to
03:56quickly make them full screen. Or you can flick them down to instantly minimize them into their app icon.
04:03You can also easily split your screen between two different windows by flicking them to the left or
04:08right edges. This is called window tiling if we're being formal. And now you can also resize them just by
04:14clicking and dragging the gap between them. Something also really cool is that you can now control
04:20windows with the new menu bar. The iPad finally introduces a menu bar that's very similar to what
04:26you get with Mac. It's definitely most practical for apps like Notes, Files, and of course Safari,
04:31and it should look pretty familiar if you've used a MacBook before. If you don't see it right away,
04:36just swipe down lightly from the top and there you go. It's right there. I was very excited to see
04:41this
04:41finally baked into iPad's UI. It unlocks some powerful settings while still being very intuitive
04:46to use with a touch screen. You can also switch to windowed apps and resize them and use multiple
04:53apps in a single space like you would on a desktop. You even get the familiar three button layout for
04:58closing, minimizing, and full screening like you do in macOS. I personally love using this feature and
05:03I've been using it so much, especially with a wireless mouse connected, but I'm curious to hear what
05:08you guys think and how you've been using it. I already touched on some iPad apps, but there's
05:14one new app making its way to your iPad. Well, it's not new exactly, but it's definitely new to iPad,
05:20and it comes directly from macOS. I'm talking about Preview. Preview lets you view, edit, and mark up
05:25PDFs and images on your iPad using an Apple Pencil or by touch. You can access all your PDFs and
05:31images
05:31from the Files app using Preview, and that lets you create an empty page or use the Apple Pencil to
05:36draw
05:36and write on it. You can also use powerful tools like Autofill to fill in PDF forms and easily add
05:41your signature. It's pretty shocking that the iPad didn't have this before, but I think I speak for a
05:46lot of people when I say, I'm just glad it's here now. But back to the Files app for just
05:51a sec.
05:51iPad has had it for a few years now, but it's now significantly updated. There's a new list view,
05:56and finally customizable folder icons where you can add custom icons and emojis and even choose from
06:02specific colors to make them easier to identify. And what's great is these customizations will sync
06:08across both iOS and macOS, which is great for anyone using multi-devices. One last thing on folders,
06:14you can drag any folder into your dock from the Files app and it stays there for quick access no
06:19matter where you are. It's such a smooth way to organize your work files, especially if you're
06:25juggling multiple projects. Besides all the iPadOS 26 features I've already gone over, if you really want
06:32your iPad to feel like a Mac, here are a couple accessories you want to pick up. Let's start with
06:36the most obvious, a keyboard case. Whether you go with Apple's Magic Keyboard or something third-party
06:41in about half the price like the ESR Rebound case, which I'll link below, having a physical keyboard
06:46instantly levels up how you can use your iPad. And I really like this case because you can quickly
06:51rotate your iPad between landscape and portrait depending on what you're watching or working on.
06:57Next up, the Apple Pencil. It's not just for drawing, it's also great for marking up PDFs,
07:01especially in the new Preview app, writing journal entries by hand or even navigating the UI with
07:06more precision. If you really want the full desktop setup, don't forget external displays.
07:12iPadOS 26 now supports them better than ever. Just plug in via USB-C and you'll get that second
07:18screen experience with proper window management. And it's not just mirroring anymore, it's a big
07:22upgrade that I've been waiting for for years.
07:27And yeah, that's iPadOS 26. Multitasking, windowing, accessories, all of it. Honestly,
07:33this might be the biggest leap forward we've seen in iPad in years and it's starting to finally feel
07:38like the Mac alternative a lot of us, myself included, have always wanted. If this video has
07:44helped you out, give it a thumbs up and hit subscribe for more setup essentials just like this one. Let
07:48me
07:48know in the comments what you're testing out in iPadOS 26 or if there's a hidden feature you think I
07:52should
07:53cover in a part two. You can find us everywhere at Tom's Guide and you can follow me to see
07:56what other
07:57cool tech I'm reviewing. Until the next one, I'll catch you later.
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