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.
00:19Today'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.
00:56Now 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
01:06the regular update steps found in general settings. But at the time that we're
01:10publishing this video, iPadOS 26 is still in public beta, which means you'll need to
01:14install the public beta profile on your device first. And it's a lot easier than you
01:19might think. First, head to beta.apple.com and sign up for the beta software program. You can do this
01:25directly on your iPad using your own Apple ID and password. Now the iPadOS 26 public beta
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 this,
01:46you have two options. You can either update now if you're ready to go ahead and you want to start
01:50downloading right away or you can click update tonight if you'd rather let the install happen
01:54while you're asleep so it's ready the next morning. Whichever you pick, your iPad will ask you for your
01:59passcode. And if you want 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 downloaded,
02:13your iPad will prompt you again to install now or wait until later. Once installation is done,
02:19your iPad is going to restart. And just like that, you're on iPadOS 26 and ready to test out all
02:25its new updates and features. So the first thing you'll probably notice with iPadOS 26 is this new
02:33look called Liquid Glass, which introduces translucent icons and buttons. It might take a bit of getting
02:39used to, but hey, that's what we're here for. So if you like these kind of walkthroughs, give this
02:44video a thumbs up and subscribe for more setup essentials. I started this video off by saying iPadOS 26
02:49features will make your iPad feel more like a Mac. And that's largely thanks to the new windowing and
02:54multitasking features, which are extremely useful for turning your iPad into a MacBook replacement,
03:00or even your main device for work, like I've been doing for the past couple of weeks.
03:05So here's how you can start using some of these new features. From the bottom right corner of a
03:09full screen app, you're going to tap and drag or use a mouse to resize your apps freely. Some apps may
03:15also change their layout depending on how small you size them so that they're still usable.
03:20To move the window around, just tap and hold it from the top. You can also open a second app and
03:24do the same thing. And now we've got our windows. If you turn on stage manager from settings, you can
03:30group 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 side.
03:41When 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 to
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
04:14just by clicking and dragging the gap between them. Something also really cool is that you can now
04:19control windows with the new menu bar. The iPad finally introduces a menu bar that's very similar
04:25to what you 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,
04:35just swipe down lightly from the top and there you go. It's right there. I was very excited to see
04:41this finally 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 apps
04:53in a single space like you would on a desktop. You even get the familiar three button layout for closing,
04:58minimizing, and full screening like you do in Mac OS. I personally love using this feature and I've been
05:04using it so much, especially with a wireless mouse connected, but I'm curious to hear what you guys
05:08think and how you've been using it. I already touched on some iPad apps,
05:14but there's one new app making its way to your iPad. Well, it's not new exactly,
05:18but it's definitely new to iPad and it comes directly from Mac OS. I'm talking about Preview.
05:23Preview lets you view, edit, and markup PDFs and images on your iPad using an Apple Pencil or by touch.
05:29You can access all your PDFs and images from the Files app using Preview, and that lets you create
05:34an empty page or use the Apple Pencil to draw and write on it. You can also use powerful tools like
05:39Autofill to fill in PDF forms and easily add your signature. It's pretty shocking that the iPad
05:44didn't have this before, but I think I speak for a lot of people when I say, I'm just glad it's here now.
05:49But back to the Files app for just a sec. iPad has had it for a few years now, but it's now
05:53significantly updated. There's a new list view and finally customizable folder icons where you can
05:59add custom icons and emojis and even choose from specific colors to make them easier to identify.
06:06And what's great is these customizations will sync across both iOS and macOS, which is great for
06:10anyone using multi devices. One last thing on folders, you can drag any folder into your dock from
06:16the Files app and it stays there for quick access no matter where you are. It's such a smooth way to
06:23organize your work files, especially if you're juggling multiple projects.
06:28Besides all the iPadOS 26 features I've already gone over, if you really want your iPad to feel
06:32like a Mac, here are a couple accessories you want to pick up. Let's start with the most obvious,
06:37a keyboard case. Whether you go with Apple's Magic Keyboard or something third party in about half the
06:42price like the ESR Rebound case, which I'll link below, having a physical keyboard instantly levels up
06:47how you can use your iPad. And I really like this case because you can quickly rotate your iPad
06:52between 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 screen
07:18experience with proper window management. And it's not just mirroring anymore,
07:22it's a big upgrade 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
07:44has helped you out, give it a thumbs up and hit subscribe for more setup essentials just like
07:47this one. Let me know in the comments what you're testing out in iPadOS 26, or if there's a hidden
07:52feature you think I should cover in a part two. You can find us everywhere at Tom's Guide and you can
07:56follow me to see what other cool tech I'm reviewing. Until the next one, I'll catch you later.
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