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iPad Q&A
Published June 12, 2025
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Which iPad models support iPadOS 26? Is the iPadOS now the same as the macOS? Do all features work with all supported iPads?
Apple first announced iPadOS 26 -- named for 2026 -- on June 9, 2025. A public beta is scheduled for next month and the "final" consumer version is anticipated for release this autumn.
Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (iPadOS 26)
Apple lists basic iPadOS 26 compatibility info in fine print at the bottom of the corporate press release, but individual feature support is scattered elsewhere and can be a bit of a hassle to parse, so an independent evaluation can be especially worthwhile.
New iPadOS 26 Features
It is not uncommon for a company to herald any new product as the biggest or best ever, but iPadOS 26 truly does deliver major new additions that substantially improve the usability and performance of the iPad line.
It would be incorrect to say that the iPadOS is now the same as the macOS, but the iPadOS certainly is more Mac-like than ever and the iPad should be much more effective for "real work" as a result. With iPadOS 26, it would not be surprising for more of those carrying both a Mac and an iPad to find themselves able to leave the Mac behind.
In the press release for iPadOS 26, Apple spotlights that the operating system "brings a new design; an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system; new features powered by Apple Intelligence; major enhancements to working with files, audio, and video; and more."
Continuing, Apple declares that:
While maintaining the simplicity of iPad, iPadOS 26 introduces an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system with new features that help users control, organize, and switch between apps. Apple Intelligence becomes even more capable and integrated across iPadOS 26, with new features that help users communicate, express themselves, and get things done, including Live Translation, new ways to create with Genmoji and Image Playground, and intelligent actions with Shortcuts.
The supercharged Files app offers new ways to organize files and customize folders. And with Folders in the dock, users can conveniently access downloads, documents, and more from anywhere. The Preview app comes to iPad, giving users a dedicated app to view and edit PDFs, with powerful features like Apple Pencil Markup and AutoFill built in. And with Background Tasks, audio input selection, and Local capture, iPadOS 26 unlocks new capabilities for creative pros working with audio and video.
In more detail, Apple chose to emphasize these additions for iPadOS 26:
- New "Liquid Glass" Design: Interface elements are designed to look like translucent glass and appear to reflect and refract the background behind buttons and other controls. The Home Screen and Lock Screen also get a "Clear Look" design option alongside the earlier "light" and "dark" choices. Many, but not all, iPad models also gain a new "3D effect" on the Lock Screen when the iPad is angled. This effect is interesting, but definitely irrelevant compared to the massive windowing and app improvements.
- New Windowing System: Instead of limited placement options like "Split View" and "Slide Over," iPadOS 26 -- just like on a Mac -- allows you to fluidly resize app windows, place them where you would like, and open more windows at once. Likewise, you can close, minimize, resize, and tile windows. There even is a "menu" bar at the top of the screen, accessible via swipe or cursor placement. Hooray!
- Improved Apple Intelligence: Available on some models, but not all, Apple Intelligence adds "Live Translation" of calls and texts, enhanced "Shortcuts" that can summarize text and create images, and more.
- Improved File Manager: Significantly improved organization, customization, and layout options for files. Just like on a Mac, folders can be added to the dock now and default apps to open particular file types can be specified, too.
- Preview App: The Mac's ubiquitous "Preview" app for basic image and PDF editing has made it to the iPad. Finally.
- Background Tasks: Apps now can perform long-running tasks in the background -- like exporting a video -- and allow you to use other apps in the foreground.
- Improved Audio & Video Recording: Better control of audio and video recording with voice isolation, echo cancellation, local capture, and other enhancements.
The new windowing system and file manager are available for all compatible iPad models, and in many respects, these very well may be the most important additions. However, two other significant features -- Apple Intelligence and full external display support -- are not supported on a significant number of iPadOS 26 compatible devices.
Compared to its predecessor, iPadOS 18, iPadOS 26 only drops support entirely for one entry-level iPad series -- the iPad 7th Gen.
A full list of iPad devices supported at the time iPadOS 26 was released follows. The significant differences in terms of feature support are documented further below.
Identification Help (Skip)
If you are not sure which iPad you have, all models can be quickly identified externally by Model Number precisely enough to determine whether or not it is supported by iPadOS 26.
You also can find this Model Number in the "Settings" app on your iPad under General > Regulatory > or General > Legal & Regulatory, depending on the version of the operating system.
These particular iPad devices support iPadOS 26:
iPadOS 26 Compatible Tablets |
Model No |
If your iPad isn't listed above, and it wasn't released before the next version of the iPadOS was released (iPadOS 27), it isn't compatible with iPadOS 26.
Although it is not as straightforward (but it is more precise), you also can use the Order Number for identification, which is specified as "Model" within the iOS "Settings" app under General > About.
For example, in the United States, this "Model" within the iPadOS is MCNR4LL/A, which specifically refers to an iPad Air M3 13" (Wi-Fi Only) in purple with 256 GB of storage.
EveryiPhone.com's Ultimate iLookup feature can identify these devices by order numbers from around the world and other identifiers, too.
All of the above iPad devices are compatible with iPadOS 26, but in fine print, Apple disclaims that three features -- Apple Intelligence (which includes Live Translation), full external display support, and the 3D Effect Lock Screen -- only are supported by a subset of devices.
Bottom line, only the iPad Air 5 (M1), iPad Air M2, iPad Air M3, iPad Pro 11" 3rd Gen (M1), iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen (M1), iPad Pro 11" 4th Gen (M2), iPad Pro 12.9" 6th Gen (M2), and iPad Pro M4 models actually support all new features.
On the other hand, the iPad (8th Gen), iPad (9th Gen), iPad (10th Gen), iPad mini (5th Gen), iPad Pro 11", iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen), iPad Pro 11" (2nd Gen), and iPad Pro 12.9" (4th Gen) do not support any of these features.
Support for other iPad models varies accordingly.
Full-Size iPad
To reiterate, the iPad 8, iPad 9, and iPad 10 support iPadOS 26, but do not support any of these features. The iPad 11 (A16) supports the 3D Effect Lock Screen:
| iPad 8 | iPad 9 | iPad 10 | iPad 11 | |
| Apple Intelligence | No | No | No | No |
| Full External Display Support | No | No | No | No |
| 3D Effect Lock Screen | No | No | No | Yes |
iPad mini
The iPad mini 5 does not support these features; the iPad mini 6 supports the 3D Effect Lock Screen; the iPad mini 7 (A17 Pro) supports Apple Intelligence and the 3D Effect Lock Screen:
| mini 5 | mini 6 | mini 7 | |
| Apple Intelligence | No | No | Yes |
| Full External Display Support | No | No | No |
| 3D Effect Lock Screen | No | Yes | Yes |
iPad Air
The iPad Air 3 and iPad Air 4 do not support these features; later iPad Air models support all of these features:
| Air 3/4 | Air 5 | Air M2 | Air M3 | |
| Apple Intelligence | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full External Display Support | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3D Effect Lock Screen | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
iPad Pro
The older iPad Pro 11", iPad Pro 12.9" (3rd Gen), iPad Pro 11" (2nd Gen), and iPad Pro 12.9" (4th Gen) support iPadOS 26, but do not support any of these features:
| 11" | 12.9" 3 | 11" 2 | 12.9" 4 | |
| Apple Intelligence | No | No | No | No |
| Full External Display Support | No | No | No | No |
| 3D Effect Lock Screen | No | No | No | No |
The newer iPad Pro 12.9" 5th Gen (M1), iPad Pro 11" 4th Gen (M2), iPad Pro 12.9" 6th Gen (M2), and iPad Pro M4 models support all of these features:
| M1 | M2 | M4 | |
| Apple Intelligence | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full External Display Support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3D Effect Lock Screen | Yes | Yes | Yes |
iPadOS 26 Summary
Ultimately, iPadOS 26 is a massive update for the iPadOS that finally brings much more Mac-like functionality to the iPad line. The new windowing system, file manager, background task capability, and new apps all are substantial improvements. Apple Intelligence remains a work in progress, but it likely can be useful on compatible models, as well.
As always, EveryiPhone.com recommends that for those with "mission critical" iPad devices, it is a good idea to skip any public beta entirely and wait for at least a couple of "bug fix" updates after the "final" version is released before upgrading to a new operating system, too.
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