How to Use Windowed App Mode on iPad with iPadOS 26
One of the more intriguing new features introduced in iPadOS 26 for iPad is the optional windowed app mode for multitasking. Windowed apps behave very similar to application windows in MacOS or Windows, allowing you to have multiple simultaneous apps and documents open at the same time, often interloping each other. If you’ve ever felt like this windowed app functionality was missing from your iPad experience, you’ll be thrilled to have this feature on iPadOS now. And even if that’s not the case, it’s worth trying out for iPad users in general, because some of you might decide you prefer windowed apps anyway.
Windowed app mode on iPad is best used with a Magic Keyboard case, or with an external keyboard and mouse in general whether that be through Bluetooth or Universal Control and a Mac. It also generally works best on the bigger screen iPad models, as multiple windows can feel a bit more cluttered on the smaller screens.
How to Enable Windowed Apps Mode on iPad to Have Many Concurrent Apps Open on Same Screen
- Open the “Settings” app on iPad
- Go to “Multitasking & Gestures”
- Choose “Windowed Apps” as the multitasking option from the list
Once you activate Windowed Apps mode, you can now drag and resize any window – including the Settings app where you just made those changes, into an active window.
Entering Windowed Apps Mode is Easy
The easiest way to place an app into Windowed Mode is to simply click or drag from the corner of the app screen inward, and it’ll shrink the app down into a little window, kind of like Stage Manager. Except in Windowed mode, you can stack any apps windows atop one another.
Each window will have the familiar traffic light buttons to close, minimize, and maximize the app window – well, familiar if you’re coming from a Mac anyway.
Slide Over Works Too
And yes, Slide Over on iPad still works in Windowed Apps mode. You can even enter it by long-clicking the green button.
If Slide Over is not accessible to you, you need to update to ipadOS 26.2 or later.
Use the New Menu Bar
If you use a mouse or trackpad with your iPad, you also swipe up to the very top of the iPad screen to reveal the new menu bar, which is app specific, and very Mac-like.
Windowed Apps mode is perhaps the biggest reason for many iPad users wanting to upgrade to iPadOS 26. Between the ability to stack windows and use multiple apps and windows at once, quickly accessing an app with Slide Over, or using the new menu bar for each app, the multitasking capabilities of iPadOS 26 are significant and well worth checking out.
What do you think of the new Windowed Apps mode on iPadOS 26? Do you use the feature? Do you prefer it to the single app mode or to Stage Manager? Share your thoughts in the comments!
