The final general release for iPadOS 26 and iOS 26 is slated for September 15. Apple released the developer beta of iPadOS 26 for registered developers during WWDC in June. The public beta is available now, giving anyone early access to test it. Which iPads are compatible with iPadOS 26? You'll need an iPad with iPadOS 16.4 or later, which means one of these models: iPad Pro (M4) iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation or later)
Apple's major iPadOS 26 update comes out on September 15th, offering a new windowing system that will change the way you use the tablet. The company announced the news during its iPhone 17 launch event, just a few months after launching it in beta. The latest version of the iPad's operating system comes with Apple's new Liquid Glass design language that infuses transparent elements across different apps and interfaces.
The iPad and the Mac have always been complimentary devices with a few overlapping functions -- until iPadOS 26, which brings them a lot closer together. The big question since Apple announced iPadOS 26 at WWDC 2025 in June has been, "Does this mean I can finally use my iPad to replace my laptop?" The answer for me is, "No." But that doesn't mean that iPadOS 26 isn't a big step forward.