- iPadOS 26.4 has a new feature that helps users find hidden app windows
- Adds another Mac-like element to the tablet’s operating system
- But iPad Macification Could Cause Unnecessary Confusion
In recent years, Apple has steadfastly refused to say it is merging the iPad and Mac, while increasing the overlap between its iPadOS and macOS operating systems. With the release of iPadOS 26.4 in March, that was further strengthened. But I worry that it blurs the lines too much and risks confusing Apple fans as a result.
In this case, we are talking about a new feature in iPadOS 26.4 that makes it easier to locate open windows. The original version of iPadOS 26 added support for running multiple app windows on your iPad, but the problem was that you could lose track of them if you had too many open. However, in iPadOS 26.4 all that changed.
You will now see a small pop-up window appear over an app icon if you have multiple windows open. The pop-up window will say “X hidden windows” (X being the number of windows) and “Show all windows” written below. Simply click on the pop-up window and all the existing windows of that application will be displayed on the screen. It’s a quick and convenient way to keep track of your app windows without losing them throughout the day.
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This is definitely more of a feature for advanced iPad users than something most people will need on a day-to-day basis, as I suspect most iPad users never open more than one app window at a time, let alone lose track of them. However, despite the useful nature of this feature, I’m concerned that it could muddy the waters between Apple devices.
The MacBook Neo dilemma
Adding multi-window support is definitely a desktop-like feature and helps make the iPad more like one of Apple’s best Macs than a tablet. Add a compatible mouse and keyboard and the tablet can easily function as a laptop, with a few caveats.
A few years ago, that was all well and good: the iPad could serve as an affordable alternative to a laptop for people who didn’t want to shell out $999 or more for a MacBook. But with the launch of the MacBook Neo, all that changed.
Now, just pay $599 / £599 / AU$899 and you’ll get a legit laptop that punches well above its weight. In a world like this, why would you need an iPad that works like a MacBook? The only reason I can think of is that you like the tablet form factor.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that Apple is making its iPads more like Macs when there is a perfect, good, affordable replacement: the MacBook Neo. If you want a basic device, you now have to choose between the MacBook Neo and the iPad, and that seems like an unnecessarily confusing situation. Should you get an iPad or a MacBook Neo? That’s a question users will increasingly have to ask themselves.
However, it is evidently a situation that Apple is comfortable with. As evidenced by the recent iPadOS 26.4 update, the company is still bringing Mac-like features to its iPads, even after the MacBook Neo was revealed, and even as it denies that the two systems are being combined. That makes it seem like this puzzling overlap is here to stay for the foreseeable future.
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