Apple’s walled garden is the iPad’s biggest roadblock to becoming a Mac

iPadOS 26 makes Apple‘s tablet much more like macOS. Better windowing? Check. The menu bar? Yup. There’s even a more fine-tuned Files app, along with document editing in Preview. It’s as if Apple took a checklist of longtime power-user requests and fulfilled them all. It’s enough that the App Store’s walled garden could be the last remaining reason to stick with your Mac.

For me, the iPad’s productivity changes were the most intriguing part of Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote. Years ago, when Apple first made iPadOS more work-friendly, I tried to replace my MacBook with the iPad Pro. After reviewing several Microsoft Surfaces, I wanted an Apple equivalent, dammit. So, despite the iPad’s obvious limits, I gave it a shot.

For most things I did, it was… fine. But there were always tasks that slowed me down. Apple’s Split View, which places two apps side by side, was solid. Stage Manager added even more windowing nuance. But it still wasn’t the same as arranging windows manually. All I had to do was hop back on a Mac, and things became clear: The iPad was nowhere near ready for my workflow. I was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

The changes in iPadOS 26 will finally bring the tablet close to something that could replace a Mac. For many, I suspect it will be more than enough. You can place windows anywhere and resize them fluidly. The menu bar will make it easier to access the finer controls of apps. You can tile windows and see them all in a grid with Exposé. The Files app catches up with the Mac’s Finder. The new Preview app should make document editing a breeze. And you can easily return to full-screen iPad simplicity at any time.

That raises the question: Where does iPadOS still fall short of macOS? It’s the lock-in, stupid.

The Mac grew up in an era when you could install apps from anywhere. First, it was discs. Then, the internet. Sure, Apple made changes in the last decade that make macOS a bit more restricted. System Integrity Protection (SIP) comes to mind. Gatekeeper, too. However, on the whole, it remains a relatively open environment. Getting your apps from anywhere often means a broader selection, faster updates and fewer restrictions.

The iPad, on the other hand, evolved from the iPhone. (Those old enough may recall the “It’s just a big iPod touch” commentary mocking the first model.) The App Store has always been the only official way to install apps on the iPad (EU exceptions notwithstanding). That remains so in iPadOS 26.

The tablet software also prevents apps from overriding security and privacy restrictions. While that may not sound like a good idea, it can be a killer feature for trusted Mac apps.

For example, Keyboard Maestro on macOS can automate almost anything you can do with a keyboard and mouse. BetterTouchTool also offers a (nearly) endless list of customizations, including window controls. (My favorite is changing the yellow “traffic light” button so that it hides apps instead of minimizing them.) Karabiner-Elements lets you remap any key. A clipboard manager can, with a single keystroke, display everything you’ve copied.

Then there are Mac apps that let you use alternatives to Apple’s versions. Third-party launchers like Raycast and Alfred are like Spotlight on steroids. (Their extension libraries are so vast, they have their own storefronts.) Apps like Rectangle and Moom give you alternatives to Apple’s window management. Many Mac apps offer more flexible text replacement than Apple’s built-in solution.

What iPadOS 26 does is draw a line between two types of power users. Like before, Mac power users will use some combination of the above examples. Meanwhile, a new class of iPad power users will enjoy the tablet’s desktop capabilities. But the latter will still be limited to Apple’s version of, well, everything. The power is much stronger now; openness, however, isn’t.

For that reason alone, I’ll likely remain a Mac-first guy for the foreseeable future. But iPadOS 26 will surely tempt me to experiment.