Apple has released iPadOS 26.1, the first major update to iPadOS 26 since its September debut. The update focuses on productivity and personalization, reintroducing key multitasking features while aligning the iPad experience more closely with iOS 26. It is now available for all iPads that support iPadOS 26 and can be installed by navigating to Settings > General > Software Update.
The highlight of iPadOS 26.1 is the return of Slide Over, a multitasking feature that lets users keep a floating app window above others for quick access. Originally removed in iPadOS 26.0, Slide Over now integrates with the iPad’s new windowing system, letting users open one app as a movable overlay. By selecting “Enter Slide Over” from the green window control button, users can quickly designate a window for Slide Over and hide or reveal it when needed. Keyboard users can toggle it using Globe + .
Unlike in previous versions, Slide Over now supports only one app at a time, but it gains resizable window support, offering more flexibility for different workflows. Whether it’s a chat app hovering over Safari or a reference note alongside a presentation, the restored feature brings back a popular balance of convenience and control that many iPad users missed.
Liquid Glass also receives an important update with a new Tinted mode, letting users increase the opacity of the system’s translucent interface. Found in Display & Brightness, this option improves legibility for text and icons while toning down visual reflections. It’s the same design control that recently arrived on iPhones with iOS 26.1, giving users a consistent customization experience across Apple devices.
The update also expands Apple Intelligence and AirPods Live Translation to eight new languages, including Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, and Vietnamese. These additions mark a continued rollout of Apple’s privacy-preserving AI features to more regions. Siri also receives bug fixes that improve voice selection and accuracy, particularly for Portuguese users who previously encountered inconsistent responses.
Beyond the major features, iPadOS 26.1 includes a series of smaller refinements. The Music app gains a swipe gesture on the MiniPlayer to skip or go back between tracks, while Local Capture now lets users control external USB microphone gain and choose where recordings are saved. The Photos app introduces an updated playback scrubber for easier video navigation, and FaceTime delivers improved audio quality in low-bandwidth conditions.
Developers will find this release more stable thanks to multiple SDK-level fixes. HealthKit authorization now uses a unified Blood Pressure switch for systolic and diastolic readings, Keyboard input errors with diacritical marks have been corrected, and UIDocument behavior in UIKit has been updated for improved compatibility. These changes ensure better app performance across a range of development frameworks.
Under the hood, iPadOS 26.1 also resolves the Lock Screen sleep bug, improves system animations, and enhances the overall responsiveness of the iPad interface.
