With iPadOS 26, the iPad Feels Closer to a Mac Than Ever. So Why Is It Still So Bad at Sharing?
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Apple's iPad took a big step forward with the introduction of iPadOS 26 at WWDC 2025. The revised platform adds truly useful multi-window and file-management features that go a long way toward closing the gap between tablet and computer. However, it's 2025, and somehow, the iPad still doesn't support multiple users. That means no profiles, no guest mode, no kid mode, and no way for more than one user to personalize a shared tablet. It's well past time that Apple addressed this.
Solid Progress: A More Mac-Like Experience
To be fair to Apple, the company added some great new features to iPadOS 26. For example, the platform will offer a more desktop-like windowing experience, allowing you to have multiple apps live on the screen at one time, resize them, and quickly switch between them. iPadOS 26 adds a top menu bar for the first time, and though it's hidden most of the time, a quick tap calls it up, and you can access familiar, macOS-like drop-downs and tools for managing the device. All of these improvements mean an iPad is essentially a slate-sized Mac you can attach to any TV.
Perhaps even more importantly, the Files app is becoming a lite version of Finder, which is a big step in the right direction. Not only can you add folders to the dock, but the app now features a more useful list view with improved sorting, plus the ability to drag and drop files and folders from the home screen or within the app directly into emails, messages, and other apps.
Other new features include Exposé, which allows you to view all your open apps; expanded background task support, such as video rendering; audio input selection for capturing a wider range of sources; and macOS-like window control buttons. When iPadOS 26 arrives later this year, these upgrades should all make the platform far more productive for power users.
The Missing Feature: Multi-User Support
The fact that iPadOS 26 still does not include support for multiple users per device means you cannot customize individual profiles within the OS. For families, this is a major headache. Every change to the home screen, wallpaper, or settings affects everyone . Want to child-proof an iPad? You can't. Want to keep your work apps tidy? Good luck when your kid downloads Roblox .
Changing this is not a novel or impossible concept. macOS has supported multiple user accounts for decades. Android tablets and Chromebooks support multiple profiles, too, and have for more than 10 years. tvOS 26 is adding a new profile support tool for its TV app. Why is the iPad, one of Apple's most powerful devices, left out?
It cannot be a technical limitation. Surely, this problem can be solved, which makes the fact that it hasn't feel deliberate. Apple's silence on the issue sends a loud message: If you want a personalized experience, buy more iPads. If the company is worried about performance or feature fragmentation, perhaps make multiple profiles exclusive to the iPad Pro line.
But ignoring multi-user support entirely across Apple's tablet lineup is just infuriating. It's at the very top of our iPadOS 27 wish list. What's on yours? Let us know in the comments.
