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I Tested iPadOS 26 on the iPad Mini—7 Surprising Things Apple Didn’t Tell You
Discover the hidden features, unexpected quirks, and real performance of Apple’s newest iPadOS update on the smallest iPad.
Ark
August 19, 2025
My Experience with iPadOS 26 on the iPad Mini: The Good, the Bad, and the Frustrating
I recently installed iPadOS 26 on my iPad Mini to explore what this latest update brings to the table. As someone who uses their iPad daily, I was excited to dive into the new features, but I also encountered some frustrations that left me questioning certain design choices. In this article, I’ll walk you through what I love about iPadOS 26, what I don’t, and why this update feels like a mixed bag—especially on a smaller device like the iPad Mini.
What I Love About iPadOS 26
A Stunning Liquid Glass Redesign
One of the standout features of iPadOS 26 is its liquid glass redesign, which mirrors the aesthetic introduced in iOS 26. This visual overhaul is noticeable across the system, from redesigned icons and widgets with a subtle shimmer to the control center’s floating glass panes. Open the Music app, for instance, and you’ll see reflections that shift as you scroll, creating a dynamic, premium feel. The keyboard and Spotlight search also get this glossy treatment, making the interface feel cohesive and modern. I think this design language is a significant upgrade over previous versions and could define Apple’s aesthetic for the next decade. It’s sleek, polished, and just feels right.
Files App Gets Smarter with macOS-Inspired Features
iPadOS 26 borrows heavily from macOS, and nowhere is this more evident than in the Files app. One of my favorite additions is the ability to pin any folder from the Files app to the dock, just like on a Mac. For example, I added my Downloads folder to the dock, and clicking it reveals its contents instantly. To do this, simply open the Files app, select a folder (like Documents), and tap the “Add to Dock” button. It’s a small but powerful feature that streamlines navigation.
Additionally, you can now customize folders with tags and emojis. Long-press a folder, select “Customize,” and choose an emoji or color tag (like purple) to make it stand out. This makes organizing and finding files much easier. The Files app also offers new view options—icons, lists, or columns—showing details like file names, extensions, and modification dates. These macOS-inspired tweaks make the Files app more robust and user-friendly, though I’m not entirely sure if all these options are exclusive to iPadOS 26.
Preview App: A Game-Changer for PDF Editing
Another major win is the introduction of the Preview app, a dedicated PDF viewer and editor now available on the iPad. Previously, iPad users relied on expensive third-party apps (some costing $15–$20/month) for PDF editing, which was a pain, especially for students. With Preview, you can create blank documents, scan files using the iPad’s camera, or browse PDFs stored on your device or iCloud Drive. The editor is intuitive, offering tools like markup for Apple Pencil annotations, autofill for form fields, and options to trim or rotate PDFs. It’s a simple but essential addition that makes the iPad more versatile for academic and professional use.
Background Activities Finally Work
iPadOS 26 introduces support for ongoing background activities, a feature that was sorely missing in earlier versions like iPadOS 18. Now, you can monitor tasks like Safari downloads via an icon in the top-right corner of the screen, which displays progress when you swipe down. Even better, you can multitask while intensive processes run in the background. For example, you can export a video in Final Cut Pro and continue using other apps without interruption. This is a basic feature on macOS, but its arrival on the iPad feels like a big step forward for productivity.
The Phone App Comes to iPad
Apple has also brought the Phone app to iPadOS 26, allowing you to make cellular calls using your iPhone’s SIM card when it’s nearby. While FaceTime audio calls were possible before, the dedicated Phone app simplifies the process. No more relying on Siri or convoluted workarounds to make a standard phone call. It’s a small but welcome addition for those who want to stay connected without reaching for their iPhone.
What I Don’t Like About iPadOS 26
The Windowing System: A Frustrating Fit for iPad Mini
iPadOS 26 introduces a new windowing system, but on the iPad Mini, it’s borderline unusable. Upon setting up the OS, you’re prompted to choose between full-screen apps or windowed apps (with a warning to avoid Stage Manager, which is clunky). In windowed mode, apps open full-screen by default, but you can drag a small handle in the bottom-right corner to resize them into floating windows. This works decently on larger iPads like the 11-inch or 13-inch models, but on the iPad Mini’s tiny display, it’s a mess.
Resizing windows is glitchy, even in late beta stages, and the small screen limits you to two windows at most before they overlap and obscure each other. For example, opening Safari and Twitter side by side maxes out the display, and adding a third app covers the others entirely. Apple’s decision to offer the same windowing functionality across all iPad models, regardless of screen size, feels like a misstep. On the iPad Mini, this feature is more frustrating than functional—I’d rather use my iPhone for multitasking.
The Removal of Slide Over: A Devastating Loss
The most infuriating change in iPadOS 26 is the complete removal of Slide Over, a feature I used multiple times a day for my workflow. In previous versions (like iPadOS 18), Slide Over allowed you to drag an app from the dock to the right side of the screen, creating a compact, swipeable window with its own app switcher. I’d keep notes or other apps in Slide Over while working in a full-screen app like Safari, flicking it in and out as needed. It was seamless and perfect for quick multitasking.
Now, Slide Over is gone, replaced by the clunky windowing system. Dragging an app like Twitter onto Safari opens it in a floating window that can’t be dismissed to the side—it just sits there, obstructing your view. This feels like a massive downgrade, and I’m genuinely baffled by Apple’s decision to axe such a practical feature. If you used Slide Over, let me know in the comments—I can’t be the only one missing it.
Apple has ported the macOS three-dot menu (red, yellow, and green buttons) to iPadOS 26. The red “X” closes an app completely, the yellow button minimizes it to the multitasking view, and the green button toggles full-screen mode or offers scaling options (like splitting the screen into quarters). On larger iPads, these scaling options might be useful, but on the iPad Mini, they’re laughably impractical. The “quarters” option, for instance, takes up far more than a quarter of the screen, and you can’t fit four apps as implied. This feature feels half-baked on smaller devices, and I wish Apple had tailored it to different screen sizes.
Another macOS import is the menu bar, which appears when you swipe down in an app. In Safari or Files, it’s useful, offering options like settings, privacy reports, or file management tools. However, in apps like YouTube, the menu bar is mostly useless, with grayed-out options for file, edit, or view that don’t apply. It feels like a cosmetic addition to make the iPad seem more “professional,” but it adds little value in many apps.
Final Thoughts
iPadOS 26 brings some fantastic features to the table, like the liquid glass redesign, the Preview app, and enhanced Files app functionality. The addition of background activities and the Phone app further bridges the gap between the iPad and macOS, making it a more capable device. However, the new windowing system is a poor fit for the iPad Mini’s small screen, and the removal of Slide Over is a devastating blow to my productivity. The three-dot menu and menu bar, while promising, feel inconsistent across apps and screen sizes.
I suspect iPadOS 26 shines on larger devices like the 13-inch iPad Pro, where the windowing system and other features likely feel more natural. On the iPad Mini, though, the experience is a mixed bag, with some changes feeling like they were designed without smaller screens in mind. I’m considering exploring iPadOS 26 on a larger iPad to see if the experience improves—let me know if you’d like to hear about that. For now, I’m torn: iPadOS 26 has a lot of potential, but its one-size-fits-all approach and the loss of Slide Over make it a frustrating update for iPad Mini users.
