iPadOS Evolution: Balancing Familiarity and Uniqueness

With the arrival of iPadOS 26, Apple has introduced a suite of desktop-like multitasking features, including a revamped windowing system and a streamlined swipe-down menu bar. These changes, announced at WWDC 2025 and detailed in press and media interviews, have sharpened focus on an old question among Apple enthusiasts: why doesn't the iPad simply run macOS, now that Apple Silicon powers both device lines?

According to Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, the answer centers on user experience. In a recent interview with Swiss journalist Rafael Zeier, Federighi explained that iPadOS 26 aims to “retain all the simplicity of the iPad, but still allow iPad users who want to go deeper and further to push it at their own pace to doing more.” As reported, he emphasized that macOS, while more familiar to professional users, is "not optimized for touch-screens," a