Apple Releases iPadOS 26.2 With Multitasking Improvements

Apple today released iPadOS 26.2, the second major update to the iPadOS 26 operating system released in September. iPadOS 26.2 comes a month after iPadOS 26.1.

The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

iPadOS 26.2 continues with the multitasking improvements that were added with iPadOS 26.1. You can now drag and drop apps from the Dock, Spotlight Search, or the App Library to different multitasking views, including Slide Over.

Apps can be dragged to the far left or far right to enter Slide Over mode, or to the left or right to enter a tiled view. There’s also an option to drag an app to the middle to open up a larger or smaller window, with visual indicators to make it simple. It’s an easier way to manipulate apps than the prior controls accessible through the window buttons. Apple’s release notes for the update are below.

Multitasking
– Multitasking gestures to quickly tile windows or place an app in Slide Over by dragging app icons from the Dock

Apple Music
– Favorite Songs playlist appears in Top Picks on the home tab
– Offline lyrics for downloaded songs so you can view them without an internet connection

Podcasts
– Automatically generated chapters make it easier to navigate episodes
– Links to mentioned podcasts let you see and follow other podcasts mentioned in the episode you’re listening to directly from the player and transcript

Games
– Filters in the Games library let you find games by category, size, and more
– In-game challenge score banners provide real-time updates when someone new has taken the lead
– Improved support for connected controllers such as Backbone and Razer

This update also includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:
– Additional Lock Screen time customization option lets you further adjust its appearance, giving the Liquid Glass material more or less opacity
– Alarms for Reminders help you stay on top of urgent tasks, and provide snooze and Live Activity support if you’re not ready to check the reminder off
– AirDrop codes offer an additional layer of verification when using AirDrop with unknown contacts by providing a code on the receiver’s device that the sender must enter to complete the transfer
– Apple News Section links in the sidebar of the News app offer easy navigation to popular topics like Sports, Politics, Business, and Food
– Multipack accessory pairing in the Home app lets you use the same setup code to easily enroll multiple accessories when sold together
– Flash for alerts in Accessibility Settings offers the additional option to have the device screen flash when you receive a notification
– Tables in Freeform can hold text, images, documents, and drawings, with cells that intelligently resize to fit, bringing structure to the infinite canvas
– Fixes an issue where pre-release albums in the Apple Music library were not immediately playable at their release time
– Fixes an issue where a Privacy and Security setting may incorrectly be marked as managed by an enterprise organization.

More info on ‌iPadOS 26‌ is available in our roundup.