Craig Federighi explains why Mac-style multitasking took years to arrive on the iPad

Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, discussed the evolution and challenges behind bringing Mac-like multitasking to the iPad during the recent Worldwide Developers Conference. The iPad’s multitasking capabilities have been limited historically due to hardware constraints and the original design of iOS, which prioritized touch-first, single-window interactions. Early iPads were limited by less powerful hardware and apps designed for fixed screen sizes, making dynamic window resizing and multi-window multitasking impractical. Over time, as iPad hardware—especially in Pro models—became more powerful and users began employing keyboards and trackpads more, Apple saw an opportunity to introduce a more Mac-like interface. Apple’s first attempt, Stage Manager in iPadOS 16, faced criticism for limited device support and bugs, leading to delays and a scaled-back experience. For iPadOS 26, Apple re-architected the multitasking system to support more devices and improve background task handling, though some advanced features remain exclusive to high-end models. While iPadOS 26 brings a menu bar, multiple resizable windows, and improved multitasking, Federighi emphasized that the iPad remains a distinct product with a different interaction model than Macs, balancing new capabilities without sacrificing the simplicity expected by many users. This update represents a significant step toward merging iPad functionality with desktop-class multitasking, yet maintaining the device’s unique identity.