iPadOS 26 is the most macOS-like iPad experience we’ve seen yet. With floating app windows, a swipe-down menu bar, and better multitasking, it’s clear Apple wants to push iPads further into productivity territory. But if you’re still hoping for full macOS on an iPad, you’ll have to wait a while.

Craig Federighi explained why in an interview with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier. The software engineering chief says iPadOS 26 strikes a balance: it gives users more flexibility without losing the iPad’s core identity. And for now, that means no macOS.

“We want to retain all the simplicity of the iPad,” said Federighi, “but still allow iPad users who want to go deeper and further to push it at their own pace.” He added that macOS just isn’t designed for touchscreens. Bringing it over wholesale would mean compromising what makes the iPad unique.

That said, the lines between macOS and iPadOS are clearly blurring. Federighi admits the two platforms are learning from each other. He also states that many of macOS’s “best ideas” have already been adapted to iPad.

Still hoping for a true Mac–iPad hybrid? Don’t give up just yet. Apple is rumored to be working on touchscreen Macs and even a massive 19-inch foldable iPad. So while iPadOS 26 stops short of full macOS, it’s clear Apple isn’t done evolving the iPad’s role in the lineup. It might just take a few more years to get there.

The post Apple explains why iPad still isn’t running macOS appeared first on Phandroid.