- Apple does not merge iPados and MacOS, says the company’s Craig Federighi
- It would “lose what makes iPad ipad,” Federighi explained
- iPados 26 trying to balance simplicity and power user features
Spend enough time in the Apple ecosystem and you will hear a question emerging again and again: “Will Apple ever merge its iPads and Macs?” Whether the question is asked by an experienced journalist or your uncle when you come to visit, lots of people will know the answer.
After a WWDC 2025, where the iPados 26 was equipped with a bunch of Mac-like features-from improved window control to a menu bar on the screen-this question bred its head again. Still, it’s something that Apple has just come out and addressed head-on.
In an interview with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier (via macumors), Apple’s software manager Craig Federighi expressed it this way: “With Makos you would lose what makes iPad iPad, which is the ultimate touch unit. But there are many things the two platforms can learn from each other and that is where we have our best ideas.”
In other words, MacOS Tahoe is simply not designed for tablets. But while putting the full-blown macos on an iPad may not make sense right now, Apple is still happy to borrow ideas from each platform and spread them around its products-as we looked at WWDC.
Will iPados and MacOS ever merge?
So why not just leave the iPados and MacOS completely separate? Why share features between the platforms that inevitably lead to questions about merging iPads and Macs?
According to Federighi, “We want to preserve 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 do more.” This means adding features that can improve the experience for more demanding users without adding unnecessary complexity.
To this end, Apple has designed its new iPados features so that you can essentially switch Multi-Window mode on and off. If you prefer the old way of working, with full -screen apps that do not overlap, you can use it. If you want to use multiple windows that you can in macOS, you can switch to this mode.
Still, there is another consideration: The rumor that Apple is planning to launch a 19-inch collapsible device that blurs the line between iPad and Mac. This is apparently due to about 2028 and it will be fascinating to see how Apple’s software handles such a product. Maybe we will finally know if Apple ever plans to braid iPados and MacOS.
