iPadOS 26.4 adds convenient new feature for iPad power users

iPadOS 26 introduced a brand new windowing system for apps, and iPadOS 26.4 adds a key enhancement that multi-window power users should appreciate.

After years of iPad power users asking for a less restrictive multitasking system, Apple finally delivered in iPadOS 26.

Now you can open as many app windows as you want and freely resize them. But that change has, understandably, made it easier to lose track of open windows.

And in iPadOS 26.4, Apple has a new feature coming that’s designed to help.

When you launch an iPad app that has multiple windows open, some of which are hidden, you’ll now see a new popup on-screen in iPadOS 26.4.

Per the screenshot above, the popup will say ‘X Hidden Windows’ and let you tap or click to show all open windows.

The popup flows out of the icon for the app you launched, so it will appear in different locations depending on where the app icon is located.

Functionally, it serves a similar purpose to the old ‘Shelf’ feature that debuted in iPadOS 15.

I’ve noticed while using the iPadOS 26.4 beta that the popup doesn’t appear every time—usually only when it’s been a little while since I last launched the app.

It’s unclear if this is intentional or a big. But if the former, I think this is the right move on Apple’s part. The popup could quickly get annoying if I saw it every time an app launched, particularly when switching back and forth between apps constantly.

My guess is that out of the larger base of iPad users, not many ever open multiple windows for the same app. But for power users who do, iPadOS 26.4 will make it easier to keep track of all your open windows.

What do you think of the new multi-window popup in iPadOS 26.4? Let us know in the comments.