iPadOS 26 multitasking got better when I changed this one setting

Source: 9to5Mac

iPadOS 26 makes major changes to how multitasking works via a new app windowing system. Apple’s new system got a lot better for me after I changed one key setting.

‘Automatically Show and Hide Dock’ makes iPadOS 26 multitasking feel more Mac‑like

In iPadOS 26, apps get an entirely new windowing system that works a lot like the Mac.

You can freely resize windows, overlap them, and do all the things that Stage Manager once tried to do, but couldn’t quite deliver.

The update also brings the menu bar to the iPad, with direct inspiration from the Mac.

But as great as those changes are, there’s another feature that might just make your iPad feel even more Mac‑like than ever. It’s tied to a new toggle found in Settings.

Inside the Settings app in iPadOS 26, the Multitasking & Gestures menu reveals a new option: ‘Automatically Show & Hide Dock.’

For Mac users, this toggle will be entirely familiar, but with a twist.

By default, macOS always shows the dock unless you choose to have it automatically hide. The other exception is when apps are in full‑screen. So on Mac, the setting reads: ‘Automatically hide and show the Dock.’

On iPad, the dock is visible on the Home Screen, but when working in apps it tends to stay hidden unless you invoke it. In iPadOS 26, enabling ‘Automatically Show and Hide Dock’ lets you keep the dock visible while working inside apps—provided the app’s window doesn’t encroach on the dock’s territory.

Essentially, you need to follow two rules:

• The app’s window can’t be full‑screen, otherwise the dock will stay hidden.
• The window must not occupy the bottom part of the screen where the dock lives.

Meet these two requirements, and the dock will stay visible while you work in apps. This makes switching between apps easier and pairs nicely with the dock’s new ability to hold folders from the Files app.

For me, enabling the new setting and resizing my windows so the dock stays visible has made a huge difference. These changes alone have made my iPad feel more like a Mac than ever before.

What do you think of the new dock setting in iPadOS 26? Let us know in the comments.

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