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Apple’s iPadOS 26 adds movable, resizable app windows and an app menu bar, bringing iPad closer to the desktop-style multitasking Samsung tablets offer through DeX. The resemblance is real; the available documentation does not show that Apple copied Samsung or establish why Apple waited to make this change.
What changed on the iPad?
Announced on June 9, 2025, iPadOS 26 lets users resize app windows, position them, and open more windows at once. Familiar controls let you close, minimize, resize, and tile windows; the system remembers a window’s size and position when you reopen it. Window tiling and Exposé help arrange and switch among open windows. Apple also supports using the windowing system with Stage Manager and an external display. Apple’s iPadOS 26 announcement describes the changes.
Turn on windowed apps and arrange them
- Open Settings > Multitasking & Gestures and enable Windowed Apps.
- In supported apps, open multiple windows as needed. Drag a window by its top edge to move it; drag a corner or the bottom-right handle to resize it.
- Place two windows side by side to work in both. Use tiling or Exposé to organize and switch between windows.
App commands are available from a menu bar: swipe down from the middle of the display or move the pointer to the top of the screen. Apple says users can search commands and tips there. Apple’s current iPad multitasking guide includes Slide Over for iPadOS 26.2 or later: a window can sit above other windows, move off-screen, and be brought back. That version detail matters when following instructions written around the initial iPadOS 26 release.
Has Samsung had something similar for years?
Samsung DeX provides a desktop-style interface for using apps from a Galaxy phone or tablet, either on the device or, depending on the model and setup, on a connected display. Samsung documents movable and resizable windows, minimize, maximize, and close controls, taskbar access, left- and right-side snapping, and pop-up windows. On supported tablet software, users can also switch workspaces. See Samsung’s DeX support documentation.
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At the feature level, the overlap is straightforward: both systems let users work with multiple visible app windows, reposition them, and use familiar desktop window controls. That can make keyboard-and-pointer work feel more like using a computer. This is an interpretation of the documented design, not a measured claim that either system makes people more productive.
Where iPadOS windowing and DeX differ
| Area | iPadOS 26 | Samsung DeX |
|---|---|---|
| Window controls | Resize, move, close, minimize, and tile windows; the system remembers their size and position. Apple’s current guide also documents Slide Over in iPadOS 26.2 or later. | Samsung documents resize, move, minimize, maximize, close, snap, and pop-up window controls. |
| Availability | Windowing is part of iPadOS 26. Apple documents using it with Stage Manager and an external display. | Features and setup vary by Galaxy device and software. Samsung’s workspace instructions apply to supported tablet software running Android 16 with One UI 8.0 or higher; standalone DeX is limited to listed Galaxy series. |
| Using more than one screen | Apple documents pairing windowing with an external display and Stage Manager. | Samsung says apps generally run on one screen at a time: the same app cannot run simultaneously on the external display and the tablet or phone display. |
| PC connection caveat | Not stated in Apple’s cited windowing documentation. | DeX for PC is no longer supported on Galaxy devices released with or updated to One UI 7 or later. Samsung points to Link to Windows for some PC-connected tasks. |
Samsung also warns that apps running when DeX opens or closes will be closed, so save work first. Its availability and behavior depend on the device and software version; check Samsung’s support information for the specific Galaxy model and setup rather than assuming every tablet supports every DeX feature.
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- MEMORY AND STORAGE THAT KEEP UP: With up to 8GB of memory and 256GB⁶ of storage, Galaxy Tab A11+ gives your family the space and speed to multitask seamlessly and handle large files.
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Why did iPad take so long—and did Apple copy Samsung?
The practical answer to the first question is that Apple has now chosen to make windowed multitasking a prominent part of the iPad experience. Apple’s feature announcement and Samsung’s DeX documentation establish that the two systems have comparable concepts; they do not establish when every individual DeX capability first appeared, why Apple made its design choices, or that Apple intentionally followed Samsung. Calling the change a copy would go beyond the available evidence.
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Which approach fits your work?
There is no established head-to-head test here that proves one system is better. Compare the specific devices, apps, and tasks you use rather than treating either feature list as a universal winner.
- Window flexibility: Consider how you move, resize, tile, and revisit windows in the apps you actually use.
- Touch, keyboard, and pointer: Think about whether your everyday work is touch-first or relies on precise pointer movement and keyboard input.
- External displays: Check the behavior you need on your exact device, including whether apps can appear on both screens at once.
- Device and software support: Verify the iPadOS version or Galaxy model and software requirements before relying on a particular feature.
- Workflow recovery: On DeX, save open work before entering or leaving the interface, since Samsung warns that apps may close during the transition.
A trackpad can make pointer-based window controls more precise, but it is optional: Apple’s windowing instructions do not require a keyboard. Apple lists trackpad-equipped keyboard options and model compatibility on its iPad keyboard page, and says iPad also works with third-party Bluetooth keyboards. Check compatibility for your exact iPad before choosing a keyboard case.
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