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iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

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When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu.

ipad air magic keyboard feature
This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management, and the addition of a macOS-like menu bar would certainly align with that overall plan.

In a blog post today, the leaker also claimed that iPadOS 19 will enhance Stage Manager, the feature that lets you use multiple apps at once on an external display. The leaker said that Stage Manager will work more seamlessly, but they did not provide any specific details about the alleged improvements. They also said that iOS 19 will enable at least a basic version of Stage Manager on iPhone models with a USB-C port.

The first beta of iPadOS 19 should be available after the WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9, but some new features are not enabled until later betas.

Majin Bu has a mixed track record with Apple rumors, with some hits and some misses.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Tags: Magic Keyboard, Majin Bu
Related Forum: iOS 26

Top Rated Comments

Reason077 Avatar
Reason077
12 months ago
“How curious it is,” Pooh said aloud, to nobody in particular, “that the iPad tries so very hard to be like the MacBook, but never quite manages to feel as settled and cozy.”

You see, the MacBook is like a warm armchair by the fire. You sit down, and everything is where it ought to be. Menus are at the top, folders behave like proper friends, and when you click, things listen. It's a sensible sort of magic.

The iPad, on the other paw, is always trying to do tricks—jumping and spinning and saying, “Look! I can be a computer too!” which is very sweet, but sometimes a bit too eager, like Tigger with too much juice.

“Wouldn’t it be rather nice if the iPad just let itself be a MacBook", Pooh pondered.

And then he had a second smackerel of honey, because thinking is hungry work.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
MacKid
12 months ago
Oh god, we don’t need on screen dropdown versions of cut/copy/paste, we need a reliable version of Files
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
applefan8254 Avatar
applefan8254
12 months ago
Can we get multiple users please? Thank you
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
jole
12 months ago
iPadOS foundation is very capable, but anything resembling full featured computer is intentionally disabled. How about allowing us to run full apps, virtual memory with swap, background tasks, JIT, compilers, command line, … All that would be possible if Apple would unlock the capabilities.

🥺🙏
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thejadedmonkey Avatar
thejadedmonkey
12 months ago
Just an Apple keyboard? What about any other mice and keyboards? There's no technical reason my Logitech G915 mechanical keyboard and G703 mouse can't make use of a menu bar when a Magic Keyboard can.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Achillias Avatar
Achillias
12 months ago
This simply isn't enough. Apple absolutely needs to implement a Dex-style mode on iPadOS. That thing has way too much power for the tasks it's limited to. It should essentially be a laptop, allowing users to choose whether they prefer to buy a laptop or do all their work on the iPad.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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