Thanks to iPadOS 27, the iPad looks more like a Mac with two smart adjustments at the top of your screen. You can now always keep the menu bar visible, and the name of your active app will now appear at the top left of the status bar by default.
In iPadOS 26, you still had to swipe from top to bottom or move your trackpad cursor to the top edge of the screen to see the menu bar. On a Mac, this bar always remains visible. With iPadOS 27 you now have the choice to customize it: more like Mac, or sleeker and more minimalistic.
Make iPad menu bar always visible
Do you always want the menu bar visible on your iPad screen? Then you can set this up from now on using the steps below. Please note that you can only set this in the ‘Apps in windows’ and ‘Stage Manager’ view. With full screen apps it is not possible to display the menu bar permanently.
- Open Institutions on your iPad
- Navigate to ‘Multitasking and gestures‘
- Choose ‘Apps in Windows’ or ‘Stage Manager’
- Enable the option ‘Show and hide menu bar automatically‘ out
- The menu bar is immediately added to the top of the screen
What can you do with the menu bar?
The menu bar on your iPad is the narrow bar at the top of your screen that appears when you’re using a keyboard and mouse or trackpad, or when you’re working in windowed mode or Stage Manager. Just like on the Mac, this bar contains menus such as File, Edit, View and app-specific options, allowing you to quickly perform tasks without searching in the app itself. This includes creating a new document, changing the view, opening settings or using search and sharing options.
App name always at the top left
A second, more subtle improvement: the name of your active app is now always at the top left of the status bar, next to the date and time. This is a direct nod to macOS, where it has worked this way for years. It helps you quickly see which app is leading, especially if you work with multiple windows at the same time.
Useful detail: the app name remains visible, even if you choose to make the menu bar disappear automatically. This way you always know which app is active, without needing the menu bar. This is especially nice if you use a lot of keyboard shortcuts, because they are often app-specific. From the app name you can then open specific settings for this app, which is useful.