iPadOS 27 makes the iPad feel more like a Mac with a permanent Menu Bar

Apple has pushed the iPad further toward the Mac with iPadOS 27, which launches on September 14. The update makes the Menu Bar permanently available at the top of the screen, giving the tablet a more Mac-like workflow.

Apple began separating the iPad from the iPhone more clearly when it introduced iPadOS in 2019. iPadOS 26 continued that shift with the arrival of the Menu Bar, but the feature was not always visible. In iPadOS 27, users can keep it on by opening Settings, selecting ‘Multitasking & Gestures’, choosing Windowed Apps or Stage Manager, and turning off ‘Automatically Show and Hide Menu Bar’. The bar remains visible across apps unless the iPad is in full-screen mode.

The change is best suited to a mouse, trackpad, or Apple Pencil rather than finger use. It also works well with the Magic Keyboard. However, the Menu Bar cannot be customized with third-party apps such as Bartender.

Users can still drag down from the right side to open Control Center, while the left side shows notifications. Dragging down from the middle opens Siri AI, a new iPadOS 27 feature. The change adds to an iPad experience increasingly supported by MacBook-level M-series chips, including the M5 in the iPad Pro (2025).