iPadOS 27 Adds Permanent Menu Bar Option to iPad, TechRadar Reports

TechRadar's Lloyd Coombes wrote that Apple had traditionally kept the iPad closer to the iPhone in core functionality, even after iPadOS became a standalone software package in 2019. iPadOS 26 marked a shift toward making the iPad feel more like a Mac, a direction TechRadar said made sense because iPads now run MacBook-level M-series chips. The iPad Pro (2025), for example, uses the M5. The devices also support background exports in creative apps, switching audio sources while podcasting, and other high-level productivity tasks.

The Menu Bar arrived in iPadOS 26 as a facsimile of the macOS feature, offering app-specific options at the top of the iPad screen. On Mac, the Menu Bar is permanent, sits at the top of the screen for easy access, and highlights the app currently in use. On iPadOS 26, it was not permanent, which TechRadar said could make it as much of a hindrance as a help.

In iPadOS 27, users can make it permanent. After updating, they must open Settings and select 'Multitasking & Gestures' in the left-hand sidebar. The Menu Bar is visible only when the iPad is set to Windowed Apps or Stage Manager. From there, users can find a toggle labeled 'Automatically Show and Hide Menu Bar.' If it is on, turning it off will keep the Menu Bar visible across apps, except when watching something in full-screen mode. Turning the toggle back on restores the automatic show-and-hide behavior.

TechRadar listed several caveats. The Menu Bar is not particularly useful when using an iPad with a finger; it is better suited to a mouse, trackpad, or Apple Pencil. Coombes wrote that he uses a Magic Keyboard and that the feature makes his iPad much more useful despite the keyboard's high price. The Menu Bar also cannot be customized with third-party apps in the way long-running Mac utilities such as Bartender can, and the right-hand side remains static. TechRadar said it could not see Apple rolling out utility apps on iPadOS soon.

Some existing interactions remain. Users can drag down from the right side of the Menu Bar to access Control Center, which is customizable, and the left side still opens notifications. Coombes wrote that he wished notifications appeared as a column on the side of the screen like the macOS Notification Center instead of taking up the whole screen. Dragging down from the middle of the Menu Bar opens Siri AI, a feature new in iPadOS 27 that TechRadar said makes Apple's voice assistant more useful.

TechRadar framed the permanent Menu Bar as the latest step toward a more Mac-like iPad and asked readers whether it represents the closest thing yet to a MacPad or whether they will continue using a Mac and leaving the iPad for content consumption.

Editor's Summary iPadOS 27, released on September 14, adds a setting that keeps the iPad Menu Bar visible across apps, building on the Menu Bar introduced in iPadOS 26. TechRadar reported that the option makes the iPad feel more Mac-like but noted limitations, including poor finger use and no third-party customization. The feature remains tied to Windowed Apps or Stage Manager and excludes full-screen video.