There aren’t a lot of iPad-only features in iPadOS 18, but one is a redesigned tab bar for apps.
Until now, iPad apps have used a similar tab bar to what’s found on the iPhone. In other words, tabs would sit at the bottom of the screen. However, iPadOS 18’e tab bar user interface “floats” at the top of your iPad’s screen.
To customize an app’s tab bar in iPadOS 18, you can take advantage of the new “sidebar” feature, which allows users to drag and drop items to add or remove them from the tab bar, reorder them, and even hide certain items by unchecking them in the sidebar while in edit mode; essentially providing a dynamic way to personalize their app experience based on their needs.
To start customizing, typically, there will be an “Edit” button within the sidebar or tab bar itself, which enters you into the customization mode.
Once in edit mode, you can simply drag items from the sidebar to add them to the tab bar, or drag items from the tab bar to remove or reposition them. The sidebar acts as a central hub where you can choose which items to display on the tab bar and which to hide. By dragging and dropping within the tab bar, you can rearrange the order of your tabs to suit your preference.
