The iPad is perfect, except for this one missing Android feature

Over the past couple of years, Apple has significantly improved the iPad’s functionality by way of regularly-scheduled software updates. With (most) PC operating system essentials now present and accounted for within iPadOS– including resizable windows, a cursor, and desktop-class file management — the average iPad can now assume the role of miniature computer with relative ease.

Of course, not everything is sunshine and rainbows in iPad land, and there are still several software-based issues that Apple needs to address if it wants its flagship tablet to compete in the big leagues with Macs and Windows PCs. Multi-app audio, external monitor support while in clamshell mode, and multi-user account access are all missing features that immediately spring to mind as big fish in need of frying.

Then, there’s the minutia. Over time, I’ve noticed small quirks within the iPad’s software flow that create unnecessary friction during day-to-day use. As someone who feels most at home on Android, there’s one issue in particular that frustrates me to no end when switching over to an iPad: the automatic pausing of on-screen content whenever the iPadOS quick settings panel is invoked.

It doesn’t have to be this way

Apple could solve this Quick Settings issue in a jiffy

In the evenings, I tend to unwind by throwing the Portal app onto my iPad’s screen for some digital ambiance. However, the moment I swipe down to trigger the quick settings panel, which I often do to adjust volume and brightness levels, Portal’s audio and video feed freezes until I dismiss the interface. This is jarring, and it happens across many other apps I use on a regular basis.

Interestingly, not all apps behave consistently in this manner. For example, YouTube and Netflix both continue to play in the background even if I have quick settings triggered in the foreground, indicating an opt-out behavior for some streaming platforms and adjacent services. I’m not sure whether there’s a dedicated API that developers can use for their apps, but, either way, I’d much prefer it if background content continued to play across the system by default.

On my Android devices, by contrast, the quick settings pane never takes me out of my element. I’m able to toggle options and make adjustments on-the-fly without my movies, TV shows, games, and other media apps being impacted, and that just seems like the logical approach to UI design in my opinion.

The frustrating part of all this is that Apple could rework quick settings to rectify this problem without all that much effort. Rather than relying on third-party developers to tap into APIs, the company could flip a proverbial switch within the iPadOS code base to brute force a more Android-like approach.

The quick settings pane on iPadOS is due for a refresh

Apple really ought to take advantage of the iPad’s larger display canvas

Aside from fixing this longstanding content-pausing quirk, I reckon Apple could go a step further by expanding the scope of quick settings on iPadOS. As it currently stands, the iPad’s quick settings panel is functionally identical to that of the iPhone, down to the narrow layout and the limited 8 x 4 grid of shortcut slots.

Why not make the iPad’s version a dual-column design to better take advantage of available screen real estate? And, better yet, why not discontinue the practice of blurring the entire screen when the panel is triggered? Obfuscating the entire display might make sense on the iPhone, but it certainly doesn’t on the iPad’s larger canvas.

In any case, Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) for 2026 is expected to take place in June of this year, where the company is likely to announce its next-generation operating system upgrades to the public. Perhaps, if I cross my fingers tight enough, iPadOS 27 might just be unveiled with a reworked quick settings pane that behaves more in line with the one I’m familiar with on the Android platform.