iOS 26 brought two brand new apps on the iPhone’s home screen, here’s how I’m using one of them: the Preview app.
App Preview expands beyond Mac with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26
Apple adds new features to iOS all the time, but it’s not that common for us to get new system apps. However, in iOS 26, there are two: Preview and Apple Games.
The Preview app is inspired by Preview on the Mac, providing a dedicated hub for viewing and editing PDFs and images. It is now available on both iPhone and iPad via iOS 26 and iPadOS 26.
Here’s how Apple describes the new app:
Preview comes to iPad, giving users a dedicated app for creating a quick sketch, as well as viewing, editing and annotating PDFs and images with Apple Pencil or touch. Users can access all their PDFs and images in the Files app directly from Preview, create a blank page, use Apple Pencil to draw and write on it, and use AutoComplete to quickly fill out PDF forms.
I’ve been using Preview since the first beta versions of iOS and iPadOS last June 26. At first I wasn’t sure how much value it could add to what the Files app already offered, but I’ve grown to appreciate the availability of Preview as a standalone app.
What I’m using Preview for today
Before iOS 26, PDF files and images stored within the Files app would open in exactly the same app. However, most other file types open in separate, dedicated applications. For example, documents for Pages, Keynote, and Numbers are all stored within Files, but open within those separate applications.
I found some advantages to using the special Preview app in iOS 26.
One is that it makes it easier to manage multiple documents on your iPhone and iPad.
I’ve had to deal with a lot more paperwork than usual recently as part of a home buying process. And in iOS 26, it’s been easier to access and view those various PDFs right on my iPhone.
This is partly due to the ‘Quick View’ feature of the Files app.
Although a PDF will now open in Preview by default, you can also view it directly in Files via Quick Look.
This means that if you have several PDF files you’re fiddling with, it’s easy to have one open in Preview and another open in Files—allowing you to quickly jump back and forth through the app switcher. Basically, it makes multitasking feel less slow and clumsy.
I’ve also appreciated Preview on iPad, especially combined with the new iPadOS 26 windowing system.
In iPadOS 26 I have unique window configurations for the Preview and Files apps. I keep Preview in a large window that takes up most of the left side of the screen, while Files lives in a narrow window on the right side. This allows me to easily preview a PDF while navigating my file database at the same time. It’s a great setup for getting into different documents faster.
Preview offers a wider and more accessible set of tools for editing PDF files as well. It feels much closer to what the Mac has long offered through its Preview app. I’ve used new and existing features to add and remove pages from PDFs, sign documents with Markup, fill out PDFs, and more.
The greater flexibility of being able to use Preview and Files together, along with an enhanced toolset, has made Preview a welcome addition to both iPhone and iPad.
How is your experience with iOS 26 Preview? Tell us in the comments.
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