Most people treat their iPad like a jumbo iPhone. Rows of app icons. Maybe a few folders. A screen or two with widgets they barely notice.

And we use it primarily for watching videos on social media or streaming services. Some use it for reading books or browsing content while you watch TV on a big screen.

But the iPad can be so much more, especially if you stop thinking of it as a “main computer” and start using it as a powerful second device.

I got inspired by Easlo and his minimalist iPad setup. A brilliant idea.

I’ve been testing this approach for a while now, and with iPadOS 26 introducing overlapping windows and more Mac-like multitasking, it’s the perfect time to rethink your iPad as a focused, task-based productivity sidekick.

The trick?

Ditch the app grid. Build screens that match your tasks, not your apps. And use widgets, not just icons, to drive your focus.

Here’s how I’ve done it.

Think in Workspaces, Not Pages

Instead of swiping through endless pages of app icons, I’ve dedicated each Home Screen to a specific kind of task:

Work
Writing
Entertainment
Trading

Each screen becomes a focused workspace. To make it obvious, I use a simple WidgetSmith text widget: a big bold label at the top of each screen that names the space.

No guessing. No clutter.

Make Widgets the Star

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Instead of filling each screen with apps, I use widgets to surface actions.

My Work screen, for example, includes:

A large Calendar widget showing my daily schedule
A Mail widget with a preview of my inbox
The ChatGPT widget for quick prompts and follow-ups
A Reminders widget showing just today’s tasks
A compact Weather widget - because yes, outdoor calls still happen

Each of these widgets is functional. They give me real-time data, shortcuts, and context, all without opening a single app.

I’m not tapping around trying to remember what I needed to do. I’m doing.

This is the magic: Home Screens become live dashboards for action.

Create Themed Screens

On my Writing screen, I set up widgets for:

Ulysses, front and center
Notes, pinned to my current draft ideas
A Dictionary widget for quick reference
A Timer widget for 25-minute focused sprints

The moment I flip to this screen, my brain shifts gears. No decision fatigue. Just context and cues to get started.

Same with my Trading screen:

A stock tracking widget showing active trades from RobinHood or Fidelity
A curated News widget for market updates
Notes pinned with trade strategies
A shortcut to my tracking spreadsheet

Instead of asking, “What app should I open?”, I just swipe to the screen I need.

It’s like having a set of desks, each one ready for a different job. Just swivel your chair.

Bonus: With iPadOS 26, It’s a Mini Mac

With iPadOS 26, you can finally run overlapping windows. I often keep Ulysses open beside Safari or float ChatGPT next to a draft.

Add a Magic Keyboard or trackpad, and suddenly your iPad behaves less like a mobile device and more like a second Mac, one that’s portable and purpose-driven.

It’s a TaskPad

Your iPad doesn’t need to compete with your Mac. It can complement it, brilliantly, if you stop organizing it like a phone. Create task-specific workspaces, surface actions with widgets, and flip between them like flipping through physical notebooks.

It’s simple. It’s clean. And it works.

Try it for a week. You’ll never go back to rows of icons again.

For all the obsession we have with downloading the next great productivity app, sometimes the best tool is already sitting on your device. Quiet. Reliable. Always there when you need it. I’m talking, of course, about Apple Notes.

Yes, that Apple Notes—the default yellow-and-white app we’ve all opened at least once to jot down a grocery item or scribble a stray thought. But dig a little deeper and you’ll realize that Apple Notes is one of the most powerful (and criminally underused) productivity tools in the entire Apple ecosystem.

Think about it: it’s built into every device you own—iPhone, iPad, Mac, and now, with watchOS 26, even your Apple Watch. It syncs instantly via iCloud. It’s fast. It’s simple. And it doesn’t nag you with popups, ads, or endless configuration screens.

Over the years, Apple has quietly added features that make Notes a mini powerhouse.

You can:

Create checklists and todos for work or groceries
Add rich media like images, scanned documents, and even audio
Collaborate and share notes in real-time with family or teammates
Lock personal notes behind FaceID
Organize everything with folders and tags
Use Quick Note on iPad or Mac to instantly capture ideas while working

I’ve used it to track everything from weekend packing lists to a running log of startup ideas to journal entries I never intended to share. I keep a shared grocery list with my wife, a shared “Movies To Watch” list with my daughters, and a packing template I duplicate for every trip. It’s not glamorous, but it works. And the best part? It never breaks.

Now, with watchOS 26, Apple’s bringing Notes to the wrist—and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Here’s what you can do on the Apple Watch:

Create a new note instantly: Stuck in traffic with a million-dollar idea? Walking the dog and suddenly remember what you were supposed to do tomorrow? Just raise your wrist, tap Notes, and dictate a thought. Done.
View existing notes: That grocery list your spouse updated while you were out? It’s right there, on your wrist. No need to pull out your phone or juggle a cart and a screen.

This may sound small, but it’s not. The magic of productivity is in reducing friction. Every extra step between you and your idea increases the chances you’ll forget or delay it. With Apple Notes now on the Watch, capturing a thought is literally a flick of the wrist away.

And yes, it’s still just Notes—no complicated interface, no learning curve, no subscription. Just the stuff you need, when you need it.

So if you’re already in the Apple ecosystem and haven’t been taking full advantage of Apple Notes, it’s time. Stop chasing the next flashy notes app. Open the one you already have. Organize a few folders. Start small. Use it for everything. And let your devices quietly do the work of remembering, tracking, and syncing—while you get on with doing.

Apple Notes just got a promotion. It’s not just where you jot things down.

It’s your new command center.