Undoubtedly, iPads are widely considered the best tablets on the market thanks to their top-tier performance and seamless optimization. Still, many Apple fans—especially those already deep in the Apple ecosystem—have long been asking for more: the ability to run macOS on their iPads instead of iPadOS.
Apple, however, hasn’t shown much interest in making that a reality. Despite repeated user requests, the company has kept the iPad experience distinct from the Mac.
But where Apple draws the line, creative tech enthusiasts step in. A developer behind Tiny11—a lightweight, modified version of Windows 11—has shared a video of an iPad running Windows 11, and the result is both surprising and impressive.
Here’s a closer look at how they made it happen and what this experiment could mean for the future of iPad versatility. Want me to break down how this setup works or what it could imply for tech tinkerers and iPad users?
A Developer Gets Windows 11 Running on an iPad—And It’s a Game-Changer
Thanks to an unexpected twist, the tech world has been buzzing: an iPad running Windows 11. And it’s not just any version—it’s Tiny11, a lightweight, stripped-down take on Microsoft’s operating system. This surprising demo comes courtesy of NTDEV, the developer behind Tiny11, and it’s gotten a lot of attention from Windows-focused communities.
The iPad used for this experiment isn’t just any model—it’s one with an Apple M2 chip, which offers plenty of power for running heavy tasks. That’s key here, because what NTDEV achieved wasn’t just a gimmick. It was a clear, working example that shows the iPad has more than enough horsepower to run full desktop-level software—something many users have been asking Apple to enable with macOS.
Of course, this wasn’t about replacing iPadOS with Windows for everyday users. As NTDEV pointed out, this test was mainly technical, not meant to be a practical solution for average consumers. The iPad booted into Tiny11 via UTM, an app that emulates systems using JIT (Just-In-Time) compilation, and while startup took a bit of time, once it was up and running, Windows apps worked smoothly.
This entire demo raises a question Apple has long avoided: if the iPad can handle something as heavy as Windows, what’s really stopping macOS from running on it? From a technical standpoint, clearly nothing. It seems more like a matter of company strategy than hardware limitation.
Tiny11 itself is impressive in its own right. Designed for ultra-low-resource machines, it can run on a system with just 184 MB of RAM and only takes up about 8 GB of space once installed, making it perfect for older PCs or experimental projects like this one.
While Apple may not be rushing to merge iPadOS with macOS, the iPad’s ability to handle full desktop software—even unofficially—shows just how versatile the hardware really is. And thanks to innovative developers like NTDEV, we keep getting closer to unlocking that full potential.
