Blender Is Coming to iPad Pro With Touch and Apple Pencil Support

The Blender Foundation is bringing its full 3D creation suite to tablets, with the Apple iPad Pro and Apple Pencil as the initial target platforms. The project isn't a simplified mobile app but a full-featured version of Blender, giving artists who rely on their tablets—either as their main device or on the go—access to the complete suite of tools.

This push is made possible by the growing power of iPads with M-series chips and recent software improvements. Apple's iPadOS 26, for example, brought a much more capable windowing system and multitasking features that are essential for pro-level applications. The foundation noted that while standalone tablets are the first goal, these design principles will benefit all users, including those on desktops with graphics tablets.




Exploratory mockups shared by the team show an interface built from the ground up for a touch- and pen-first workflow. The design uses a single main window with floating regions for tools like the Outliner and Properties Editor, a notable shift from Blender's classic, non-overlapping layout. Other concepts include a wheel menu for keyboard modifiers, icon-based sidebars, and a floating tool panel for sculpting.

The initial focus for the tablet version will be on object manipulation and sculpting, with Grease Pencil and animation tools to follow. While the full Blender experience is the goal, the foundation acknowledges the unique challenges of tablets, like their limited screen real estate and siloed file systems. Blender's team is developing the port in a separate branch and has put out a call for developers with iOS experience to help with touch gestures and iCloud integration.

A tech demo of Blender running on an iPad Pro is planned for the Blender booth at SIGGRAPH 2025 in Vancouver. After that, a workshop will be held at Blender HQ in Amsterdam to further refine the design and workflows.

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