iPadOS and macOS 26.2 Double 5GHz Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Wi-Fi 6E Devices

iPadOS and macOS 26.2 Double 5GHz Wi-Fi Bandwidth for Wi-Fi 6E Devices

Apple Supercharges Wi-Fi on Macs and iPads—No New Router Required In a move that’s flying under the radar but could significantly boost everyday performance, Apple’s latest iPadOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2 updates have quietly unlocked a major Wi-Fi upgrade for select devices. If you own a recent Mac or iPad with Wi-Fi 6E support, you may now be able to access double the 5GHz bandwidth—without buying new hardware. This change brings theoretical speeds on common 5GHz networks much closer to those of the newer—but still rare—6GHz band. Credit: Google What’s Changed in iPadOS and macOS 26.2? Starting with the January 5, 2026 releases of iPadOS 26.2 and macOS Tahoe 26.2, Apple has increased the maximum channel bandwidth on 5GHz Wi-Fi from 80MHz to 160MHz for compatible devices. That effectively doubles the data pipe available over the 5GHz band, which remains the backbone of most home and office networks. Previously, only 6GHz connections on Wi-Fi 6E networks supported 160MHz channels—but now…