If you installed iPadOS 26.2 or macOS 26.2, then you will be surprised to learn that it sneakily gave your iPad and Mac a Wi-Fi upgrade.
iPadOS and macOS 26.2 Unlocks 160MHz Channel Width on the 5GHz Wi-Fi for Select Devices
Apple is very careful when it comes to Wi-Fi so that it can deliver the best-possible real world experience. For example, none of Apple’s devices support the 40MHz channel width on the 2.4GHz band because it is heavily congested and prone to interference. Therefore devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac stick to the 20MHz channel width on the 2.4GHz band.
When it comes to the 5GHz Wi-Fi band, Apple usually sticks with the 80MHz channel width because once you start to go beyond it, such as 160MHz, channels start to overlap, and noise is introduced, which leads to packet loss, retransmissions, resulting in a poorer wireless experience in some cases.
With iPadOS 26.2 and macOS 26.2, Apple has unlocked the 160MHz channel width on the 5GHz Wi-Fi band. This means your device can now receive double the data on the same stream, as long as your Wi-Fi router supports.
But, before you get way too excited about this, do keep in mind that this upgrade is limited to select devices that support Wi-Fi 6E only. This includes the M2, M3, and M4 MacBook Air models, MacBook Pro models from M2 to M5, M4 iPad Pro, M3 iPad Air, and the latest iPad mini 7.
Some devices like the Mac mini and iMac already have support for the 160MHz channel width on the 5GHz band.
If you’re mostly connected to the 6GHz band, whether at home or office, then you shouldn’t care about anything at all since you’re already on the cleanest Wi-Fi band there is, along with the fast 160MHz channel width.
Do keep in mind your device will automatically connect to 5GHz using the 160MHz channel width if your Wi-Fi router supports it, and will fall back to 80MHz all the way down to 20MHz if there’s interference.
If you are interested in learning more, head over to Apple’s Wi-Fi and Ethernet specifications page.
