iPadOS 16’s New Multitasking Redesign Rivals the Mac GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Opinion News > Computers
iPadOS 16’s New Multitasking Redesign Rivals the Mac
Yes, that’s right—windows on the iPad
By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years. lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on June 7, 2022 10:03AM EDT Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Computers Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming iPadOS 16 brings multiple windows and external screen support to the iPad.With a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, your iPad becomes a "regular" computer.The Stage Manager feature may be annoying for some Mac users but amazing for iPad-first folks. Apple With iPadOS 16, the iPad's software finally lives up to the promise of its incredible hardware. iPadOS 16 and iOS 16, coming this fall, add a slew of great new features and tweaks. It's a laundry list of the fixes and improvements that nerds have dreamed about for years. But the biggest of all these changes is that the iPad finally gets the Weather app. Kidding—although only a little. No, the big news here is Stage Manager and what Apple calls "Full External Display Support." This lets you put your apps in resizable windows on the iPad's screen, then hook it up to an external display and use it like a Mac. "With iPadOS 16, we finally have a software narrative to justify the existence of the M1 iPad Pro," writes iPad superuser Federico Viticci on his Mac Stories blog. Windows 2022
The iPad is an incredible machine. It runs on the same M1 chip as several Macs and can do pretty much anything you want it to. But even for hardcore, long-time iPad "power users," it can sometimes be frustrating to get simple things done. For instance, you can drag and drop images, text, and files between apps, but the problem is actually switching between those apps to do it. Apple has tried several methods to get around this limitation but has—until now—ignored the best one, one that Apple already invented in 1984 with the Mac. App windows. Stage Manager lets you use up to four windows on the screen at once, and you can resize them and move them around (this feature is only available on M1-based iPad Pros). It's not a totally freeform environment like the Mac. Instead, only one window can be in the foreground at a time, with the others automatically slipped behind it. To be honest, it does look a little annoying, but it also looks like the best chance iPad users have ever had to do the kind of inter-app tasks that are just so much easier on the Mac. And things get even wilder when you hook up an external display. Then, just like the Mac, the new screen can be used as an independent monitor, and you can use a mouse to drag an additional four windows around. You could have an app on the iPad's screen for drawing with the Apple Pencil and then a Keynote presentation up on the big screen, into which you can drag and drop the drawing. Upsides Downsides
The idea is that we get most of the benefits of overlapping, resizable windows, but without the confusion that is almost inevitable with a completely freeform window system. Not everyone likes it, though. "I would never in a million years use Stage Manager—on Mac or iPad," Graham Bower, iPad user and graphic designer, told Lifewire via DM. "I honestly have no clue why they didn't just use the Dock. Now we have two docks. Great." The danger for Apple is that people might now choose to stick with their M1 iPads instead of upgrading to the Mac. On the other hand, this could tempt a lot of people to the iPad who weren't interested before. But for everyone, this is a significant update. Apple "I think Mac sales won't be much affected by the new iPadOS features this year. There are still some workflows that are better solved on Macs. In my opinion, people would rather consider buying an iPad as a secondary device to complete basic and intermediate tasks on the go and leave the Mac for advanced/office tasks," Serhii Popov, Software Engineer at Setapp by MacPaw. Apple has finally delivered features worthy of the powerful M1 chip, and has signaled that it realizes many people use the iPad for seriously complex tasks. And being able to dock your iPad and use it as a computer with a screen, mouse, and keyboard is just huge. In the end, though, this is a very welcome update and finally provides a good reason to upgrade to an M1 iPad. If you like how things work on your iPad right now, then you can keep on truckin'. Nothing has been removed in this regard. But just like the iPad hardware, which can be a tablet, or turn into a laptop with the Magic Keyboard and trackpad case, or work with the Apple Pencil, the iPad's interface can change to suit how you want to work, from the OG single-screen method, right up to a power-users dream with multiple screens and a proper keyboard. It's pretty wild stuff. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Use Apple Stage Manager How to Set Up Dual Monitors on a Mac iPadOS 16: Release Date, Features, News, and Price Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2023: Announcements, News, and More The iPadOS Versions Guide iPad Pro (2021, M1) Review: Desktop Performance in a Tablet iPadOS 15: Release Date, Features, and Supported Devices How to Use Your iPad as a Second Monitor How to Fix a Floating Keyboard on an iPad Is an iPad Worth It? 5 Reasons Why You Should Buy One How to Change an iPad's Sidecar Position What Is the iPad Air and How Does it Compare? How to Fix It When Apple Pencil Isn't Working How to Record Your iPad Screen to Your Mac for Free What Is the Newest Generation of the iPad? Which iPad Should You Buy? Choose the Best Model Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies