The best iPadOS 16 feature is coming to non-M1 iPads
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Stage Manager, one of the most fundamental changes to the iPad platform since Apple’s tablet launched more than a decade ago, will now come to more iPad Pros than just those with Apple’s latest custom M1 silicon.
Apple announced extended access for Stage Manager in a brief statement, which TechRadar received Tuesday from an Apple representative. The company also noted that external display support via M1 iPads “will be available later this year.”
It’s been nearly five months since Apple unveiled Stage Manager at WWDC 2022 as part of iPadOS 16. Unlike the other platforms unveiled that day, including iOS 16 and watchOS 9, iPadOS 16 remains in beta, possibly waiting for new iPads which may or may not arrive next month.
Stage Manager adds the ability to manage multiple app windows (opens in new tab) – up to eight – in a range of customizable, if not completely customizable – configurations. It takes the iPad’s earlier multi-window capabilities to the next level and makes it a closer cousin to macOS Ventura. It’s a powerful, if imperfect, update, but good enough that some were frustrated that Stage Manager was limited to iPads with Apple Silicon M1 chips.
That changes with the latest iPadOS 16.1 beta (beta 3). When we asked Apple about the update, they sent us this statement:
“We introduced Stage Manager as a brand new way to multitask with overlapping, resizable windows on both the iPad screen and a separate external display, with the ability to run up to eight live apps simultaneously on the screen. this multi-display support is only possible with the full power of M1-based iPads. Customers with iPad Pro 3rd and 4th generation have expressed great interest in being able to experience Stage Manager on their iPads. In response, our teams have worked hard to create a find a way to get a single-screen version for these systems, with support for up to four live apps simultaneously on the iPad screen.”
Before that, Stage Manager only worked on iPad Air (2022), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2021), and iPad Pro 11-inch (2021). Now it should work on 2020 iPad Pros, which have an M1 chip, and more interestingly, 2018 iPad Pros with an A12Z Bionic CPU.
As noted, there will be limitations. Instead of eight apps, Stage Manager on these tablets will be limited to four apps (just one more than you can run on an iPad without Stage Manager).
If you have one of these older iPad Pros and are running the latest iPadOS 16 beta, you can see Stage Manager in action. Note that you need to sign up for Apple Developer access to download the build to your device. Additionally, betas can be unstable and you wouldn’t want to run iPadOS 16.1 Beta 3 on a system you rely on to get real work done.
Apple’s comment about external display support means there may be a delay until later this year for the ability to connect another display to your M1 iPad and run Stage Manager through it as an experience on full screen and with full resolution. This does not apply to non-M1 iPad Pros as they do not support the external display function.
As for when iPadOS 16 will step out of the backstage to become a full-fledged, public operating system like its platform siblings, that’s anyone’s guess. Stay tuned to Ditching for the latest updates.
In the meantime, if you are looking for the best Apple iPad to run iOS 16, start here.