The latest iPadOS 16.1 beta expands Stage Manger, a multitasking feature, to older iPad models. Previously, the feature was believed to be exclusive to the M1 iPad Air and M1 iPad Pro.
Stage Manager automatically organizes apps and windows, making it quick and easy to switch between tasks. It even allows users to create overlapping windows of different sizes in a single view. Users can even drag and drop windows from the side, or open apps from the Dock to create groups of apps for a seamless, more efficient workflow.
iPadOS 16.1 beta removes Stage Manager external display support
Back when iPadOS 16 was announced, Apple said that Stage Manager would only be available on iPads with the M1 chip since it would be difficult for older iPads to run the feature while also offering smooth performance.
However, Engadget is now reporting that support for Stage Manager will be expanded to the 11-inch iPad Pro (first generation and later) and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third generation and later). “Specifically, it’ll be available on the 2018 and 2020 models that use the A12X and A12Z chips rather than just the M1,” the publication revealed.
Apple also provided the following statement to Engadget:
We introduced Stage Manager as a whole new way to multitask with overlapping, resizable windows on both the iPad display and a separate external display, with the ability to run up to eight live apps on screen at once. Delivering 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 strong interest in being able to experience Stage Manager on their iPads. In response, our teams have worked hard to find a way to deliver a single-screen version for these systems, with support for up to four live apps on the iPad screen at once.
There is one caveat, Stage Manager will only work with the iPad’s own display on older models. This means users will not be allowed to take advantage of full external display support with resolutions of up to 6K.
On the topic of external display support for Stage Manager, the latest iPadOS 16.1 beta removes it from M1 iPads as well. It will be added in a software update later this year.
Back in June, it was revealed that iPadOS 16 contains code that would allow Stage Manager to be enabled on older iPads. So, it is nice to see that Apple listened to its consumers and made it happen. As for the software update itself, iPadOS 16 is set to arrive sometime in October.
