Stage Manager FI

Unleashing the Power of Stage Manager on the iPad

Apple introduced Stage Manager for the iPad in iPadOS 16. This is the most significant change to the way we work with Windows. Here’s how Stage Manager works and why you might want to use it. 

Currently, Stage Manager is limited to certain iPads: all 11-inch iPad Pro Models, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 3rd generation and later, and the 5th generation iPad Air and later.

In iPadOS 16, Stage Manager arranges your current apps into a strip on the left side of the display for quick access. 

Activating Stage Manager 

Stage Manager isn’t activated by default. Instead, you must turn it on through the Settings app or Control Center.

Using the Settings app:

  • Open the Settings app
  • Choose Home Screen & Multitasking
  • Tap Stage Manager

  • Toggle on Use Stage Manager on iPad

When you hide Recent Apps or the Dock, your apps appear larger on the display. You can turn these settings on/off quickly.

Check or Uncheck Recent Apps or Dock to see how the layout works.

Using the Control Center

To activate inside the Control Center:

  • Place your finger on the upper right corner of your screen and swipe down to access Control Center
  • Tap the Stage Manager icon to activate

  • Pushing and holding on to the Stage Manager icon allows you to turn on/off Recents and Dock.

 

Once activated, you’ll see the icons representing your four most Recent Apps on the left side of your screen.

You can deactivate Stage Manager in the Settings app at any time and do it in Control Center:

  • Swipe down from the upper right corner of your screen to access the Control Center
  • Push and hold on the Stage Manage icon
  • Tap Turn off Stage Manager

Resizing Apps in Stage Manager

The key feature in Stage Manager is the ability to resize the app on the screen. By doing so, you can bring order to your iPad screen.

To Resize apps:

On the currently active app, push and hold on the indicator at the bottom right corner of the app

Use your finger or mouse cursor to adjust the size of the window.

Grouping Apps With Stage Manager

Most likely, you’ll want to use more than one app simultaneously. This is possible through grouping apps with Stage Manager. To do this:

Open the first app you want to group

Drag and drop the second app from the Recent Apps or the Dock onto the main screen.

Your apps will now be grouped and overlapped. You can even group more than two apps.

If you no longer wish to group apps, follow these steps:

  • Tap the app you want to ungroup
  • Choose the three dots at the top middle portion of the app
  • Tap Minimize to remove the app from the group

Conclusion

Now you’re ready to multitask using Stage Manager. It may initially seem strange because we’re used to working with one window at a time. But try it; you may find it a much better way of working with apps.

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Hi, I'm Ellen!

I help mature adults master their iPhone and iPads, even if they aren’t  techie! 

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