iPadOS 16: Making Multitasking Useful at Last
Twitter, Slack Outlook, Safari, and Outlook are all open at the same time, and I’m browsing between them. This is what I see on my monitor. It’s just like every other day. Meanwhile, I’m playing Catan on my iPad. The iPad powers everything I do, and the monitor is connected via USB-C to act as a secondary display. It almost feels like I’m using a Mac. But… I’m not.
iPadOS16 introduces a feature that I have wanted for iPads for years: True multiwindow multitasking and external monitor support for extended workspaces. A preview version of the software is now . I would not recommend that you install it on your personal device. The weird part is how iPadOS makes these things happen. Based on my limited experience, navigation needs to be refined.
To make these multitasking functions work, you will also need an M1-equipped iPad. This means that you must have a current iPad Pro and iPad Air models. Other models will not work. These iPads can be quite expensive, so you might not consider upgrading.
I could explore other iPadOS features but that’s for another day. This is this year’s feature. The Stage Manager feature allows you to multitask and creates a completely new layout. It’s also very alien-feeling. This is the problem with iPadOS right now. It’s powerful and strange, but it’s still not Mac-like.
Apple seems to be trying to create a new interface for computers, but only in small steps. iPadOS is constantly bouncing between iPhone and Mac, grabbing more of each and blending them together, and the pieces don’t always make sense. After trying out the public beta, I am now in this position: trying to find my iPadOS sea legs.
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