Apple’s Stage Manager feature aims to address the challenges of multitasking on an iPad or Mac. It can arrange open apps so that one is in the center of the screen while the others become thumbnails on the side, and then you can easily switch from one app to another.
And if your iPad can connect to an external display, you can use Stage Manager on both screens. This allows you to drag and drop apps and windows between your iPad and the second monitor. How to use the function from an iPad and Mac.
How to use Stage Manager on an iPad
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Stage Manager is only supported on certain iPad models: the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), the iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), and the iPad Air (5th generation). To see which iPad model you have, check the model number in Settings or on the back of the device.
To use Stage Manager on your supported iPad, you must be running iPadOS 16 or later. To use Stage Manager with an external display, you need an iPad with an M1 or M2 processor — including iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th gen+), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd gen+), or iPad Air (5th gen). . generation). generation) – and iPadOS 16.2 or higher.
To update your device, go to Settings > General > Software update. You will be informed that your operating system is up to date or prompted to download and install the latest update.
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Stage Manager must then be activated before you can use it. Open Settings > Home Screen & Multitasking and turn on the Use Stage Manager switch on iPad.
After activating Stage Manager, select Recent Apps to access open apps on the left side of the screen and tap Dock if you want to see the apps in the Dock while using Stage Manager.
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You can then go to Settings > Control Center and add Stage Manager to Control Center so you can enable the feature faster. If Stage Manager is in the More Controls section, tap the plus icon to add it to the list under Included Controls.
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To activate Stage Manager, swipe down from the top-right side of the screen to trigger Control Center, then tap the Stage Manager icon (it looks like a big box with three smaller boxes next to it). You can then open your first app.
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Look for a small curved line in the lower right corner of the opened window. You can drag from this icon to shrink the window until it is the size you want. To add another app or window to your Stage Manager layout, tap the ellipses icon at the top of the opened window and choose Add Another Window from the menu.
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You can then open your second window from the Start screen or Dock. The two open windows will then appear side by side. Each window can then be resized as needed using the curved line in the open window. Open more apps by dragging their icons from the Dock onto the screen.
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Eventually, the screen gets too cluttered with apps, even if you resize each one into a narrow column. To convert an open app to a thumbnail, drag its title bar to the left until it gets smaller. You can still open apps and move them to the side that way.
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To move any of the apps on the page to the center of the screen, just tap on it. Any apps or groups of apps that were previously in the center will then collapse to the side as thumbnails. To add another app from the side to the center of the screen, just drag it by its title bar.
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If there is more than one app in the middle of the screen, tap the ellipsis icon and choose Minimize from the menu. This will move it back to the side as a thumbnail. If there is only one app in the middle of the screen, tap the ellipsis icon and choose Minimize. This will remove it from the Stage Manager layout.
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Can’t find the open window you’re looking for? Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see all your open apps. You can then just tap on the window you want to see in the middle. This screen can also be used to close apps by swiping up individual windows on the screen. Alternatively, disable Stage Manager to display only the active window.
Using Stage Manager on a Mac
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To use Stage Manager on a Mac, your computer must be running macOS Ventura or later (check if your computer is compatible(Opens in a new window)). Update your operating system by clicking the Apple icon and selecting About This Mac, then clicking Software Update. Click the Update Now button to install the update.
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On your Mac, you can either turn on Stage Manager first and then open the apps you want to use, or open the apps and then turn on Stage Manager. In either case, you can enable Stage Manager by clicking the Control Center icon in the menu bar and selecting Stage Manager.
When you do this for the first time, a window will appear explaining Stage Manager. Click the Enable Stage Manager button. If you already have multiple apps open, the active app takes center stage, while the other apps appear as small thumbnails on the left.
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(Credit: Lance Whitney/Apple)
With no apps open, click the icons on your dock or desktop for the apps you want to launch. The first app you open will appear in the center. Each subsequent app you open pushes the previous app aside as a thumbnail, while the last app you launched is in the middle.
Click any thumbnail on the left to move that app to the center. Depending on your Mac’s screen size and resolution, Stage Manager can display up to six different apps, one in the middle and five on the side. If you open a seventh app, one of the apps on the left will disappear from the screen, although you can still open it from the Dock.
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You can group multiple apps together in the middle. Just drag a thumbnail window from the left to the middle of the screen. If you then click on one of the thumbnails, the grouped apps stay together as they switch to the thumbnails on the left.
(Credit: Lance Whitney/Apple)
If you maximize the middle window, the apps on the left will be hidden. Revert the middle window back to a smaller size and the apps will be visible again. Sliding the middle pane to the left will move the apps in that area aside from the screen view. Swipe the center pane to the right again and the apps will reappear.
If you want to disable Stage Manager, reopen Control Center and click Stage Manager to disable the feature.
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To customize specific Stage Manager settings on Mac, open System Preferences > Desktop & Dock, then scroll down to the Stage Manager section and click Customize. You can disable Recent Applications to hide the thumbnails on the left.
If you disable desktop items, all files on your desktop will be hidden. Clicking anywhere on the desktop then displays the thumbnails and desktop items.
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Click the Show an application window drop-down menu. If you set this option to All At Once, all open windows for your current application will be shown in the center. Setting it to One At A Time will only show one of its windows at a time.
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