iOS 19 Rumored to Add Stage Manager Support to USB-C iPhones

[MacRumors]

A leaker known as Majin Bu today claimed that iOS 19 will enable support for at least a limited version of Stage Manager on iPhone models with a USB-C port.

In a blog post citing sources, the leaker said that when an iPhone with a USB-C port is connected to an external display, users will be able to take advantage of a Stage Manager-like interface with multiple apps open at once on the screen. However, he said that there might be more limitations compared to Stage Manager on iPads.

iPhone models with a USB-C port include all iPhone 15 models and newer.

iPhones with both Lightning and USB-C ports can already be connected to external displays, but only for basic screen mirroring.

The first developer beta of iOS 19 should be available immediately after the WWDC 2025 keynote on June 9, and the software update is expected to be released to the general public in September. It is unclear if Stage Manager support on USB-C iPhones would be available in the first beta, or enabled later in the iOS 19 software cycle.

Samsung offers a similar feature called DeX on its Galaxy smartphones.

Majin Bu has a mixed track record with Apple rumors, with some hits and some misses. They were one of the sources who accurately claimed that the device succeeding the iPhone SE would be named the iPhone 16e, but they also inaccurately claimed that the device would have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch. They also accurately leaked the redesigned Milanese Loop for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the Desert Titanium color name for iPhone 16 Pro models, several iPhone cases, and much more.

Article Link: iOS 19 Rumored to Add Stage Manager Support to USB-C iPhones

 

[Nautilus007]

Man, they are really doing everything they can not to cannabilize sales.
Apple could literally make it so you could connect your phone to a screen and mirror Mac OS

 

[UpsetTheAppleCart]

What would be the use case(s) for having multiple iPhone apps open on an external display?

 

[applesith]

I can't imagine we are far from having an iPhone serve the role of a Mac Mini when plugged into a monitor with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Even if this is technically possible, there will be intentional software limitations because otherwise, this would cannibalize sales of other devices. Which is also why I believe iPad OS is so limited to mitigate its overlap with MacOS.

 

[AusMness]

This is incredibly unrealistic but a neat idea nonetheless

 

[icanhazapple]

I can't imagine we are far from having an iPhone serve the role of a Mac Mini when plugged into a monitor with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Even if this is technically possible, there will be intentional software limitations because otherwise, this would cannibalize sales of other devices. Which is also why I believe iPad OS is so limited to mitigate its overlap with MacOS.

Hahahaha. Tim Cook would sooner eat a lemon live on YouTube. It's not happening because of Apple's gating-keeping.

 

[CharlesShaw]

While it's tempting to just say, "oh great, now a huge number of people can complain about Stage Manager," I'm thinking that a few improvements to the interface might make it a winning combo for a few folks on the iPhone.

 

[10anta]

This should happen, but it won't.

 

[maruyama]

You need a mouse and keyboard to use the iPad with an extended display, so I presume this would be the same?

Actually... why couldn't the iPhone just serve as the mouse and keyboard? It could have a trackpad area (kind of like Apple TV remote mode) with the keyboard at the bottom. You just plug your iPhone into an HDMI adapter and boom, you have an iPad desktop on whatever TV or monitor you just connected to.

 

[IMPOSSIBLEMAN]

I never used it on Mac, and I don't think I'll use it on iOS.

 

[dannyyankou]

At first, I thought “huh?”. But then I thought about it some more, and it would actually be useful to run multiple iPhone apps side by side through iPhone mirroring.

 

[Reverend Benny]

Have a look at Samsung DeX or MS Lumia 950 with Continuum, that's where I am thinking stage manager is heading.
If they could figure out how to do this well it will be a winner.

I think iPad OS and iOS will become even closer with their foldable device around the corner. I'm guessing it will be an iPhone iPad combo.

 

[mikethebigo]

This would be amazing for me. Like Dex I imagine.

 

[BB1970]

Apple Dex !

 

[PotentPeas]

What would be the use case(s) for having multiple iPhone apps open on an external display?

The big idea here is less about "Stage Manager" and more about just being able to use an external display connected to the iPhone for something other than mirroring the iPhone screen.

I can see uses for this, especially if apps take advantage to provide some extra functionality in "external display" mode. (I imagine they would if they're already doing this for iPad.)

For instance, my wife doesn't use a PC or laptop very often, she just lives on her phone. She does a lot of work with photos on there and a lot of it is "keeping the family up with what's been going on with our kids". I think being able to plug into a screen and have more working space could be very helpful.

For myself, I can think of situations where I need to run to the office for a meeting and I have to detach my laptop from all of the dock setup stuff I have in my home office. If I could just grab my phone instead and be able to connect it to a usable desktop-ish work environment at the office, that would be nice.

I can envision a situation where my kids don't need anything *other* than a phone and a dock setup to do their school work.

The ideas are there. Whether it would be any good all depends on if the implementation/execution that Apple and possibly third-party devs come up with.

 

[Reverend Benny]

What would be the use case(s) for having multiple iPhone apps open on an external display?

Imagine docking your iPhone into a USB-C dock, getting mouse and keyboard on the big screen and being able to use your apps desktop style.

 

[BelgianChoklit]

Because it's been such a stellar success on the iPad.

 

[dannyyankou]

What would be the use case(s) for having multiple iPhone apps open on an external display?

I imagine they won’t run as iPhone apps. They’ll scale up to how iPad apps run. So theoretically this feature could turn your iPhone into a pocketable productivity machine.

I really think in the future, macOS and iOS will eventually merge, and you’ll be able to plug an iPhone into a monitor as if it’s a Mac mini. I think we’re years and years away from that, but I think it’s inevitable.

 

[SilmarilFinder]

To be honest, it would be amazing.

Even if it’s limited to support for external monitors, I could still connect remotely to my Mac via Jump Desktop and use my phone as a real computer, just as I do with my iPad Pro.

 

[applefan8254]

Can we get multiple users please? Thank you

 

[HouseLannister]

Just give me Android 7.0 split-screen support on my iPhone screen.

 

[alanvitek]

We are so close to making responsive operating systems like we do with web pages. The hardware is no longer the limiting factor.

 

[darngooddesign]

I wonder if that means that A# iPads will also get Stage Manager and external display support.

 

[flobach]

New Bluetooth Keyboard and trackpad/mouse should be on the horizon as well…if they have multi device support like Logitech Ones have, that would be amazing! Like AirPods switching between devices with the H series chips, maybe P(eripheral) series chips would do this for these devices?

 

[Xaositek]

I guess I was only off by a year? https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...virtual-ram-on-m1-ipads.2347345/post-31164429

What are the chances that by 2024, with the EU mandate of USB-C on iPhone, that we’ll see your phone now get the same Stage Manager experience. By that point the chip inside will be pretty on-par with M1, it has the storage and RAM, it has the port.

We’d finally have DeX on iPhone!