iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

[The Game 161]

sounds like all the issued with ipadOS could be fixed this year

 

[darngooddesign]

Touch wouldn’t be terribly useful for a Mac. Windows users barely use theirs from what I hear and have experienced. Pencil/stylus is a different story though as it’s required for various desktop applications.

I have two work Thinkpads, one company and the other client, and on my client TP I use both touch and trackpad for different types of things as you would expect from a hybrid device. Touch screen for general OS navigation and browser scrolling/navigation and trackpad and keyboard for application specific work. This is similar to how I use my iPad although I use the touchscreen more in apps because they are built primarily for touch unlike desktop apps. I don't use the touchscreen in applications more because the work-installed apps aren't built with touch-as-a-primary-input in mind. It's silly to believe that touchscreen would replace mouse/pointer control, it's just an additional form of control which you use for tasks which lend themselves to touch control.

PS. I get annoyed by my company TP without a touchscreen because I reflexively want to use it like my client TP which has a touchscreen. For the same reason I end up with fingerprints on my MBPs screen from reflexively trying to dismiss modals or launch an app from the dock.

 

[darngooddesign]

As usual, Steve Jobs said it best with the original iPad. The Mac is a truck, and there are those who will always need those, but most day-to-day activities can be accomplished with just a car, and that's where the iPad comes in: just the screen half of a clamshell Mac so it's lighter (well, after the original) and you don't have to set it on something to be comfortable; no need for the pointing precision of a mouse or trackpad, just reach out and tap things; one app (or maaaaybe two) at a time, because you're just doing one specific task and more would be clutter. Then came third-party apps made to do specific things, and thus able to do them more simply and pleasantly than general-purpose web browsers, as other commenters have said.

Tim Cook's Apple violated this divide with Microsoft Surface-style trackpad accessories, something that Jobs' Apple rejected because it entails tapping and missing tiny desktop-style touch targets or using a mouse to trudge around giant finger-sized interface buttons. The technical capability to jam a Mac worth of computing power into an iPad and charge a Mac's price probably seemed too good to pass up, but trucks-that-are-also-sports-cars and cars-that-also-haul-massive-things have never managed to master both roles at anywhere near a reasonable price. Hopefully Apple will eventually realize how much focus they've lost.

Steve Jobs also originally said that web-apps were all our iPhones needed, but I bet you have a bunch of app-apps on your iPhone. It’s crazy to believe that people wouldn’t be using their iPads differently over a decade later compared to V1.

 

[Atog]

But what’s in there for Apple? Less iPad sells when you can have just iPhone and keyboard + mouse for casual browsing?

 

[darngooddesign]

But what’s in there for Apple? Less iPad sells when you can have just iPhone and keyboard + mouse for casual browsing?

Casual browsing when tied to a desk in one room. Similarly, I don’t plan on getting rid of an iPad, or not upgrading to the next one, just because I can mirror my iPhone to my Mac.

 

[tomtad]

I wish they would just get rid of the preposterous Stage Manager abomination along with that stupid blob pointer. Just make it regular Windows and a regular mouse pointer. No need to get cute with that annoying nonsense.

I believe this is exactly what we're getting. I can see them removing stage manager and going to a 'windowed mode' which gets enabled when you connect a keyboard/trackpad. This windowed mode will be made consistent between an iPad and a Mac with things like the traffic light window controls and window snapping for multitasking, the menu bar being added to iPad also helps keep this consistent.

For the features of stage manager, essentially groups of windows, this will be handled with a revamp of the multiple desktops, or 'Spaces', which essentially achieve the same thing on a Mac. So you'll be able to created multiple spaces on a iPad with different windows for different tasks if you wish to and swipe between these. Again this will be a consistent experience across iPad and Mac.

 

[darngooddesign]

I believe this is exactly what we're getting. I can see them removing stage manager and going to a 'windowed mode' which gets enabled when you connect a keyboard/trackpad. This windowed mode will be made consistent between an iPad and a Mac with things like the traffic light window controls and window snapping for multitasking, the menu bar being added to iPad also helps keep this consistent.

For the features of stage manager, essentially groups of windows, this will be handled with a revamp of the multiple desktops, or 'Spaces', which essentially achieve the same thing on a Mac. So you'll be able to created multiple spaces on a iPad with different windows for different tasks if you wish to and swipe between these. Again this will be a consistent experience across iPad and Mac.

There is a reason why UX and OS design is hard because people who dont do it professionally seldom consider everything. In your scenario, the existing SM goes away and you only have windows and spaces when connected to a keyboard. So let's say you have several spaces with multiple windows in each, where do all these app windows go when you disconnect your iPad from a mouse and keyboard? Since there is no windowed mode without a keyboard does everything just revert to individual full-screen apps? Can you imagine how annoying it would be to find and use one of those apps when not connected to a keyboard and mouse.

Stage Manager is their name for the iOS windowed mode, regardless of what those windows look like, and groups of apps windows in spaces are called Stages instead of Spaces on MacOS. Unless you are proposing having three different multitasking systems, SplitScreen, StageManager, and a new thing which is only there when connected to a keyboard, StageManager window management should work similarly whether or not you have a keyboard. A keyboard and mouse could enable additional functionality, but basic window management and grouping shouldn't change because it would be hard to build muscle memory if things fundamentally change depending on keyboard use.

A couple of easy things Apple could add to Stage Manager which would really improve it.
1. Add the MacOS Mission Control hot corner to display all windows in the current Stage; could be a hot corner with mouse and corner swap with your finger.
2. The MacOS Application Windows hot corner functionality already exists in Stage Manager but the dock has to be visible to access it so it could become a hotcorner/corner swipe similar to all windows in #1.
3. In the multitasking view, allow rearranging of application windows and Stages.
4. Similar to how they improved adding applications to SplitScreen in iPadOS15, add the ability to drag any application to the Multitasking view.

 

[0lf]

There is a reason why UX and OS design is hard because people who dont do it professionally seldom consider everything. In your scenario, the existing SM goes away and you only have windows and spaces when connected to a keyboard. So let's say you have several spaces with multiple windows in each, where do all these app windows go when you disconnect your iPad from a mouse and keyboard? Since there is no windowed mode without a keyboard does everything just revert to individual full-screen apps? Can you imagine how annoying it would be to find and use one of those apps when not connected to a keyboard and mouse.

Stage Manager is their name for the iOS windowed mode, regardless of what those windows look like, and groups of apps windows in spaces are called Stages instead of Spaces on MacOS. Unless you are proposing having three different multitasking systems, SplitScreen, StageManager, and a new thing which is only there when connected to a keyboard, StageManager window management should work similarly whether or not you have a keyboard. A keyboard and mouse could enable additional functionality, but basic window management and grouping shouldn't change because it would be hard to build muscle memory if things fundamentally change depending on keyboard use.

A couple of easy things Apple could add to Stage Manager which would really improve it.
1. Add the MacOS Mission Control hot corner to display all windows in the current Stage; could be a hot corner with mouse and corner swap with your finger.
2. The MacOS Application Windows hot corner functionality already exists in Stage Manager but the dock has to be visible to access it so it could become a hotcorner/corner swipe similar to all windows in #1.
3. In the multitasking view, allow rearranging of application windows and Stages.
4. Similar to how they improved adding applications to SplitScreen in iPadOS15, add the ability to drag any application to the Multitasking view.

As of today,
- if you have 2 apps in stage manager and you turn it off, it goes back to split screen.
- 3 apps turn into 2 apps in split screen and a standalone app
- 4 apps becomes 2 split screens
When you turn stage manager back on, a split screen becomes a stage with the 2 apps. The initial 4 apps stage is lost.

To avoid those frictions I let SM on all the time.
- With 1 app it is very quick to enlarge to full screen and the thing behave like a good old iOS (especially the swipe from left to access the previous page in safari, that is very hard to trigger in windowed mode). With one benefit : the iPhone only apps are not full screened.
- With 2 apps I do not see much drawback in comparison to split screen. The bigger one is the loss of gestures. Also, organize windows take a bit more time. But I can have 2 iPad apps on the screen (while in split screen often at least 1 app is in iPhone size)
- Plus freedom to have more.

I would ask for 3 improvements in stage manager :
- Information density (even with more screen space setting). The apps should not turn into iPhone form so easily, often at half full screen. The mail app requires almost full screen to show the list of messages permanently.
- Quick split, like what was added lately to macOS : automatically reorganize windows in mosaic in one touch.
- Allow stage with 1 full screen app and other apps behind. This was possible with the first version of SM but was killed. It was useful when you work with 1 app in full screen and want to glance info from an other app without loosing context, then you just resize the window from the lower right corner to show the app behind.
The last 2 are here to compensate the drawbacks of SM in comparison to SV and SO : better for gesture based navigation, clean presentation.

Yes, the menu bar is not on my list.

 

[jole]

The M# iPads do have MacOS-style virtual memory with swap.

Technically yes, but (1) apps need to opt in with com.apple.developer.kernel.extended-virtual-addressing, and (2) OS still may terminate them. This is useless when comparing to every _computer_ out there where one may just _trust_ an app to work without crashing.

Another absurdity is the lack of multitasking on the background. Some networking apps need to resort to turning GPS on to ensure that they are kept on (even though they do not use GPS).

These combined lead to iPadOS being unreliable and fragile.

 

[darngooddesign]

Information density (even with more screen space setting). The apps should not turn into iPhone form so easily, often at half full screen. The mail app requires almost full screen to show the list of messages permanently.

How the app resizes is a developer decision; I suspect it's an artifact of split screen being the only windowing method for so long. I don't know if Apple can even override what the developers have decided.

 

[rp2011]

If you mean an iPad that runs full macOS (and there will always be some people who won’t stop complaining until it does), it would need better thermals and a bigger battery than current iPads, so it would be thicker and heavier than what people have grown accustomed to with iPads. And that’s even before adding the heavy Magic Keyboard.

That’s why I think iPad has and will probably continue to be less functional than a Mac (software-wise), because it focuses on being a thin light tablet first. So it will continue to be that optional third device for those who still need a Mac.

But there are some people for whom it already can replace their Mac. There are some for whom even a big phone can replace their Mac.

Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, the things i love about the latest iPad Pro may be the reasons it's also hobbled by.

 

[BGarza]

I want an iPad to be my primary, but as a musician/producer, I would need to be able to share un-released demo songs w/o resorting to dragging files around on my Macbook Pro. Presently, I have to drag songs from iTunes Music to my desktop or bounce them to a local folder, upload them to Google Drive, and then send people a google shared link. Apple doesn’t allow sharing of unreleased material from Apple Music, but if they allowed self produced songs that are housed in Apple Music to exist in a user-managed cloud based drive, this would be a game changer.

Also, iPadOS needs a file finder window with customizable filters and tons more od sortable columns. The large icons and simple list doesn’t suffice for tracking stuff down.

Lastly, separate logon profiles are clutch. I want to hand my iPad to my kids without fear of Amazon, Wellsfargo, work related communication tools being accessible to them. Guided Access is helpful, but it is limited to one app only and it freezes up all the time.

Ever optimistic though!

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Too good to be true (provided it is implemented properly)

If “implemented properly” means “like macOS is now”, probably not.

If “implemented properly” means “implementing the upcoming (most likely hated) changes to the next macOS version’s menu bar”, I’d think that’s probably spot on.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Lastly, separate logon profiles are clutch. I want to hand my iPad to my kids without fear of Amazon, Wellsfargo, work related communication tools being accessible to them. Guided Access is helpful, but it is limited to one app only and it freezes up all the time.

I think there’s a lot of people that thought profiles on desktops and laptops effectively separate one user from another. They’ve ALL got exploits that an enterprising kid, with all that energy and desire to “do things”, can overcome quite readily. Apple’s simply not giving users a false impression that their iPad, with their Amazon, Wellsfargo and work related stuff on it can be protected from someone with physical access to the device.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Oh ok if that’s equivalent to the menu bar then it should be an easy automatic implementation. But then I wonder how much benefit a menu bar adds if the functions are already there. I could see the bar being useful if you don’t have a keyboard (can’t hold down cmd), but this rumor is saying that it’s only visible when the keyboard is connected. 🤔

I think Apple’s got changes to the macOS menu bar inbound. Just like how it could be said that Stage Manager is “like the Mac” in that the Mac has Stage Manager now.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

This must mean iPad sales have been slumping. A finder "lite" version would be much appreciated for file management

Almost 57 million iPads sold in 2024, a 5% increase over 2023, so… no?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I don’t know where rhe Air sits. It lacks the awesome display but is more expensive. Not sure why it exists.

Because enough people will buy it. You can pretty much look at everything Apple sells and doesn’t sell and it comes down to that. Even if it’s something I woudln’t buy, if millions would, then that’s why it’s there.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Getting MacOS on iPad is the end goal (or at least option to dual boot the OS). Apple for some reason is dragging its feet over this. Argument about cannibalizing Air sale is missed if you don't need keyboard. Fully specced iPad is much more expensive than fully specced Air and a lot of people would get iPad over Air just because it has no keyboard.

The iPad already cannibalizes the Mac. Every year millions of folks buy iPads instead of Macs because it’s what they’re more familiar with, having grown up using iPhones and iPads. The idea of NOT touching the screen to do something just doesn’t feel natural to them.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I definitely think Apple could've totally done a better job, but unfortunately I think they are also held back by the requirement to not cannibalize their Mac line.

You mean the Mac line that loses millions of sales to the less expensive more familiar iPad every year? Truth be told, Apple would PREFER people drop the Mac for the iPad as the iPad’s tied to the App Store ecosystem… every iPad sale almost certainly leads to an increase in App Store sales.

If Macs weren’t required to release code for iPads, the sales would be even lower and as long as those folks are buying “some other Apple product”, it’s a win-win for Apple. Apple’s historically cannibalized wildly successful products with new products, and I don’t expect they’ll ever stop.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

So much going on all the time, no home button, no way to turn off multitasking = too many gestures for grandma and kids.

Maybe for grandma, but I’ve seen a kid launch a youtube video, PiP it then toss it off the side of the screen so they can listen to a youtube video while playing a game. And, effortlessly switches from one activity to the next. No one had taught him, just trial and error’d his way through making it work like he wanted.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Non-resizable split screen windows are a throwback to the bad old days before Apple made windows overlap in the early '80s. The lore is that they did it because they thought the Xerox systems they got a look at could do it, when they really couldn't. The inability to overlap windows is part of why iPads will always be toys unless they get full macOS.

Windows DO overlap, though.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

This happens before ever new iPadOS iteration... Rumors about the new OS being more Mac like, but it never really happens, does it?

Well, it happens, but in a way that is almost, but not quite, entirely UNLIKE what macOS people want. The iPadOS people are usually pleased with the additional features, though!

 

[inchenzo]

I have only one wish for iPadOS 19, and that that they add the Mac Virtual Display (from the Vision Pro) feature on the iPad, so I can easily initialise a screen session from my iPad instead of having to initialise it the other way around. It would be perfect. Honest no brainer.

 

[madebybela]

I think that Apple can do a lot better than what MS has done for Surface.

Reason: Apple chip, well estabilished app store

MS had hard time for several reasons. Intel chip had battery problem, Lack of mobile apps, Snapdragon chip has compatibility issues, etc

Apple has none of these problems.

Even recently MS showed good improvement in their surface devices with intel lunar lake chips and improved compatibility with arm chips.

its not about the chip/performance, but the software experience.

I was an early adopter for the Surface Pro, and for as much flack as Windows 8 got, it was a pretty enjoyable tablet OS to use, I'd even argue more intuitive than iPad OS at the time.
But then with Windows 10, they prioritized the Desktop UI at the cost of the tablet experience, so at that point, Surface tablets were only usable with the "optional" (and expensive) keyboard accessory. It wasn't a good tablet anymore, and not even a good laptop either.

Given that the current state of iPadOS (and Apple software in general) is already pretty divisive, I actually don't trust that they'll be able to achieve some magical equilibrium of tablet/desktop UI.

 

[groove-agent]

What an absolutely stupid idea. What value would a "menu bar" add to an OS that has a mature notification center, centralized settings, etc.? Last thing in the world I want is for my iPad Pro to have a status bar I can't make go away sitting on top of the screen all the time.

As to the rest of this -- Stage Manager works great, and feels very Mac-ish as it is currently -- on iPadOS. I can easily switch back and forth between apps with 3finger swipes, and when I need to have a few with overlapping windows, "Add Another Window" works great. Most importantly, there's no performance penalty, unlike using Dex on the Samsung Tabs I moved away from.

On macOS, Stage Manager is useless except as an indirect means of disabling "click to show wallpaper".

One of the things in this rumor that really concerns me is the "Plug a phone into a USBC monitor" etc. flow. Samsung tried this, and it failed miserably, in part, because very few people want to run literal phone apps on a monitor. This can only sorta work if the phone has the iPad version of the app installed. (Samsung's downfall was that Android doesn't have "tablet apps"; as a result the phone had to use a large amount of its capabilities just making apps designed for a portrait screen kindasorta look ok in resizable windows on the external display.)

Of all the rumors about the upcoming operating systems, this is the one that I most hope is wrong.

A menu bar could bring MacOS app compatibility to iPad which is what a lot of us want.