iPad Pro Why I’ve Grown to Love Stage Manager on iPadOS

[WU27f1xcCs]

I wanted to share my thoughts on Stage Manager in iPadOS and why it’s become a feature I genuinely appreciate, because before I upgraded to an iPad Pro capable of stage manager I’d only heard bad things.

Initially, I had a rocky start with it. It actually took me three separate attempts where I'd turn it on, get frustrated, and then give up.

What stands out for me is how Stage Manager nudges the iPad closer to feeling like an advanced operating system. It transforms multitasking into something more fluid and dynamic. The ability to have overlapping windows and easily switch between tasks feels liberating compared to the traditional split-view setup. It’s not just about having multiple apps open—it’s about the way you can organise and interact with them seamlessly.

Once I got past the initial learning curve, I realised how powerful it is. It’s not perfect, and there’s definitely room for refinement, but it fundamentally changes the iPad experience for the better, admittedly I am not a power user, doing coding or video editing.

Curious to hear if you gave up after one attempt, and if you’d consider trying again, or if it’s over. I wonder if no one does use stage manager, then what hope is there that Apple will make a more advanced iPadOS.

 

[snipr125]

I wanted to share my thoughts on Stage Manager in iPadOS and why it’s become a feature I genuinely appreciate, because before I upgraded to an iPad Pro capable of stage manager I’d only heard bad things.

Initially, I had a rocky start with it. It actually took me three separate attempts where I'd turn it on, get frustrated, and then give up.

What stands out for me is how Stage Manager nudges the iPad closer to feeling like an advanced operating system. It transforms multitasking into something more fluid and dynamic. The ability to have overlapping windows and easily switch between tasks feels liberating compared to the traditional split-view setup. It’s not just about having multiple apps open—it’s about the way you can organise and interact with them seamlessly.

Once I got past the initial learning curve, I realised how powerful it is. It’s not perfect, and there’s definitely room for refinement, but it fundamentally changes the iPad experience for the better, admittedly I am not a power user, doing coding or video editing.

Curious to hear if you gave up after one attempt, and if you’d consider trying again, or if it’s over. I wonder if no one does use stage manager, then what hope is there that Apple will make a more advanced iPadOS.

I love using it on my Asus Pro Art 24" monitor, and sometimes on my 55" LG QnED. Its simple and works really well in my opinion, needs some further refinement like having to resize windows when using another application etc. Also because of Stage Manager, Apple should have included a direct A/C mode (use electricity direct from power socket) on the iPP/Air to ease the pressure on the battery during long sessions.

Apple should be adding more multitasking features with IOS 19, so hopefully they will improve Stage Manager further.

 

[WU27f1xcCs]

I love using it on my Asus Pro Art 24" monitor, and sometimes on my 55" LG QnED. Its simple and works really well in my opinion, needs some further refinement like having to resize windows when using another application etc. Also because of Stage Manager, Apple should have included a direct A/C mode on the iPP/Air to ease the pressure on the battery during long sessions.

Also Apple should be adding more multitasking features with IOS 19, so hopefully they will improve Stage Manager further.

I am excited to see what they do with it in iPadOS 19. Having used it for a few weeks I’d like to see:

• The three dots at the top of the window should just be buttons to close the window on a 1 second press, a button for full screen and a minimise button
• Audio multitasking, being able to change the volume from multiple apps by long-pressing the volume bar.
• Multiple videos, I want to be able to play a video whilst having a sport window on mute in another window.
• More granular resizing, does not need to be pixel level, but just not such a big jump

Unlike you I don’t use a mouse/keyboard/monitor, but I wonder if some of the more advanced features could require being plugged into a mouse and keyboard.

 

[Reverend Benny]

I am excited to see what they do with it in iPadOS 19. Having used it for a few weeks I’d like to see:

• The three dots at the top of the window should just be buttons to close the window on a 1 second press, a button for full screen and a minimise button
• Audio multitasking, being able to change the volume from multiple apps by long-pressing the volume bar.
• Multiple videos, I want to be able to play a video whilst having a sport window on mute in another window.
• More granular resizing, does not need to be pixel level, but just not such a big jump

Unlike you I don’t use a mouse/keyboard/monitor, but I wonder if some of the more advanced features could require being plugged into a mouse and keyboard.

I have an USB-C dock and just thought i'd give it a try back on iOS 16. And I'm impressed how well it works.Small bugs that annoyed me a bit in the beginning (such as not being able to select sound output) have been fixed but my guess that we are only seeing the start of something that will get a lot better in upcoming OS versions.

My guess it that we'll also se someting similar being released to iOS and that we can use the phones in a docked mode with something like stage manager. Maybe the iPhone fold will reveal a lof these features, who knows.

I would like to see some sort of a intelligent swap between standard mode and stage manager, but that's coming from a docked mode with external screen.

 

[WU27f1xcCs]

I have an USB-C dock and just thought i'd give it a try back on iOS 16. And I'm impressed how well it works.Small bugs that annoyed me a bit in the beginning (such as not being able to select sound output) have been fixed but my guess that we are only seeing the start of something that will get a lot better in upcoming OS versions.

My guess it that we'll also se someting similar being released to iOS and that we can use the phones in a docked mode with something like stage manager. Maybe the iPhone fold will reveal a lof these features, who knows.

I would like to see some sort of an intelligent swap between standard mode and stage manager, but that's coming from a docked mode with external screen.

My dream for years is an iPhone that is also a Mac when in proximity to a monitor/mouse/keyboard.

 

[Reverend Benny]

My dream for years is an iPhone that is also a Mac when in proximity to a monitor/mouse/keyboard.

Yea, it would have been a cool feature to have.
Having seen what Samsung has done with their DeX on their more expensive S models I'd say that Apple must have something similar brewing.

My guess is that we'll see a iPhone/iPad hybrid so that when we dock the iPhone we'll get a iPad on the external screens. Stage manager might be something of a teaser but also to get developers designing apps to use more in a desktop mode.
The benefit of using iPad "mode" or maybe MacOS mode for that matter is that there are already apps developed for it.

Looking back at MS vision/concept with their Lumera phones in docked mode giving the full desktop experience (that didn't take off) I can absolutely see how MacOS could work.

Have a look at the link below, that was 10 years ago now.

 

[WU27f1xcCs]

Samsung has done with their DeX

I had no idea this existed, very cool.

 

[WU27f1xcCs]

Yea, it would have been a cool feature to have.
Having seen what Samsung has done with their DeX on their more expensive S models I'd say that Apple must have something similar brewing.

My guess is that we'll see a iPhone/iPad hybrid so that when we dock the iPhone we'll get a iPad on the external screens. Stage manager might be something of a teaser but also to get developers designing apps to use more in a desktop mode.
The benefit of using iPad "mode" or maybe MacOS mode for that matter is that there are already apps developed for it.

Looking back at MS vision/concept with their Lumera phones in docked mode giving the full desktop experience (that didn't take off) I can absolutely see how MacOS could work.

Have a look at the link below, that was 10 years ago now.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ios-19-rumored-to-add-stage-manager-support-to-usb-c-iphones.2455901/

I have an USB-C dock and just thought i'd give it a try back on iOS 16. And I'm impressed how well it works.Small bugs that annoyed me a bit in the beginning (such as not being able to select sound output) have been fixed but my guess that we are only seeing the start of something that will get a lot better in upcoming OS versions.

My guess it that we'll also se someting similar being released to iOS and that we can use the phones in a docked mode with something like stage manager. Maybe the iPhone fold will reveal a lof these features, who knows.

I would like to see some sort of a intelligent swap between standard mode and stage manager, but that's coming from a docked mode with external screen.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ipados-19-rumored-to-show-mac-like-menu-bar-when-connected-to-magic-keyboard.2455902/

This thread is being monitored by Apple/leakers

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

I wanted to share my thoughts on Stage Manager in iPadOS and why it’s become a feature I genuinely appreciate, because before I upgraded to an iPad Pro capable of stage manager I’d only heard bad things.

Initially, I had a rocky start with it. It actually took me three separate attempts where I'd turn it on, get frustrated, and then give up.

What stands out for me is how Stage Manager nudges the iPad closer to feeling like an advanced operating system. It transforms multitasking into something more fluid and dynamic. The ability to have overlapping windows and easily switch between tasks feels liberating compared to the traditional split-view setup. It’s not just about having multiple apps open—it’s about the way you can organise and interact with them seamlessly.

Once I got past the initial learning curve, I realised how powerful it is. It’s not perfect, and there’s definitely room for refinement, but it fundamentally changes the iPad experience for the better, admittedly I am not a power user, doing coding or video editing.

Curious to hear if you gave up after one attempt, and if you’d consider trying again, or if it’s over. I wonder if no one does use stage manager, then what hope is there that Apple will make a more advanced iPadOS.

"Why I’ve Grown to Love Stage Manager on iPadOS"

Really? How tall are you now?

 

[0lf]

SM is on all the time on my 11'' iPad Pro (M1).
To me its most obvious annoyance is that it basically kills gesture based navigation.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

stage manager is held back by a bunch of navigation annoyances and bugs. As an example, why does apple insist that windows can’t move freely in stage manager? How come I have to hold down on an app to open in the current stage vs just clicking open an app like any other operating system? The hardest thing to do is opening a second safari instance becuase holding down on a tab stage manager can never tell if i’m trying to move the safari window or drag a tab out.

Anyway, stage manager is almost good but when it comes to actually utilizing your screen space, it has so much to be desired.

 

[WU27f1xcCs]

stage manager is held back by a bunch of navigation annoyances and bugs. As an example, why does apple insist that windows can’t move freely in stage manager? How come I have to hold down on an app to open in the current stage vs just clicking open an app like any other operating system? The hardest thing to do is opening a second safari instance becuase holding down on a tab stage manager can never tell if i’m trying to move the safari window or drag a tab out.

Anyway, stage manager is almost good but when it comes to actually utilizing your screen space, it has so much to be desired.

It is odd that opening a new app opens an entirely new stage.

Why not have a delineation in the task manager that the app is open already so you know if it’s hidden behind another window?

 

[WU27f1xcCs]

I am excited to see what they do with it in iPadOS 19. Having used it for a few weeks I’d like to see:

• The three dots at the top of the window should just be buttons to close the window on a 1 second press, a button for full screen and a minimise button
• Audio multitasking, being able to change the volume from multiple apps by long-pressing the volume bar.
• Multiple videos, I want to be able to play a video whilst having a sport window on mute in another window.
• More granular resizing, does not need to be pixel level, but just not such a big jump

Unlike you I don’t use a mouse/keyboard/monitor, but I wonder if some of the more advanced features could require being plugged into a mouse and keyboard.

Using the developer preview. They have implemented point 4and partially point 1!

 

[FrozenDarkness]

i feel like stage manager as a feature is not great. does anybody use it on their computers for example?

he reason why ti’s great on an ipad is because there’s no alternative. It’s amazing that, from waht I can see, they barely mention stage manager for all the changes they are making. apple might know stage manager isn’t a well loved product but the new changes are game changers for sure.

 

[Bungaree.Chubbins]

i feel like stage manager as a feature is not great. does anybody use it on their computers for example?

he reason why ti’s great on an ipad is because there’s no alternative. It’s amazing that, from waht I can see, they barely mention stage manager for all the changes they are making. apple might know stage manager isn’t a well loved product but the new changes are game changers for sure.

I use Stage Manager on my MacBook Pro all the time. The only time I ever turn it off is when I plug it into my 2x 28” 4k monitors. I find Stage Manager does a really good job of making smaller screens work well for me.

 

[Ludatyk]

i feel like stage manager as a feature is not great. does anybody use it on their computers for example?

he reason why ti’s great on an ipad is because there’s no alternative. It’s amazing that, from waht I can see, they barely mention stage manager for all the changes they are making. apple might know stage manager isn’t a well loved product but the new changes are game changers for sure.

I mention this in a thread awhile back, but if you listen/watch an interview of Federighi discussing Stage Manager on the Mac… you’ll understand why it exist on that platform.

But he brought up a situation where a family member had multiple windows off to the side in chaotic fashion… to solve that is Stage Manager. It helps the user to manage windows in a more orderly way and I like using the feature both on the iPad and Mac.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

I'm sure they have a reason, but is it widely used and widely loved? I'd love to see and bet on the % of Mac users that have it turned on. The UI is just kind of annoying.

 

[Ludatyk]

I'm sure they have a reason, but is it widely used and widely loved? I'd love to see and bet on the % of Mac users that have it turned on. The UI is just kind of annoying.

Just because a feature is not widely used and widely loved doesn't mean it shouldn't exist. Recent apps/windows sit off to the side... how is that annoying?

I'm curious... what would be your fix to apps/windows being disorganized on the desktop?

 

[01cowherd]

i feel like stage manager as a feature is not great. does anybody use it on their computers for example?

On Mac, there are a few annoyances that keep me from using it.

1. I don't like the stage switching animation. When I'm switching back and forth between stages often, I find it both slow and distracting. Alt-tabbing with regular windows is instant.
2. Some programs have pop-up windows that open a new stage.
3. You can't default new apps to the current stage (this would also fix number 2).
4. Sometimes if I click a stage to switch to, the animation gets interrupted and drops a window out of its usual spot.

If these were fixed, I'd probably use it often. I think if they iterated just a bit more on it, they would've had something pretty good. I also don't find it as useful when I have lots of screen real estate (i.e., large external displays).

I have seen some coworkers using it, though. So some people are at least trying it.

 

[Reverend Benny]

They should really change their name or at least tweak it. Its a bit confusing that Stage manager on the Mac with iPad is one thing and on the iPad alone hooked up to an external screen something else.

They should call the iPad version something like "Desktop mode", how about "DeM", a bit like Samsung Dex that is slightly similar eventhough dex are more of a desktop experience.

Were likely to see it on the "iFold" and iPhone so prob a good thing to get a proper name for the feature