iPad Pro Stage Manager on M1 iPad Pro 12.9”

[Slartibart]

No way to do that without something like Stage Manager. The iPad's screen is a different aspect ratio than most desktop monitors, so black bars will be required when mirroring unless iPadOS offers full second-screen support (like iPadOS 16 does with Stage Manager).

this isn’t true, actually it is silly - there are several apps which can use the full external display on iPadOS 15.x… even earlier… e.g. Netflix&Co... they use something which one can only describe as "extended mode"… no black bars, but perfect scaling to whatever additional external display/tv/screen you use.

 

[Digitalguy]

That’s not true. You can have Stage Manager on both the iPad and monitor, however… I recently found out you can have two separate apps. For instance, two safari browsers (or any multi-window supported app).. one on the iPad and the other on the monitor. And I like how I can move apps from the iPad to the monitor or vice versa.


Yeah, you’ll be able to use the monitor and remote into Windows/Mac from your iPad. Then use Stage Manager on the iPad itself if that’s what you prefer.

edit: my apologies.. i misread it. You can opt to not use Stage Manager on the iPad if you prefer tablet UI and use Stage Manager on the external display

Yeah, when I started reading I was wonder, what is he talking about, then I see you misread. Anyway, good to know you can disable stage manager on the tablet and still have it on the monitor for proper extended display support.

 

[Digitalguy]

this isn’t true, actually it is silly - there are several apps which can use the full external display on iPadOS 15.x… even earlier… e.g. Netflix&Co... they use something which one can only describe as "extended mode"… no black bars, but perfect scaling to whatever additional external display/tv/screen you use.

I think you are talking about a different thing. Some apps adapt to the external display aspect ratio while mirroring, that has been the case for a long time. What he wanted it the whole iPad to do that, not just one app. This is what some call "clamshell mode". Some apps have try to recreate this, like shiftscreen (I bought both version) but the result is still pretty crappy since they cannot use apps like safari etc.
Personally I have not much use for this kind of mirroring anyway, but many people would like to have it.
For me only true extended display makes sense, not mirroring, even if it was limited to one app on the external monitor at a time.

 

[Slartibart]

I think you are talking about a different thing. Some apps adapt to the external display aspect ratio while mirroring, that has been the case for a long time. What he wanted it the whole iPad to do that, not just one app. This is what some call "clamshell mode". Some apps have try to recreate this, like shiftscreen (I bought both version) but the result is still pretty crappy since they cannot use apps like safari etc.
Personally I have not much use for this kind of mirroring anyway, but many people would like to have it.
For me only true extended display makes sense, not mirroring, even if it was limited to one app on the external monitor at a time.

Well, when LumaFusion can use an external display to play video without any black bars while showing the editing interface on the iPad - IMHO this technically shows “no bars needed”… neither in “mirrored” nor “extended”. Additionally it gives me the impression that an extended mode per app could be done - at least on some iPad models.
Anyway, Apple brought back Stage Manager… which they should for various reasons mark as »beta« even when iPadOS 16 is officially released.

 

[Digitalguy]

Well, when LumaFusion can use an external display to play video without any black bars while showing the editing interface on the iPad - IMHO this technically shows “no bars needed”… neither in “mirrored” nor “extended”. Additionally it gives me the impression that an extended mode per app could be done - at least on some iPad models.
Anyway, Apple brought back Stage Manager… which they should for various reasons mark as »beta« even when iPadOS 16 is officially released.

Yeah, but this is a single app feature, that has been available for a while, not a system-wide feature to use an external monitor instead of the iPad screen, which is what people requesting clamshell/desktop mode are looking for (where the iPad display would be off, which is not possible even with Stage Manager)

 

[BhaveshUK]

I think you are talking about a different thing. Some apps adapt to the external display aspect ratio while mirroring, that has been the case for a long time. What he wanted it the whole iPad to do that, not just one app. This is what some call "clamshell mode". Some apps have try to recreate this, like shiftscreen (I bought both version) but the result is still pretty crappy since they cannot use apps like safari etc.
Personally I have not much use for this kind of mirroring anyway, but many people would like to have it.
For me only true extended display makes sense, not mirroring, even if it was limited to one app on the external monitor at a time.

With the effort and resources Apple put into Stage Manager, I believe this would have been a possible solution with development time. Especially so with app developers now having to put the extra time, money and resources into accommodating Stage Manager. As you mentioned, Shiftscreen attempted this and showed it is feasible, and whilst their execution isn't the best, an Apple in-house solution probably would have been to a much higher standard.

I'm not saying such a solution would be better than Stage Manager and we'll never know either way because we can't test it in the real world. But I don't believe "there is no way to do that" as @xraydoc has stated. It's more a case Apple chose this other direction.

If you are great at organizing windows... then you really won't see the benefit of Stage Manager on macOS.


It's a combination of emotions. Some are disappointed that Stage Manager isn't on 2018/2020 iPad Pro models, some just wanted macOS-like experience when it comes to window management. But Apple decided to take a different approach when it comes to resizing windows which wasn’t expected.

And Stage Manager being off by default is a factor it being a drastic different to how users normally interact with their iPad. It would be such an alarming response if as soon as iPad user updated to iPadOS 16 and they see Stage Manager on the screen. But I’m sure Apple will give them splash screens educating them on the new feature.


There’s chapters available. So, you can skip to Stage Manager section.

I think a lot of people have FOMO with new features, but the older iPads are still great devices and no less useful imo.

Totally understand it being off to avoid users getting shell shock. That's what I'm most interested in seeing though - how many general users will choose to turn this feature on. My assumption is that so many people are going to just leave their iPad in the current multitasking state rather than switch to Stage Manager because they either (a) don't know about it or (b) never actually go into their Settings 😆 And if that's true, would Apple have been better building on the multitasking structure that the majority of users are accustomed to already?

Thank you for sharing the video! I'll have a listen to this now ☺️

 

[Ludatyk]

My assumption is that so many people are going to just leave their iPad in the current multitasking state rather than switch to Stage Manager because they either (a) don't know about it or (b) never actually go into their Settings 😆 And if that's true, would Apple have been better building on the multitasking structure that the majority of users are accustomed to already?

I refuse to believe they wouldn’t know about Stage Manager. Mainly because they would get splash screens indicating it’s available to use and users don’t necessarily have to go into Settings to use it… its a quick toggle on the Control Center.

And you have to take into consideration… those who are purchasing these latest generation iPad Airs and iPad Pros would be fairly knowledgeable about their features given the cost for them. It would be different if users opt for the base model iPad. But whether they will actually use Stage Manager… I‘m not certain.

Because it was a thread awhile back that started with Gruber pleading they wish multitasking never existed on an iPad and preferred to have it off by default. The reasoning behind it was accidentally evoking it and the belief was the iPad is designed as a one-window device. But I personally think they took Split View and Slide Over as far as it could go.

They have tweaked it ever since it’s been introduce, starting with Split Screen back in iOS 9… then that evolved to Split View and Slide Over. After that… it transitioned to multitasking from Slide Over. Last year they gave us the option to hide Slide Over from either side which wasn’t available before.

 

[xraydoc]

this isn’t true, actually it is silly - there are several apps which can use the full external display on iPadOS 15.x… even earlier… e.g. Netflix&Co... they use something which one can only describe as "extended mode"… no black bars, but perfect scaling to whatever additional external display/tv/screen you use.

But that's not mirroring, which is what you referred to (you said you wanted mirroring without the black bars) -- those are apps specifically coded to run a second screen. GoodNotes does this. I use it often. But it's not the same thing as mirroring the iPad screen.

 

[Slartibart]

But that's not mirroring, which is what you referred to (you said you wanted mirroring without the black bars) -- those are apps specifically coded to run a second screen. GoodNotes does this. I use it often. But it's not the same thing as mirroring the iPad screen.

I am aware that this is not mirroring. But if that can be implemented there seems to be no technical reason impeding to implement borderless mirroring.

 

[BhaveshUK]

I refuse to believe they wouldn’t know about Stage Manager. Mainly because they would get splash screens indicating it’s available to use and users don’t necessarily have to go into Settings to use it… its a quick toggle on the Control Center.

And you have to take into consideration… those who are purchasing these latest generation iPad Airs and iPad Pros would be fairly knowledgeable about their features given the cost for them. It would be different if users opt for the base model iPad. But whether they will actually use Stage Manager… I‘m not certain.

Because it was a thread awhile back that started with Gruber pleading they wish multitasking never existed on an iPad and preferred to have it off by default. The reasoning behind it was accidentally evoking it and the belief was the iPad is designed as a one-window device. But I personally think they took Split View and Slide Over as far as it could go.

They have tweaked it ever since it’s been introduce, starting with Split Screen back in iOS 9… then that evolved to Split View and Slide Over. After that… it transitioned to multitasking from Slide Over. Last year they gave us the option to hide Slide Over from either side which wasn’t available before.

You'd be surprised. So many of us on MacRumors love to know all the details and intricacies of what we're getting, but a lot of general consumers aren't buying these devices for the same reason. Most of my friends will buy the next iPhone because... it's the next iPhone... not because of any features it might have. That's crazy to me but that's how they upgrade their products 🤷‍♂️

I watched the video you sent and I have a better understanding of the rationale. I'm glad Craig mentioned the iPad being an incredibly focussed environment because that's what I love most about it - I hope they never lose that element no matter how iPad OS develops. I'll keep an open-mind with Stage Manager and give it a good trial run. If it suddenly "clicks" for me that's a positive in my book.

 

[Digitalguy]

I am aware that this is not mirroring. But if that can be implemented there seems to be no technical reason impeding to implement borderless mirroring.

It's easy to do, they just need to change the aspect ratio so that the iPad gets the bars and not the monitor, just like Swiftscreen does. However without a proper scaling (if not a desktop mode) the experience is pretty bad. I have a 28in 3:2 display which has almost no bezels with a 11in iPad pro. Is it nice? No, horrible. Looks like when you plug a phone in landscape mode to a monitor, just a blown up phone on a large monitor, not a desktop experience.
That is to say, the issue are not bezels

 

[Slartibart]

You'd be surprised. So many of us on MacRumors love to know all the details and intricacies of what we're getting, but a lot of general consumers aren't buying these devices for the same reason.

even here on MR I wouldn’t be surprised when avid iPad users have to think a bit when asked the following:

On iPadOS: how do you find a specific word or phrase on a website in Safari without an external keyboard?

Once you learned it, well… 😎 But it is not obvious from the GUI and I bet that there are people here who'll comment reflex-like something along the lines of “who searches on a website?” 🤣😂🤪🤓

 

[VaruLV]

Im quite sure that Apple will try to push this new feature, Stage Manager on iPadOS, otherwise they might face even lower iPad Pro sales, with Apple silicon being so efficient even cheapest Macbooks now have battery life considerably higher than that of an iPad as well as silent operation without fans spinning up or even no fans inside laptop at all.
So, I believe that quite a few people will know about this new feature+Pro buyers often buy Pro not just because of its name or bigger/better screens, but also because of available features that regular iPads might not have or have it worse.

iPad Pro has to evolve both in OS and in hardware as well, if they dont take it to the next level, sales will either keep lingering around what they have been for couple of years or start to slowly, yet steadily decline and they should know that something has to be done to justify not the silly Pro name in an ipad, but the price as well, which gets higher, but returns are getting slimmer and slimmer for customers who buy one.

Writing this with bt keyboard from my 12.9 M1.

 

[rui no onna]

I refuse to believe they wouldn’t know about Stage Manager. Mainly because they would get splash screens indicating it’s available to use and users don’t necessarily have to go into Settings to use it… its a quick toggle on the Control Center.

Lol, not many folks actually pay attention to those splash screens. If I set up a new iPad from scratch for my parents and I forget to disable multitasking, they can get surprised and panicky when it goes into split view/slide over.

And you have to take into consideration… those who are purchasing these latest generation iPad Airs and iPad Pros would be fairly knowledgeable about their features given the cost for them. It would be different if users opt for the base model iPad. But whether they will actually use Stage Manager… I‘m not certain.

Not necessarily. I think more just buy the Air and Pro for the more “modern” aesthetics. Most of my aunties buy the $1K+ iPhone Pro Max and iPad Pro 12.9” simply because those have the largest displays. They don’t even know how to use AirDrop, advanced camera settings and stuff.

 

[rui no onna]

You'd be surprised. So many of us on MacRumors love to know all the details and intricacies of what we're getting, but a lot of general consumers aren't buying these devices for the same reason. Most of my friends will buy the next iPhone because... it's the next iPhone... not because of any features it might have. That's crazy to me but that's how they upgrade their products 🤷‍♂️

I can easily understand the mentality. iOS is familiar. If you restore from backup, settings and data from the old device carry over so you can just continue using the new phone like how you’ve been used to.

Meanwhile, switching to Android, they’d have to relearn a new OS.

For the most part, folks I know just get the next iPhone when it’s time for their contract to renew (which is right around the time battery’s going down). In the US, I expect most just upgrade and continue paying the $30 or so a month (sometimes $0 with trade-in) instead of getting a battery replacement.

 

[Ludatyk]

Lol, not many folks actually pay attention to those splash screens. If I set up a new iPad from scratch for my parents and I forget to disable multitasking, they can get surprised and panicky when it goes into split view/slide over.

Point I was making.. whether or not they pay attention to the splash screens, it’s knowing they available.. that’s all.

It’s one of those situations about privacy pages… we skim through it, but we know the just of it all lol. My family barely use Split View/Slide Over... But they know it’s available for them to use.

Not necessarily. I think more just buy the Air and Pro for the more “modern” aesthetics. Most of my aunties buy the $1K+ iPhone Pro Max and iPad Pro 12.9” simply because those have the largest displays. They don’t even know how to use AirDrop, advanced camera settings and stuff.

Umm.. I did mention “fairly knowledgeable.” I know some are not aware of all the features available for them. But I‘ll like to think people who are purchasing those devices will ask questions or be open for tips and tricks.

Meanwhile, switching to Android, they’d have to relearn a new OS..

I’m curious… is that big of a learning curve? Perhaps because I’m accustomed to using both for so long. But Android and iOS steal from another I would think the transition is easy.

 

[rui no onna]

Point I was making.. whether or not they pay attention to the splash screens, it’s knowing they available.. that’s all.

It’s one of those situations about privacy pages… we skim through it, but we know the just of it all lol. My family barely use Split View/Slide Over... But they know it’s available for them to use.


Umm.. I did mention “fairly knowledgeable.” I know some are not aware of all the features available for them. But I‘ll like to think people who are purchasing those devices will ask questions or be open for tips and tricks.

Frankly, I know folks who still don’t about split screen and slide over. Those who know only know because they accidentally activated it and couldn’t return to “normal” and asked me for help to disable the feature.

You’re assuming people buying iPad Airs and Pros are fairly knowledgeable. Given my family, I don’t make any such assumptions.

I’m curious… is that big of a learning curve? Perhaps because I’m accustomed to using both for so long. But Android and iOS steal from another I would think the transition is easy.

I dunno either since I usually have some Android devices for tinkering.

I know my aunt can’t use my uncle’s Samsung Galaxy though and one time she borrowed my unlocked Android for international use, she complained about getting confused by Android.

 

[sparksd]

...


I’m curious… is that big of a learning curve? Perhaps because I’m accustomed to using both for so long. But Android and iOS steal from another I would think the transition is easy.

I found switching from Android to iOS to be a very significant learning curve, primarily because of the way iOS manages files (the sandbox). I found Android quite easy to pick up as it more closely resembled the Windows environment. I went very quickly to being a power user, rooting my devices and installing custom ROMs (mainly for performance improvements).