iPad Pro What is your impression on extended screen mode on the iPad Pro M1 under 16.2?

[hajime]

Just upgraded to 16.2 but I cannot use the extended screen mode as if I were using Mac OS or Windows 10. The UI does not feel natural. Much worse than mirror mode which works very well except that I cannot have different things on different screens. For example, dragging one browser window from one screen to another sometimes does not work. Windows that are supposed to be on the iPad screen moved to the external display and vice versa against my will, etc. Is this Apple’s way to implement it, some bugs, or it takes time to get used to?

 

[Digitalguy]

Some apps still don't work with it, but other than that it's a nice option, despite the bugs. I don't like stage manager on the iPad, but I really like to be able to have the iPad usable while connected to a monitor. I wish I could use stage manager only on the monitor (being able to turn it off on the iPad) and I wish the older pro could run in on the monitor instead of only on the iPad (even with a more limited number of apps)

 

[hajime]

Safari seems to be working sometimes only. Do you have the same problem?

 

[azpekt]

M2 12.9, works great (well, great for an iPad). It has few quirks, but overall it’s way more usable than it was before.
I do everything I need (photos, development, entertainment) on iPad now.

 

[EastHillWill]

For me, it's a welcome and long overdue option. Somewhat to your point, it's not as intuitive as using a second display with Windows. (For those who don't know, you're basically using Stage Manager when you extend the display, even if SM is off on the iPad.) However, it works well enough, and presumably it will improve over time. Dragging apps is a pain point for sure--I try to launch the app I want directly from that screen whenever possible, bypassing that issue. Most of the time I use the Magic Trackpad rather than the one on the MKB, and that helps as well. Keyboard shortcuts also help.

 

[NastyMatt]

I'd love to see a video of this working (on 16.2 - not a beta) and ideally, on a ultra widescreen. Not much to ask.. just someone doing what my set up could be 😁

 

[RLRabb]

Some apps still don't work with it, but other than that it's a nice option, despite the bugs. I don't like stage manager on the iPad, but I really like to be able to have the iPad usable while connected to a monitor. I wish I could use stage manager only on the monitor (being able to turn it off on the iPad) and I wish the older pro could run in on the monitor instead of only on the iPad (even with a more limited number of apps)

Per MacStories:
You can do this by disabling Stage Manager on the iPad itself from Control Center; as long as you enabled Stage Manager for the external display from Settings, the feature will be turned off on the iPad and stay active on the external display.

 

[Digitalguy]

Per MacStories:
You can do this by disabling Stage Manager on the iPad itself from Control Center; as long as you enabled Stage Manager for the external display from Settings, the feature will be turned off on the iPad and stay active on the external display.

Yeah I noticed this too. I guess this was not possible in some of the betas but is possible now

 

[hajime]

Anybody has the problem that when the iPad Pro M1 2021 is connected to an external display, it cannot go to sleep and keeps showing that keyboard and mouse are required to enable extended screen mode? Usually after use I just switch off the keyboard and mouse. Then, press the power button once to turn it off. However, since I have updated to 16.2, it keeps showing that message and asks me if I want to continue in mirror mode.

 

[Digitalguy]

Anybody has the problem that when the iPad Pro M1 2021 is connected to an external display, it cannot go to sleep and keeps showing that keyboard and mouse are required to enable extended screen mode? Usually after use I just switch off the keyboard and mouse. Then, press the power button once to turn it off. However, since I have updated to 16.2, it keeps showing that message and asks me if I want to continue in mirror mode.

So you are leaving the monitor plugged in but disconnecting the keyboard? In my experience it goes to sleep and turns off the external monitor too (my magic keyboard stays connected)

 

[RLRabb]

Anybody has the problem that when the iPad Pro M1 2021 is connected to an external display, it cannot go to sleep and keeps showing that keyboard and mouse are required to enable extended screen mode? Usually after use I just switch off the keyboard and mouse. Then, press the power button once to turn it off. However, since I have updated to 16.2, it keeps showing that message and asks me if I want to continue in mirror mode.

I may be misinterpreting what you are describing, but you must have an active keyboard/mouse or trackpad to run Stage Manager on an external display. Without such, you would have no way to interact with the content on the external screen. That is why the system defaults to mirror mode when there is no active keyboard/mouse or trackpad paired with the iPad.
As for the iPad not going to sleep when connected to the external monitor, since "clamshell" mode is not supported, I suspect they keep the iPad awake to ensure that your external monitor will stay awake when connected.

 

[livmatus]

doesn't work properly with my Lenovo ThinkVision P44w-10 monitor... it's a 3840x1200 (32:10) super ultrawide screen ... but iPad just centers a 16:9 view in the middle - I tried this over a dongle (dongle supports 4K@60 over HDMI... cable is HDMI 2.1) ... can't try Type-C directly because the Logitech Combo Touch's hole around the port doesn't support any capable Type-C cable at home

also try to choose the iPad as AirPlay display from Mac use SideCar while the iPad itself is extending desktop to another display... it becomes unusable

sometimes I feel that Apple gives minimal to no effort when it comes to testing those features

or am I using it wrong? ... it was publicly announced half a year ago yet it's garbage ... and the whole Stage Manager thing is just a parody on multitasking and extending a desktop ... huge disappointment

 

[sparksd]

I'm playing with it more now with 16.2 on my M1 12.9 and I can see a lot of potential. Nice surprise today was that I could connect a Bluetooth keyboard to the iPad which is connected to a Magic Keyboard and both keyboards are usable - I want to use the BT keyboard with the monitor while the iPad is off to the side. If I switch to using an app on the iPad screen, I use the Magic Keyboard.

 

[Digitalguy]

It works well on my 28" 3:2 4k+ monitor.
Resizing/moving apps around works better than on the tablet. I still find the experience on the tablet quite poor, but much better on the monitor.
Again it's a shame that iPad pros with 4 or at least 6GB RAM are not allowed to use this while just having split screen (which by the way is now the default if you don't enable stage manager when connecting to a monitor) on the tablet. RAM is not the issue if you don't have stage manager on both, at least for 6GB devices, the main issue IMO is that Apple absolutely wanted Stage Manager to work fully on the displays they sell (pro and studio) and A12X/Z can't support those resolutions (same reasons by the way why M1/M2 only support one external monitor, if you can't run a second 6k monitor, then no second monitor at all...)

 

[Ludatyk]

I'm playing with it more now with 16.2 on my M1 12.9 and I can see a lot of potential. Nice surprise today was that I could connect a Bluetooth keyboard to the iPad which is connected to a Magic Keyboard and both keyboards are usable - I want to use the BT keyboard with the monitor while the iPad is off to the side. If I switch to using an app on the iPad screen, I use the Magic Keyboard.

Yeah, that's how I normally have my desk setup. iPad+Magic Keyboard off to the side... connected to an external monitor, Bluetooth keyboard and Magic Trackpad, which has been working nicely for me.

Again it's a shame that iPad pros with 4 or at least 6GB RAM are not allowed to use this while just having split screen (which by the way is now the default if you don't enable stage manager when connecting to a monitor) on the tablet.

IMO, Apple gave them the best option available. Initially, Stage Manager wasn't available to them at all... now it is (I take that as a win). Then you have to take into account... there has to be an incentive for A12X/Z users to upgrade to the M1 iPad Pros.

I can make the argument that 13 Pro users should experience AOD, it has the hardware to implement the feature... but Apple decided to make it a 14 Pro exclusive.

 

[Digitalguy]

IMO, Apple gave them the best option available. Initially, Stage Manager wasn't available to them at all... now it is (I take that as a win). Then you have to take into account... there has to be an incentive for A12X/Z users to upgrade to the M1 iPad Pros.

I can make the argument that 13 Pro users should experience AOD, it has the hardware to implement the feature... but Apple decided to make it a 14 Pro exclusive.

I disagree that it is the best option available. The best would have been to have stage manager on the external display OR the tablet, just not both at the same time to avoid using too much RAM. But I agree on the fact that if they had done so the incentive for owners of previous iPad pro to upgrade would have been rather small....
And again I still maintaint that one of the reasons is support for their displays (same reasons for limiting the M1/M2 Mac to one external display). Pretty lame...

 

[Ludatyk]

I disagree that it is the best option available. The best would have been to have stage manager on the external display OR the tablet, just not both at the same time to avoid using too much RAM. But I agree on the fact that if they had done so the incentive for owners of previous iPad pro to upgrade would have been rather small....
And again I still maintaint that one of the reasons is support for their displays (same reasons for limiting the M1/M2 Mac to one external display). Pretty lame...

Of course, from a customer standpoint... Stage Manager on the external display would be the best option available. I'm looking at it from Apple standpoint.

Stage Manager is better on an external display... I know this and you do as well, which I have a feeling Apple knows this. If I'm Apple why would I allow A12X/Z users the ability to have Stage Manager on external display when I initially told them it's not possible to begin with? So, to meet them in the middle... Apple implements it on the iPad display without giving them external display support.

 

[cwosigns]

I’ve been using extended display with my M1 12.9” iPad Pro with both a 27” 5K LG UltraFine and a 21” 4K UltraFine. I haven’t had any issues that I think are bugs. I much prefer this version of multitasking vs. slide over and Split View. If you snag the very top of the window, you can move it more to where you want it. But it will still adjust so that you can see a bit of each of the 4 app windows so you can get to them. I used it with the original 16.0 beta, and then again in the last beta before the RC. It’s really grown on me. So much so, that I sold my M1 iMac. There wasn’t anything I did on that machine that I can’t do on my iPad with the LG displays.

 

[Ludatyk]

I’ve been using extended display with my M1 12.9” iPad Pro with both a 27” 5K LG UltraFine and a 21” 4K UltraFine.

I'm curious... why two displays?

So much so, that I sold my M1 iMac. There wasn’t anything I did on that machine that I can’t do on my iPad with the LG displays.

You didn't enjoy using Universal Control on both the iMac and iPad? I've just now experience it (recently received a M1 Pro MBP) and this feature is crazy good.

 

[EastHillWill]

The best would have been to have stage manager on the external display OR the tablet, just not both at the same time to avoid using too much RAM.

You can have Stage Manager on just the external display, that’s how I use it. (Apologies if I’m misunderstanding your comment, though.)

 

[cwosigns]

I'm curious... why two displays?


You didn't enjoy using Universal Control on both the iMac and iPad? I've just now experience it (recently received a M1 Pro MBP) and this feature is crazy good.

I use it with 27” OR 21” UltraFine displays. Not both at the same time. I wish. LOL

As far as Universal Control, I *do* love that, and use it with my company-issued 16” MacBook Pro (Intel i9).

 

[Digitalguy]

You can have Stage Manager on just the external display, that’s how I use it. (Apologies if I’m misunderstanding your comment, though.)

Yes, if you have SM on the external display you are just mirroring it, not having 2 displays, so the tablet is basically unusable for other things, while what I was saying is havign SM on the external display but the regular iPadOS on the tablet, just like you can do on M1/M2 or with Samsung tablets (DEX on the display, full screen, and OneUI on the tablet)

 

[Ludatyk]

I use it with 27” OR 21” UltraFine displays. Not both at the same time. I wish. LOL

But how do you decide which one do you use? Are they in different set of locations? Or I'm guessing you use one with the 16" MBP...

As far as Universal Control, I *do* love that, and use it with my company-issued 16” MacBook Pro (Intel i9).

Well, now I can completely understand why you removed the iMac from your situation because you have a Mac for work purposes.

Yes, if you have SM on the external display you are just mirroring it, not having 2 displays, so the tablet is basically unusable for other things, while what I was saying is havign SM on the external display but the regular iPadOS on the tablet, just like you can do on M1/M2 or with Samsung tablets (DEX on the display, full screen, and OneUI on the tablet)

Not trying to hijack this thread, but you since you mentioned... for OneUI 5.0 Samsung has introduced Flow pointer to phone screen (I believe this was available for the tablet) for the Fold. Unable to drag items from Fold/tablet to external display, but was pleasantly surprised to see it nevertheless.

It dawned on me, it's wonderful time to be alive with all these features and choices available to customers. From external support on the iPad with Stage Manager, Universal Control for the Mac & iPad and then there's the alternatives with what Samsung or Google has to offer. It's quite enjoyable.

 

[EastHillWill]

Yes, if you have SM on the external display you are just mirroring it, not having 2 displays, so the tablet is basically unusable for other things, while what I was saying is havign SM on the external display but the regular iPadOS on the tablet, just like you can do on M1/M2 or with Samsung tablets (DEX on the display, full screen, and OneUI on the tablet)

No, the way I’m describing it and the way I use it is: The iPad is a ‘normal’ screen, and the external monitor is a separate (not mirrored screen), and Stage Manager is off on the iPad. Unless mirroring is on, the second screen always 'behaves' the same, whether or not Stage Manager is on or off. That's the way the extended screen implementation works on iPadOS

 

[Digitalguy]

No, the way I’m describing it and the way I use it is: The iPad is a ‘normal’ screen, and the external monitor is a separate (not mirrored screen), and Stage Manager is off on the iPad. Unless mirroring is on, the second screen always 'behaves' the same, whether or not Stage Manager is on or off. That's the way the extended screen implementation works on iPadOS

I am not sure we are talking about the same thing. I am not talking about M1/M2? I was talking about A12X/Z and their limited version of Stage Manager. Are you talking about M1/M2 iPads?