Apple’s Stage Manager feature is meant to address the challenges of multitasking on an iPad or Mac. It can arrange open apps so that one appears at the center of the screen while the others become thumbnails on the side, and you can then easily switch from one app to another.
Plus, if your iPad is able to connect to an external display, you can use Stage Manager across both screens. This way, you’re able to drag and drop apps and windows between your iPad and the second monitor. Here’s how to use the feature from an iPad and Mac.
How to Use Stage Manager on an iPad
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Stage Manager is supported only on certain model iPads: the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), the iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), and the iPad Air (5th generation). To see which model iPad you have, check the model number in Settings or on the back of the device.
To use Stage Manager on your supported iPad, you’ll need to be running iPadOS 16 or higher. To use Stage Manager with an external display, you’ll need an iPad with an M1 or M2 processor—which includes the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th gen+), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd gen+), or iPad Air (5th generation)—and iPadOS 16.2 or higher.
To update your device, go to Settings > General > Software Update. You’ll be told that your OS is up to date or be prompted to download and install the latest update.
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Stage Manager must then be enabled before you can use it. Open Settings > Home Screen & Multitasking and turn on the switch for Use Stage Manager on iPad.
After enabling Stage Manager, select Recent Apps to access open apps on the left side of the screen and tap Dock if you want to see the apps in the Dock while using Stage Manager.
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You can then head to Settings > Control Center and add Stage Manager to Control Center so you can more quickly activate the feature. If Stage Manager is in the More Controls section, tap its plus icon to add it to the list under Included Controls.
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To turn Stage Manager on, swipe down from the top-right side of the screen to trigger Control Center, then tap the Stage Manager icon (it will look like a large box with three smaller boxes next to it). You can then open your first app.
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Look for a small curved line in the lower-right corner of the open window. You can drag from this icon to shrink the window until it’s the size you want. To add another app or window to your Stage Manager layout, tap the ellipsis icon at the top of the open window and select Add Another Window from the menu.
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You can then open your second window from the Home Screen or Dock. The two open windows then appear side by side. Each window can then be resized as needed using the curved line in the open window. Open more apps by dragging their icons from the Dock onto the screen.
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At some point, the screen will get too cluttered with apps even if you resize each one into a narrow column. To change an open app into a thumbnail, drag it by its title bar to the left until it shrinks. You can continue to open apps and move them off to the side this way.
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To move one of the apps on the side to the center of the screen, simply tap on it. Whatever app or group of apps that was previously in the center are then resized to the side as thumbnails. To add another app from the side to the center of the screen, just drag it by its title bar.
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If more than one app appears at the center of the screen, tap its ellipsis icon and select Minimize from the menu. That will move it back to the side as a thumbnail. If only one app appears at the center of the screen, tap its ellipsis icon and select Minimize. That will remove it from the Stage Manager layout.
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Can’t find the open window you’re looking for? Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see all your open apps. You can then just tap the window that you want to see in the center. This screen can also be used to dismiss apps if you swipe individual windows up on the screen. Alternatively, turn off Stage Manager to display just the active window.
Using Stage Manager on a Mac
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To use Stage Manager on a Mac, your computer must be running macOS Ventura or higher (see if your machine is compatible(Opens in a new window)). Update your OS by clicking the Apple icon and selecting About This Mac, then clicking Software Update. Hit the Upgrade Now button to install the update.
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On your Mac, you can either turn on Stage Manager first and then open the apps you wish to use or open the apps and then turn on Stage Manager. Either way, you can enable Stage Manager if you click the Control Center icon on the menu bar and select Stage Manager.
The first time you do this, a window pops up to explain Stage Manager. Click the Turn on Stage Manager button. If you already have several apps open, the active app takes center stage, while the other apps appear as small thumbnails on the left side.
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(Credit: Lance Whitney/Apple)
If no apps are open, click the icons on your Dock or Desktop for the apps you want to launch. The first app you open appears in the center. Each subsequent app you open pushes the previous app to the side as a thumbnail, while the last app you launch appears in the center.
Click any thumbnail on the left to move that app to the center. Depending on the screen size and resolution of your Mac, Stage Manager can display up to six different apps, with one in the center and five on the side. If you open a seventh app, one of the apps on the left disappears from the screen, though you can still open it from the Dock.
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You can group multiple apps together in the center. Just drag a thumbnail window from the left to the center of the screen. If you then click on one of the thumbnails, the grouped apps stay together as they shift to thumbnails on the left.
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If you maximize the center window, the apps on the left side hide. Restore the center window back to a smaller size, and the apps become visible again. If you move the center window to the left, the apps in that area are pushed to the side out of screen view. Move the center window back to the right, and the apps reappear.
When you’re ready to turn off Stage Manager, open Control Center again and click Stage Manager to disable the feature.
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To customize certain settings for Stage Manager on Mac, open System Settings > Desktop & Dock, then scroll down to the Stage Manager section and click Customize. You can turn off Recent Applications to hide the thumbnails on the left.
If you disable Desktop Items, it will hide any files on your desktop. Clicking anywhere on the desktop will then display the thumbnails and desktop items.
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Click the drop-down menu for Show windows from an application. Setting this option to All At Once displays all the open windows for your current application in the center. Setting it to One At A Time displays only one of its windows at a time.
