On the iPad Air (5th generation), 11-inch iPad Pro (all generations), and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation and later) you can use the revamped Stage Manager for multitasking.
You can resize windows to look the way you want, see multiple overlapping windows in a single view, tap to switch between apps, and more.
You can group apps for specific tasks or projects, and arrange, resize, and overlap them in your ideal layout.
If your iPad is connected to an external display, you can use Stage Manager to drag windows between iPad and your external display and arrange them to suit your needs.
How to Turn Stage Manager on or off
When you turn on Stage Manager, the app you’re working in moves to the center of the screen, at a size that makes it easy to work with. All other open apps move left to form a list of recent apps along the side of the screen.
- Go to Settings > Multitasking & Gestures.
- Tap the checkbox below Stage Manager, then turn on Recent Apps.
You can also open Stage Manager by opening Control Center, then tapping the Stage manager icon (three stacked squares next to a rectangle).
How to Multitask with Multiple Windows
In Stage Manager, you can group apps together for specific tasks or projects, and keep them together as a group. You can reposition, resize, and overlap windows to suit your workflow.
- To open an app and group it with the one you’re working in, do any of the following:
- Tap the three dots icon at the top of a window, then choose Add Another Window. The current windows move aside to show all the other recent app windows. To add one, tap it.
- Touch and hold an app in the Recent apps list, then drag it to the current window in the center of the screen.
- Touch and hold an app in the Dock, then drag it up toward the center of the screen.
(If the Dock isn’t visible, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen just far enough to reveal it.) - Tap the App Library icon (the rightmost icon in the Dock), touch and hold an app icon in the App Library, then drag it from the App Library to the center of the screen.
- While working with multiple apps, do any of the following:
- Resize any window: Drag from the corner marked with a dark curve, or, if you have a mouse or trackpad, drag from any corner or edge of the window.
- Move a window to the Recent apps list: Tap the three consecutive buttons icon at the top of the window, then choose Minimize.
- Move a window: Drag from the top of the window.
- Enlarge a window: Tap the three consecutive buttons icon at the top of the window, then choose Enter Full Screen.
How to Switch Between Apps
With Stage Manager, you can switch apps by tapping another app in the Recent apps list, or tapping an icon in the Dock.
When you switch to another app, the app or group you’ve been working in moves left to the Recent apps list and is replaced by the one you tapped.
You can also do any of the following to switch apps:
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen, then pause in the center of the screen to see the recent apps and groups.
- Swipe left or right with one finger along the bottom edge of the screen. (On an iPad with a Home button, perform this gesture with a slight arc.)
- Swipe left or right with four or five fingers.
How to Hide or Show the Recent Apps List
Do one of the following:
- Open Control Center, touch and hold the Stage Manager icon, then tap the checkmark on the left side of the image.
- Go to Settings > Multitasking & Gestures, tap the checkbox below Stage Manager to turn it on, then turn Recent Apps on or off.
How to Close a Window
Tap the three consecutive dots icon at the top of the window, then choose Close.
If the window is part of a group of apps, it disappears from the group.
How to Move an App to an External Display
If your iPad (supported models) is connected to an external display, you can work across both screens—just drag apps and windows between the screens and arrange them in a way that works best for you.
To move apps between displays, do any of the following:
- Drag from the top of the app window to move it from one display to another.
- Drag the icon of the app you want to move.
(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple’s support pages — where the images sometimes come from.)
