iPadOS 16.2 Beta Adds Support for Using Stage Manager With External Displays on M1 and M2 iPads - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPadOS 16.2 Beta Adds Support for Using Stage Manager With External Displays on M1 and M2 iPads

Prior to the release of iPadOS 16, Apple tweaked Stage Manager to remove a feature that allowed it to work with external displays, a move made to expand ‌Stage Manager‌ support to A12Z and A12X iPad Pro models.

ipados 16 stage manager
With the new beta of iPadOS 16.2 provided to developers today, Apple has re-enabled external display support on iPads that have an M1 or M2 chip. While ‌Stage Manager‌ is functional on older ‌iPad Pro‌ models without Apple silicon chips, these iPads will not be able to use ‌Stage Manager‌ with an external display.

External display support allows for up to eight apps to be used with ‌Stage Manager‌, rather than the four available on the iPad alone.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...

Top Rated Comments

rui no onna Avatar
45 months ago
I wonder how many owners of pre-M1 iPads actually care about Stage Manager itself instead of fullscreen external display support.

I’m guessing for many, fullscreen external display is a more important feature than being able to use Stage Manager on the iPad’s small 11-13” displays.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GfPQqmcRKUvP Avatar
45 months ago
Who cares, Stage Manager is terrible
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
45 months ago

Earlier today you said, "Stage Manager is a joke. This feature does not appeal me anymore. Lost my interest. Sorry 😢"

So which is it?

Source: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/stage-manager-criticized-as-poorly-tested-feature-with-plethora-of-bugs-still-unfixed-as-ipados-16-released.2367363/post-31665755
I stand behind my first comment about the “Stage Manager”. The feature still does not appeal to me and I have lost interest. I don’t plan on using it. However, I’m glad Apple is trying to make it better for those that will be using them. Sorry for the confusion.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago
Stage Manager is a total waste of screen space. Who needs to see that much desktop with tiny windows?! I want instant tiling control, like on my Mac using the awesome Magnet app (with shortcut keys in the case of Mac).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
45 months ago

At least there is hope and Apple is trying to get this "Stage Manager" right. Baby steps!
Earlier today you said, "Stage Manager is a joke. This feature does not appeal me anymore. Lost my interest. Sorry 😢"

So which is it?

Source: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/stage-manager-criticized-as-poorly-tested-feature-with-plethora-of-bugs-still-unfixed-as-ipados-16-released.2367363/post-31665755
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GuruZac Avatar
45 months ago
Can I use my M1 MBA display as an external monitor?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)