Apple Explains Why Stage Manager is Limited to M1 iPads in New Statement

One of iPadOS 16's key new features is Stage Manager, which allows users to resize apps into overlapping windows for an improved multitasking experience. Stage Manager also fully supports an external display, allowing users to work with up to four apps on the iPad and up to four apps on the external display simultaneously.

ipados 16 stage manager
To the disappointment of some users, Stage Manager is limited to iPad models with an M1 chip, including the latest iPad Pro and iPad Air. In a statement shared with Rene Ritchie, Apple explained its rationale for this limitation by asserting that the Stage Manager experience "requires large internal memory, incredibly fast storage, and flexible external display I/O, all of which are delivered by iPads with the M1 chip."

Apple's full statement, as shared by Ritchie:

Stage Manager is a fully integrated experience that provides all-new windowing experience that is incredibly fast and responsive and allow users to run 8 apps simultaneously across iPad and an external display with up to 6K resolution. Delivering this experience with the immediacy users expect from iPad's touch-first experience requires large internal memory, incredibly fast storage, and flexible external display I/O, all of which are delivered by iPads with the M1 chip.

For example, the M1 iPad Pro is available with up to 16GB of RAM, compared to 6GB in the previous-generation iPad Pro. Apple also advertises the M1 iPad Pro as having 2x faster storage than the previous-generation model.

While the Stage Manager feature is limited to iPad models with an M1 chip, iPadOS 16 as a whole is compatible with all iPad Pro models, the third-generation iPad Air and newer, the fifth-generation iPad and newer, and the fifth-generation iPad mini and newer. The update is currently in beta for developers, with Apple planning to release a public beta in July. iPadOS 16 should be released to all users around September.

Related Roundups: iPad Air , iPad Pro
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone Resolutions Leak With Under-Screen Camera Tipped

Monday April 14, 2025 3:12 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold") will feature two screens as part of its book-style design, and a Chinese leaker claims to know the resolutions for both of them. According to the Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station, the inner display, which is approximately 7.76 inches, will use a 2,713 x 1,920 resolution and feature "under-screen camera technology." Meanwhile, the...
iPad Pro iPadOS

iPadOS 19 Will Be 'More Like macOS' in Three Ways

Sunday April 13, 2025 6:43 am PDT by
A common complaint about the iPad Pro is that the iPadOS software platform fails to fully take advantage of the device's powerful hardware. That could soon change. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS." Gurman said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like a Mac" in three ways:Improved productivity Improved multitasking Improved app window management...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Waiting for the Perfect MacBook Pro? 2026 Might Be the Year

Thursday April 10, 2025 4:19 am PDT by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
Apple Vision Pro with battery Feature Blue Magenta

Vision Pro 2 Rumored to Have Two Key Advantages Over Current Model

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:15 am PDT by
Apple is working on a new version of the Vision Pro with two key advantages over the current model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Specifically, in his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is developing a new headset that is both lighter and less expensive than the current Vision Pro, which starts at $3,499 in the U.S. and weighs up to 1.5 pounds. Gurman said Apple is also...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: New iOS 19, iPhone 17, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 Leaks

Friday April 11, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we catch up on the latest iOS 19 and watchOS 12 rumors, upcoming devices, and more. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Detailed new renders from leaker Jon Prosser claim to provide the best look yet at the complete redesign rumored to arrive in iOS 19, showing more rounded elements, lighting effects, translucency, and...
top stories 2025 04 12

Top Stories: iOS 19 and iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, Siri Revamp Turmoil, and More

Saturday April 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
It was a big week for leaks and rumors in the Apple world, with fresh claims about iOS 19, the iPhone 17 Pro, and even the 20th anniversary iPhone coming a couple of years from now. Sources also spilled the tea on the inner turmoil at Apple around the Apple Intelligence-driven Siri revamp that has seen significant delays, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iOS ...
iPhone 16e Feature

iPhones, Macs, and Other Apple Devices Exempted From Trump Tariffs

Saturday April 12, 2025 9:44 am PDT by
Apple and other electronics manufacturers have received a break from Trump's reciprocal tariffs, with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency sharing a long list of products excluded from the levies last night. iPhones, Macs, iPads, Apple Watch, and other Apple devices will not be subject to the 125 percent tariffs that have been put in place on imported Chinese goods, nor will Apple...

Top Rated Comments

Rory76 Avatar
37 months ago

Maybe, but why try to make new features work with old hardware that is approaching end of support?

I get it, nice for the customer, but as far as apple is concerned, it is adding complexity to the codebase for hardware that won't be viable for many more years.

And un-necessary complexity in software is a major source of bugs.
The 2020 iPad Pro is approaching the end of support??? ?
Score: 74 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiVolt Avatar
37 months ago
They could have probably made the feature work on older iPad Pro's without the external display support, but you could still have it on the device.

The 2018/2020 were pretty powerful chips.
Score: 69 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Think|Different Avatar
37 months ago
It’s lose/lose — everyone will just comment they are “lying” as if they know the intricacies of their inner workings, engineering pipeline, or business track. Whether we like it or not, there’s a reason they are a multi-trillion dollar company and it’s not listening to Redditors or MacRumors commentators.
Score: 59 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
37 months ago

It’s lose/lose — everyone will just comment they are “lying” as if they know the intricacies of their inner workings, engineering pipeline, or business track. Whether we like it or not, there’s a reason they are a multi-trillion dollar company and it’s not listening to Redditors or MacRumors commentators.
Yep, exact same with the whole iPhone 7 being dropped this year.
Explain how it’s clearly the lock screen and other features requiring the neural engine.
“Oh well they could easily just strip the new lock screen and everything else requiring NE out.”
Explain how ripping things out of the operating system, especially huge things like the Lock Screen, isn’t as easy as it seems and wouldn’t really be worth it to save one device.
“Oh well it’s forced obsolescence, because of course it is.”
Ask “how is it forced obsolescence if the iPhone 6S was literally the longest supported phone with a full seven years of updates, and the iPhone 7 is only one year behind that?”
“It just is OK, it’s forced obsolescence. It just is.”
Ask “well what about the fact that Apple didn’t change the support list for three OS’s in a row?”
“It’s still forced obsolescence because Apple bad my phone need to be supported forever company evil etc etc etc”
Literally no matter what Apple does people will complain.
Drop devices from the Support list and people complain.
Continue supporting old devices and people complain that they’re slow.
Introduce MacBook Airs in more muted colors and people complain that they are boring.
Introduce iMacs in fun shiny colors and people complain that they are childish.
Introduce M2 and people complain that it’s not that much different than M1.
Stick with M1 and people complain that Apples moving too slow and we should already be on M2.
Announce thin and light MacBook Pros and people complain that it should be thicker and heavier for bigger batteries and better cooling.
Introduce thicker and heavier MacBook Pro‘s and people complain that they’re tooth thick and too heavy.
And the list just goes on and on and on
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BF1M Avatar
37 months ago
To sell more iPads. Let’s be real. It’s Siri all over again.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
37 months ago
Apple’s statement does not explain much. I think the simple answer is Apple wants us to upgrade to a new M1 iPad. Anyone remember the support for Siri.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)