Apple has unveiled iPadOS 16 similar to macOS. How to install it now

Apple has announced numerous innovations in iPadOS 16 in time for WWDC 2022. In addition to the app, for the first time you can use true multitasking with a floating window on the iPad. However, this feature is not available on all iPad models.

Some details

The beta version is already available for developers – an official release is expected in the fall. Apple’s iPadOS update could be a game changer for the electronics giant’s product range. Because with the new Stage Manager, Apple is bringing true multitasking to its tablets.

The funny thing is that the new feature makes some models of the upcoming devices a strong alternative to the company’s own MacBook models, especially when combined with a keyboard as an accessory.

New features in iPadOS 16

Stage Manager for iPad M1, the Freeform weather app and new collaboration features. In addition, reference mode and display scaling. Desktop-level apps. An incredible array of features expected in the upcoming update.

We should start with the Stage Manager feature. Users will be able to use the new window management that is also introduced in macOS 13. This moves one window to the centre of the screen and all other apps move in groups to the left-hand side of the screen. Apple emphasises that Stage Manager can be used to group applications that you want to use at the same time.

For example, you want to transfer text from Safari to Photoshop images, so these applications are required at the same time. At the same time, you need to communicate with an email client. With Stage Manager, you can switch between a couple of applications and an email program.

What makes Stage Manager special is the ability to open up to eight applications in windows simultaneously. You can freely resize and move them around the display, just like on a desktop PC. Since the iPad is only available with a diagonal of 12.9 inches or less, you can also use this feature with an external display. According to Apple, displays with a maximum resolution of 6k are supported thanks to the M1.

Optional

Combined with a keyboard case, the iPad could be a better alternative to the MacBook, but with one big limitation: Stage Manager can only be used on iPad models with the powerful M1 SoC. It’s a shame, but Apple probably wants to ensure iPad performance in this way.

The next “big” feature is actually quite small: Apple adds its own weather app to the iPad. If you’ve been using Apple tablets for a while, you’ll know that they haven’t yet been ported to iPadOS.

There’s also a new app called Freeform, which is a kind of digital whiteboard. Here you can create graphics, mind-maps and link all kinds of documents on it using the Apple Pencil. From now on, Apple will not send documents as copies, but will make them available to other Apple users. As with documents on Google Drive, you can work on a file together and don’t have to merge different versions afterwards.

As Apple products are often used in creative work, the company has introduced two new display features. The reference mode is supposed to ensure consistent colour accuracy on the tablet when working with a MacBook or Mac, including the Apple monitor. Unfortunately, this mode is only available on the Liquid Retina XDR iPad Pro 12.9 display. Display scaling, on the other hand, changes the pixel density on the iPad with the M1 chip.