How to turn ON stage manager in iPadOS 16 and 17

If you are wondering on how to turn ON stage manager in iPadOS 16 and 17 then following are the steps to do it easily on any large screen iPad.

How to turn ON stage manager in iPadOS 16 and 17

Apple has many unique features on iPad to make multitasking easier. Large screen iPads like the 12.9 inch and 11 Inch have a lot of screen space to use multiple apps at once. People generally do multitasking on iPads by dragging multiple apps side by side.

Also Read: iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and macOS 14 Beta : Release date and download details

With the introduction of iPadOS 16, Apple had added a new feature called stage manager, which makes switching between apps easier. With the new view, an iPad interface will start looking like a Mac. You can switch between apps just by tapping the thumbnails shown on the screen. In both Mac and iPad, stage manager has similar looks and functionality.

When it comes to Mac, you can use mouse to switch between apps, but on iPad touch can be used. This feature will have more improvements in iPadOS 17 which is expected to be launched in June during the WWDC. Following are the ways to turn on Stage manager in iPadOS 16 and iPadOS 17.

How to Turn On stage manager in iPadOS 16 and 17

To turn on stage manager, you should have iPadOS version 16 or later, as this feature is not available in older iPadOS versions.

  • Unlock your iPad
  • Click on the settings apps from the doc or from the app drawer
settings page on iPad
  • In the setting page side panel, click on the “Home screen & Multitasking” button.
home screen and multitasking on iPad
  • In the bottom of the page there will be an option called “Stage Manager”.
stage manager option
  • Click on it and you will see stage manager settings.
  • In the next page you will have an option “User stage manager on iPad” toggle.
  • Switch on the toggle and it’s done.
turn on stage manager on iPad

You can now see 3 dots at the top of the screen and also if there are multiple apps open in the background, try switching between them.

Stage manager preview on iPad

Clicking on the 3 dots at the top will show you will more options for multitasking.

multitasking menu

There is another easier way to enable stage manager on iPadOS 16 and 17. You can swipe down the control center from the top right of the screen and click on the “Stage Manager” button as shown in the below image.

turn on stage manager from control center

How to turn off stage manager on iPad

This is the opposite process of turning it ON. You can either do it by swiping down the control center and pressing the stage manager button, or else follow the steps below.

  • Unlock iPad
  • Go to settings
  • Click on Home screen & Multitasking
  • Find Stage Manager option.
  • Inside the stage manager page, turn off the toggle.
  • Stage Manager will be turned off.

Stage manager is good for people who want to switch between apps and run multiple windows in iPad at the same time. We need to wait and see for the next version of stage manager and the improvements that Apple will bring to it on iPadOS 17.

Also Read: iOS 17 will bring changes to UI, lock screen, Apple Music and Control center

Kiran Sankar
Kiran Sankar

I am a software engineer crazy about technology and gadget. I like knowing about the latest technologies and the way they work. I created this website to share my knowledge on latest tech and products so that it would help you guys find out what is the best for you and decide for your purchase. We have included products from Amazon and Flipkart in here for you to select.