Although the ipadOS 16, the new version of the operating system that drives Apple tablets, is overshadowed by the new iOS 16 and the advent of the Apple M2 with MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, it also has its moment in the introductory keynote WWDC 2022. And it’s nothing less, because it’s true that with this version finally comes one of the most anticipated features (I would even dare say it’s the first on this list) iPad Pro users and, to a lesser extent, other models.

And yes, as you can read in the title of this news, Apple tablets will finally offer flexible multitasking thanks to Stage Manager. new feature in ipadOS 16 comes for iPad Pro and iPad Air users with M1 chip, which automatically arranges open applications and windows, always keeping the active window in the middle, providing an environment in which we can quickly jump between them without losing sight of all the information we want to keep visible.

Stage Manager allows you to create overlapping windows of different sizes in one viewdragging windows from the side or opening applications from the Dock to create application groups, which must also add that this new feature of ipadOS 16 will also be extended to external monitors with a resolution of up to 6Kso we can completely customize the workspace to suit our specific needs. Apple has been saying for some time that its iPads are a great alternative to PCs, and they have undoubtedly made significant strides in this regard with this leap in ipadOS 16.

Another very interesting novelty of the ipadOS 16 is called free form and comes from a combination of FaceTime and Apple Pencil, which together offer us a new application integrated into the video conferencing features of Apple devices. with this feature we can create a workspace for collaboration like a whiteboardin which participants can use a group video call at the same time. A very practical tool in a teleworking environment even for remote meetings.

People who don’t use the iPad will no doubt be surprised, but as incredible as it may seem, Apple’s tablet has never had a native weather app, which is even more surprising compared to iOS, whose weather app is quite complete and practical. Fortunately, with the ipadOS 16, iPad users will have an application with weather and environmental information, as complete as the one that has had iOS for years. I don’t understand why it took so long to be so helpful, but hey, better late than never.

Otherwise ipadOS 16 also adds some of the news we saw in iOS 16such as new features in mail, messaging, shared library on iCloud, and Live Text and Dictation enhancements. Finally, although we are not introducing as many new features as some information leaks have indicated, we are already facing a very important evolution due to the arrival of Stage Manager, which is why it is a good reason to upgrade to iPadOS 16. When? Probably between September and October this year, although developers can already start using it.

More information: Apple