Stage Manager is driving iPadOS 16 out of a September release.
Today, Apple surprised developers by, instead of releasing the seventh beta of iPadOS 16, the company skipped ahead and released the first beta of iPadOS 16.1. In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple confirmed that iPadOS 16.0 would never see the light of day for regular users.
Instead, the company plans to skip that entirely and release iPadOS 16.1 to the public. Apple says that the release will come out this fall but will not come at the same time as iOS 16.
“This is an especially big year for iPadOS. As its own platform with features specifically designed for iPad, we have the flexibility to deliver iPadOS on its own schedule. This Fall, iPadOS will ship after iOS, as version 16.1 in a free software update.”
Apple appears to be trying to fix Stage Manager
One of the headlining features of iPadOS 16 is Stage Manager and, while the experience has generally gone well for Mac users, that has not been the case for many users trying to use the window management feature on iPadOS.
With the first developer beta of iPadOS 16.1, Apple seems to being trying to fix the feature so it is ready for prime time later this fall. According to the report from TechCrunch, the new developer beta allows users to "resurface the Stage Manager side rail with a gesture while the feature is full screen."
Fittingly, an upgrade to Stage Manager is the headline update here. I’ve grown to really appreciate Stage Manager on the desktop, but using it on a tablet presents its own unique set of parameters, including a smaller screen size and default touchscreen interaction. The big update this time out is the ability to resurface the Stage Manager side rail with a gesture while the feature is full screen. The other updates with 16.1 are the standard spate of beta bug updates
iPadOS 16.1 will release this fall sometime after iOS 16 is released to the public. Many speculate that Apple will release iPadOS 16 in October to coincide with a rumored event that is expected to contain new iPad and Macs.
