Apple kills iPadOS 16.0 in favor of iPadOS 16.1 with new Stage Manager features

iPadOS 16.0 will not receive a public release because Apple is currently focused on delivering new Stage Manager features with the upcoming iPadOS 16.1 update.

• What is happening? Apple has confirmed that iPadOS is now running on its own schedule. iPadOS 16.0 won’t be released publicly because Apple is making big changes to the iPad Stage Manager after beta testers called the new multitasking feature underdeveloped and not well thought out.
• Why care? The stage director definitely needs more work. Many of those who have tried it are unhappy that Stage Manager only works on the iPad Pro M1. Apple should address some of these issues in iPadOS 16.1, so it’s a good thing iPadOS 16.0 won’t get a public release at all.
• What to do? If you have an Apple developer account, you can download the first iPadOS 16.1 beta to test the new Stage Manager features on your tablet.

There will be no iPadOS 16.0 version at launch

In a statement to TechCrunch, Apple confirmed that it will skip the public launch of iPadOS 16.0 and instead release iPadOS 16.1 alongside iOS 16.1.

This is a particularly important year for iPadOS. Since this is a proprietary platform with features specifically designed for iPad, we have the ability to release iPadOS on our own schedule. This fall, iPadOS will ship after iOS 16.1 as a free software update.

The statement is quite interesting. Previously, Apple released one version of iOS for iPhone and iPad. This is no longer the case, because in 2019 Apple introduced iPadOS as a tablet-focused fork of iOS. Calling iPadOS “a proprietary platform with features specifically designed for the iPad”takes that to the next level.

This is also the first time that Apple has separated the release of iOS and iPadOS. We hope all of this means that Apple is finally taking iPadOS as seriously as some of its customers.

The fact that going back to the classic split view and slider seems *so* nice right now is… quite telling.

If Stage Manager is the future of iPadOS for professional users, I hope Apple understands that this can’t be rushed. We’ve been waiting for this for years; may also receive it in the spring of 2023.

— Federico Viticci (@viticci) August 18, 2022

New Stage Manager features in iPadOS 16.1

At first, Apple hoped to silence criticism of Stage Manager by sending its executives to give a couple of press interviews in which they attempted to explain why Stage Manager in its current form is such a resource-intensive feature.

But that didn’t work, as some prominent members of the Apple community derailed Stage Manager as an underdeveloped feature with UI glitches popping up all over the place. Read: New to Mac? Learn the basics of Mission Control

This prompted Apple to simply ditch iPadOS 16.0 and focus on the new Stage Manager features in iPadOS 16.1. According to a TechCrunch report, Apple has confirmed that the Stage Manager in iPadOS 16.1 is introducing a new gesture to re-display the Stage Manager side rail when the feature is in full screen mode.

Apple didn’t accompany the first iPadOS 16.1 beta with release notes, so we don’t know what else has changed at this time, but keep an eye on that space as we’ll keep an eye on Stage Manager development. Read: How to Quickly Edit Screenshots with Instant Markup

When will iPadOS 16.1 go public?

Apple released the first developer beta of iPadOS 16.1 on August 23, 2022. There are at least a few more betas expected before iPadOS 16.1 is ready for public use.

Apple usually holds two press events in the fall, one in September for new phones and watches, and one in October for new tablets and laptops.

Just as major iOS updates are released days before new iPhones arrive, the same should happen with iPadOS 16.1. Rumor has it that the next budget iPad and the next iPad Pro are expected in October. And it’s safe to say that iPadOS 16.1 will arrive days before the next iPad Pro goes on sale.