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How to use Stage Manager on macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16

What you need to know:

  • You can use Stage Manger on macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16.
  • To access Stage Manager on
    • Mac – Open Control Center → Scene Manager.
    • iPad – Control Center → Scene Manager.

During WWDC 2022, Apple introduced Stage Manager, a feature that will help you get rid of the headache of cluttering recent app windows on macOS and iPadOS. But how do you access and use the Stage Manager feature?

You’ll need to have macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16 to get started, plus you’ll need to turn it on. This guide will help you understand and make the most of Stage Manager on Mac and iPad, so let’s get started.

What is Apple Stage Manager?

Stage Manager is a multitasking feature for macOS and iPadOS. This feature organizes the windows on your desktop better so that you can easily access them and enjoy your desktop without clutter and confusion.

Users can drag windows from the side on top of other applications to group them. When using Stage Manager, the application window you are currently using will be displayed prominently in the center. In contrast, the windows of other active applications are arranged on the left according to the last used order.

The thumbnails show its window in real time, allowing you to see updates such as incoming messages without switching the application. You can view up to six thumbnails, depending on the size of your desktop.

How to use Stage Manager on macOS Ventura

While Stage Manager is available on all Macs running macOS Ventura (even Intel), this feature is not enabled by default. So, before we get into usage, let’s first learn how to enable/disable Stage Manager on Mac.

Enable or disable the scene manager

Through settings

  1. Click the Apple menu → select System Preferences.
  2. Select “Desktop & Dock”from the sidebar.
  3. Scroll down to the Windows & Apps section (on the right).
  4. Turn the Scene Manager on or off.

Via Control Center

  1. Open Control Center from the menu bar.
  2. Click the Scene Manager icon to enable or disable it.

Using a keyboard shortcut

  1. Go to Apple menu → System Preferences → Keyboard.
  2. Click the Keyboard Shortcuts button.
  3. Here select Mission Control.
  4. Double-click “no”next to the scene manager.
  5. Give the keyboard shortcut you want.
  6. Click Done.

The Stage Manager will now be enabled or disabled when using this keyboard shortcut.

Show or Hide the Scene Manager in the Mac Menu Bar

You can add Stage Manager to your Mac menu bar for even easier access. Just drag the scene manager icon from the Control Center to the menu bar. To remove it, hold Command (⌘), click, drag the icon anywhere on the desktop.

Or you can go to Apple Menu → System Preferences → Control Center → click on the pop-up menu next to “Scene Manager”→ select “Menu Bar”or “Don’t Show in Menu Bar”.

Once in the menu bar, you can click on the “Scene Manager”icon and then turn it on or off accordingly. If you want to customize, click “Scene Manager Settings”.

Change scene manager settings

  1. Go to Apple Menu → System Preferences → Desktop & Dock.
  2. Click Customize next to Scene Manager.
  3. Here you can enable/disable,
    • Recent Apps – Shows recently used apps on the left side.
    • Desktop Elements – Displays the elements present on the desktop.
  4. Then click the menu next to Show windows from application and select.
    • All at once – to see all active application windows on one screen.
    • One at a time – show only the last used application window on the screen. (You can get other windows by clicking on them on the left)
  5. Click Done to exit the menu.

Note:

  • When Recent Apps is disabled, you can move the pointer to the left edge of the screen to briefly view recent apps.
  • Full screen and split windows get their own space outside of the Stage Manager. You can access them by swiping left/right with three/four fingers or in Mission Control.

Organize your Mac desktop with Stage Manager

Application switching. Open the Recent Apps section (if it’s hidden) and click the desired app on the home screen.

Switching between windows of the same application – Press the Command (⌘) key + symbol (to the left of the number 1).

Minimize windows. Basically, this sends the window to the side as a thumbnail without switching windows. Just click the – (minus) icon or press Command (⌘) + M.

Resizing windows – hover over the edge of the application window. When you see the resize arrow, click and drag the edge of the window to resize; raise your finger after resizing the window.

Repositioning or overlapping windows. Click anywhere on the title bar and drag it to the desired location. You can also overlap windows.

Team Applications – Open the application you want to add. Now launch the group, drag the app from the Recent Apps section to the center of the screen. You can also press the Shift key and click the window thumbnail to group it with the currently open applications.

Ungroup apps. Drag the app you want to uninstall and drop it on the left side of the screen (in the center of the screen).

Drag and drop between applications. Select and drag items to the left side of the screen and hover over the transfer app. Once the app is in the center, drag the items here. If there are multiple windows, hover over the back window and release the items when the application window moves forward.

To hide/show an application, go to the application window and press Command (⌘)+H. Now you won’t see the app in the recent apps section. To bring back an app, click it in the Dock or press Command (⌘) + Tab, press Tab again to select the app, then leave the keys.

How to use the Scene Manager in iPadOS 16

Thankfully, Apple no longer limits Stage Manager to iPads with M-series chips. You can use this feature if you have iPadOS 16 and:

  • iPad Air (5th generation)
  • iPad Pro 11-inch (all generations)
  • iPad Pro 12.9″(3rd generation and later)

Enable or disable Stage Manager on iPad

Through settings

  1. Launch “Settings”→ “Home screen and multitasking”.
  2. Click Scene Manager.
  3. Enable/Disable the “Use Scene Manager”feature on the iPad.
  4. Here you can also check/uncheck
    • Recent apps – enable/disable the display of recent apps on the left.
    • Dock – to show/hide the Dock when the Stage Manager is active.

Via Control Center

  1. Open Control Center.
  2. Tap the Scene Manager icon. If this setting is enabled, the background of the icon turns white.
  3. To change Stage Manager settings, force click the icon.
  4. Now check/uncheck
    • Recent Apps
    • Doc

Note. If you don’t see the Scene Manager icon in the Control Center, go to Settings → Control Center → tap the + next to Scene Manager.

Multitasking in multiple windows on iPad with Stage Manager

Create application groups – you can use any

  • Tap the three-dot icon at the top of the window and select Add Another Window. Now you will see all recent application windows; select the one you want to group.
  • Drag the application from the Dock to the center of the screen. (If the dock is not visible, swipe up from the bottom of the screen)
  • Hold and drag an app from the recent apps list to the center of the screen.

Resizing any window. Drag the dark curve on the bottom left or right bottom in or out, then lift your finger to resize the app. If using a mouse or trackpad, hover over any edge and drag it in or out when you see the resize arrow.

Move the window to the recent applications list. Just like in macOS, you just need to minimize the window. Tap the three dots icon and select Collapse.

Maximize Window – Tap the three-dot icon and select Zoom.

Reposition the window – Tap, hold, drag the title bar, then drag it to the desired location.

Switching between applications. You can tap another app from the recent apps list or the Dock. The current application group is instantly moved to the left, replaced by the desired application. You can also swipe left or right with four or five fingers.

View all active apps – open the app switcher (swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the center).

View all active windows of the same application

  • Press and hold an application icon in the Dock and select Show All Windows.
  • Tap the app icon in the recent apps list.
  • Bring up the app switcher and tap the app icon.

FAQ

You can use your iPad as a second display for your Mac using the AirPlay feature. With this, you can control iPad and Mac together.

No. Stage Manager will be available for every Mac running the latest macOS 13 Ventura update.

That’s all!

Stage Manager will change how we multitask on Mac and iPad. By the way, how many apps do you have in the background while you are reading this guide? Let me know in the comments.

CDN CTB