Stage Manager Criticized as 'Poorly Tested' Feature With 'Plethora of Bugs' Still Unfixed as iPadOS 16 Released

The editor-in-chief of MacStories shared feedback about Stage Manager, a new feature in iPadOS 16 that allows for multiple windowed apps on the iPad. Stage Manager was criticized by Viticci as an "over-designed" and "poorly tested" feature with a "muddled constellation of missing features, bugs and confusing interactions."

Stage Manager is just another mode tacked onto existing iPad apps, disabled by default, slimmed down in scope, and shipped with a lot of bugs. It's disappointing that Apple didn't take advantage of the opportunity.

A long list of bugs, technical issues, and challenges that he experienced while using Stage Manager is still present in the iPadOS 16 version released to the public this week. There are keyboard related bugs when QuickType predictions are enabled, layout bugs when changing the iPad from portrait to landscape orientation, and many more.

He thinks windowing on iPadOS can be useful, but Apple has failed to execute Stage Manager so far.

Stage Manager has the potential to create a continuum between the Mac and iPad that will allow power users to go beyond what iPadOS has to offer. That idea has been coupled with the worst technical implementation of multitasking I have seen from Apple.

In future iPadOS 16 versions, Apple will be open to feedback and continue to work on Stage Manager. He hopes that Apple will make it easier for developers to support the multitasking feature.

Stage Manager will support up to four apps on an iPad's built-in screen, and another four on an external display on iPad models with the M1 chip. Stage ManagerFunctionality will return in a software update later this year.

The full Stage Manager review can be found at MacStories.