An interview with Craig Federighi on iPadOS 26's multitasking UI, Stage Manager's interface limitations, and why the iPad's Mac-style multitasking took so long

Federighi talks to Ars about why the iPad's Mac-style multitasking took so long. — CUPERTINO, Calif.—When Apple Senior Vice President …

Ars Technica 2025-06-12 Andrew Cunningham

Context & Ripple Effects

Apple’s iPad multitasking story has moved from the iPadOS 15 changes discussed by executives in 2021 to Stage Manager in iPadOS 16. That transition also introduced hardware and interaction trade-offs: Apple tied Stage Manager to M1 iPads on performance grounds in its M1-only Stage Manager rationale.

This interview matters because it addresses the gap between Apple’s intent and the reception of that earlier model. Stage Manager’s confusing behavior and bugs drew sustained criticism, making the interface’s earlier usability problems central to how a Mac-style windowing approach is judged on iPad.

First-order effects

Apple uses Federighi’s account to frame iPadOS 26’s multitasking UI as a considered evolution rather than a simple import of Mac conventions.
iPad users and developers get a clearer explanation of Stage Manager’s interface limits and of the design constraints behind the delayed move toward more Mac-like multitasking.

Second-order effects

The explanation raises the bar for iPadOS 26: users comparing it with prior multitasking changes will judge whether the new model resolves the friction associated with Stage Manager.
Mac-style windowing can make iPad app workflows more directly comparable with Mac workflows, increasing pressure on developers to ensure their apps behave well across more flexible layouts.

Third-order effects

If Apple can make windowing more predictable without abandoning the iPad’s touch-first identity, the boundary between tablet and desktop productivity software could narrow while the hardware categories remain distinct.
The longer-term test is whether interface simplification, rather than additional multitasking modes, becomes Apple’s way of making advanced iPad work accessible to a broader set of users.

The trend: iPadOS is moving toward richer desktop-like work patterns while Apple tries to preserve a distinct touch-first interaction model.

Discussion

@caro_milanesi Carolina Milanesi on x
I said on our Bit by Bit Podcast that iPadOS 26 was what I was most excited about after the WWDC keynote. Here is why https://creativestrategies.com/ ...
@leakerapple @leakerapple on x
Warning: RANT Is anyone else struggling to use this new multitasking UI on iPadOS 26? If you want to split screen or multitask you have to enable Stage Manager or Windowed Apps from the control centre. But when you do this, you lose the ability to create Quick Notes or take
@vadimyuryev Vadim Yuryev on x
Here's our take on iPadOS 26 finally making the iPad Pro a true MacBook replacement! https://www.youtube.com/...
@mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x
The strangest thing about iPadOS 26 is that you're constantly closing windows. Which is really the ultimate complaint after years of asking for windows.
@rjeytech @rjeytech on x
iPadOS 26 Multitasking is legit wow! You can watch two videos at once now. [image]
r/apple r on reddit
Apple's Craig Federighi on the long road to the iPad's Mac-like multitasking | Federighi talks to Ars about why the iPad's Mac-style multitasking took so long.

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