Apple's Stage Manager is a multitasking feature designed to help users organize and manage their open applications and windows more effectively on compatible devices.
Understanding Stage Manager
Stage Manager provides a new way to interact with windows, making it easier to focus on your current task while keeping other important apps readily accessible. It organizes your open apps and windows into a view that sits on the side of your screen, with your main app front and center.
According to the reference, Stage Manager allows you to:
- Resize windows to look the way you want.
- See multiple overlapping windows in a single view.
- Tap to switch between apps.
This structure means that instead of having all your windows scattered or hidden behind each other, you have a clear primary window and a visual history or collection of recent apps on the side.
How It Works
When you enable Stage Manager, your current active application appears in the center of the screen. Other open applications are automatically grouped together on the left side as recent app thumbnails.
- Focus: The main window is prominent, allowing you to concentrate on your current work.
- Organization: Groups of related windows or apps can stay together, streamlining workflows.
- Quick Switching: Tapping on a thumbnail in the recent apps list on the side instantly brings that app or group of apps to the front, becoming the new main window.
This provides a visual and interactive method for managing multiple tasks without the clutter of traditional overlapping windows covering the entire screen. You can also resize windows within the main area to customize their layout and fit more than one overlapping window into your central workspace if needed, making it easier to see multiple windows simultaneously.
Stage Manager aims to bridge the gap between simple full-screen modes and complex window management, offering a balance that enhances multitasking, especially on larger displays or when using external monitors.
