iPad Multitasking: Stage Manager, Slide Over, and Productivity Hacks

Mastering iPad Multitasking

• 💡 Stephen Robles shares his daily use of the iPad for podcast editing, now embracing Stage Manager and windowing in iPadOS 26 after previously relying on split screen.
• 🚀 He even mirrors his iPad to Apple Vision Pro for an even larger multitasking canvas while editing audio.
• 🧠 Rosemary Orchard uses an iPad Mini and an iPad Pro, noting the initial confusion when Stage Manager wasn't available on the Mini, but now finds it useful, albeit with some quirks.

Stage Manager Workflows and Quirks

• 🎯 Stephen likens iPadOS 26 multitasking to Mac spaces, creating dedicated 'stages' for different tasks, such as a social media stage with Threads, Ivory, and Bluesky.
• 🧩 He also uses a stage for shortcut development, combining the Shortcuts app, Circle, and Bear Notes, allowing quick switching via Command-Tab or clicking.
• ⚠️ A noted quirk is that dragging Safari from the dock into an existing stage can sometimes switch away from the current stage, whereas dragging it as a new window keeps the user in their current workspace.
• 🛠️ The addition of Mac-like close, minimize, and maximize buttons in the top-left corner of windows has improved usability over the previous three-dot menu.

Split View, Slide Over, and App Workarounds

• 🔄 Split View and Slide Over have returned to iPadOS 26.1, allowing users to drag apps from the dock for 50/50 splits or persistent Slide Over windows.
• 🚫 Rosemary disables Stage Manager when editing podcasts in Ferrite due to issues with Universal Control and drag-and-drop functionality, preferring full-screen apps for this task.
• 💡 An automation is set up to automatically turn off Stage Manager when Ferrite is opened, addressing a long-standing workflow issue.

Shortcuts and Automations

• ⚡ Stephen has not used automations for external displays as he primarily uses his Mac for such tasks.
• ⚙️ He also hasn't utilized Stage Manager automations until Rosemary suggested setting one up to disable Stage Manager when opening Ferrite.
• 🔋 Pushcut is used for battery level notifications, triggering alerts when an iPad or Mac battery drops below 20% or rises above 80%.
• 🔗 A complex shortcut is being developed to consolidate battery notifications across devices using Pushcut, incorporating device details and custom notification titles.

Travel Routers and Networking

• ✈️ Stephen is interested in a UniFi travel router to improve Wi-Fi speed and reliability in hotel rooms, especially for uploading videos.
• 🏠 He hopes it will simplify connecting devices like Apple TV and provide a more consistent home-like Wi-Fi experience while traveling, potentially with VPN access to his home network.
• ⚠️ Both hosts discuss past frustrations with hotel Wi-Fi and cellular hotspotting limitations, highlighting the need for reliable internet access on the go.

Creator Studio Subscription and Feedback

• 💰 Doug provides feedback on Apple's Creator Studio subscription model, appreciating the bundled access to pro apps like Final Cut and Logic for iPad and Mac at a student price.
• 👨‍💻 Stephen acknowledges it's a good deal for new users or those upgrading from iMovie/GarageBand, but personally prefers one-time purchases for apps he already owns on Mac.
• 🎓 The subscription offers significant value, especially the student/educator pricing of $3/month or $30/year, and family sharing options.

Shortcuts Corner: Reminders App Automation

• ❓ Mike seeks to automate opening an existing Reminders list in a new window programmatically, having struggled with AppleScript, Shortcuts, and Automator.
• ❌ Rosemary finds this task surprisingly difficult, as Reminders doesn't easily support opening multiple new windows programmatically.
• 💡 While Shortcuts can open specific reminder lists, it lacks a 'new window' option. A workaround involves using Keyboard Maestro to record mouse actions, like dragging Reminders from the dock, which is functional but not ideal and requires consistent window layouts.