An iPadOS rumor says Apple’s tablet software could get two major upgrades at WWDC 2022 that I really want to happen: desktop mode and resizable app windows.
This comes from the developer Steve Troughton Smith (Opens in a new tab), after researching newly committed code for Apple’s open source WebKit, the engine that Apple developers use to build browsers for the iPhone and iPad. Inside it, he found the reviewer (Opens in a new tab) to a previously unknown switchable multitasking mode that enables resizing of entire app windows on iPadOS. He compares it to how Windows 10 or Windows 11 switched to tablet mode, making the operating system easier to use with touch controls.
I know better than to get excited about the improvements on the iPad, because we’ve been burned so many times…but WebKit has added an infrastructure for “multitasking mode” on iOS which definitely looks like a toggle that allows windows to be resized freely https://t.co/NBNGhHiaxB26 May 2022
While there are only limited rumors about what to expect for iPadOS 16, there is another source (leaker Majin Boo (Opens in a new tab)) He also talked about how to connect the keyboard and trackpad to the iPad to enable this multitasking feature, but the M1 iPad can be exclusive and may not appear in iPadOS 16. Assuming Apple doesn’t discontinue this feature again for a future version of iPadOS, I’m excited to hear It might be close.
Features your iPad needs to replace your laptop
Apple has been marketing iPads for some time as a laptop replacement, but despite the quality of the best iPads, we’ve seen time and time again that they still can’t replace the best laptops, even with accessories like magic keyboard. One of the big things that gets in the way of this is how limited multitasking and mouse and keyboard use are currently on the iPad.
With iPadOS 15, you’re limited to one full-size app or two half-size apps with a narrow sliding window that you can hide off the screen, which I find is enough for a single typing task but not near enough windows for my typical Windows 10 workflow. You can also open multiple instances of an app in iPadOS, but they’re still limited to the same window sizes as before, and can only be used once.
The keyboard compatibility for the iPad is really good, including some shortcuts to make it easier to navigate. However, using a mouse is not very easy, as it still has to interact with an interface designed for touch and gestures, which makes basic tasks like copying/pasting or switching apps heavy.
So having a normal desktop with resizable windows would be a huge boon for the users. It will make using multiple apps together much more seamless and customizable, rather than relying on some restrictive presets. It would hopefully make the peripherals less difficult to use as well, if the desktop had remapped controls which were better navigated with more taps and keystrokes than your finger.
I doubt it’ll be quite as versatile as the resizable windows you get on macOS or Windows 11, since mobile app developers won’t initially have their apps ready to work with different window sizes. However, it may be enough for some users to decide that it’s easier to work on their iPad than on a laptop they wouldn’t otherwise use, and hopefully in time the developers will adapt their apps to work in the new layout.
Improved multitasking could also prove to be a great use of the M1 chip that Apple now uses in the iPad Pro and iPad Air. While individual applications may not be able to tax strong silicon, multiple applications can take advantage of the inherent potential. And it makes me upset, I just bought a refurbished 2020 iPad Pro which uses the A-series chip instead.
WWDC begins June 6, and the keynote that morning is expected to reveal all the new programming. The rumors have been quiet for iPadOS compared to iOS 16, macOS 13, and other updates to Apple’s operating system, making it hard to know if this ability to resize a window is coming anytime soon. I really hope it will, because it will remove one of the heaviest limitations currently limiting the iPad’s capabilities as a business device.