Report: Apple to Unveil iPad Multitasking Changes at WWDC

iPadOS 16, which Apple is expected to announce at its WWDC developer conference next week could give the iPad the multitasking update it deserves. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is reporting today that iPadOS could take inspiration from desktop operating systems and allow users to resize app windows and deal with multiple apps more easily.

“The iPad’s next major software update, iPadOS 16, will have a redesigned multitasking interface that makes it easier to see what apps are open and switch between tasks, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the changes aren’t yet public. It also will let users resize app windows and offer new ways for users to handle multiple apps at once,” Gurman wrote.

As of today, iPadOS lets users run two apps side by side and bring a minimized third app above them as a Slide Over window. This is already far more flexible than the older versions of iOS, which only allowed iPad users to run one full-screen app at a time. However, the current multitasking experience on iPadOS still leaves a lot to be desired, especially for power users.

In recent years, Apple has been working hard to change the perception problem that makes most consumers still see iPads and other tablets as pure consumption devices. Apple may have brought its powerful new M1 Mac chip to the iPad Pro and the latest iPad Air, but the reality is that iPadOS is still holding back what’s possible to do on these devices.

If iPadOS 16 should be one of the main highlights of WWDC 2022, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously reported that we may also see new hardware during the event, with a redesigned M2 MacBook Air possibly making its debut. iOS 16 could also bring a new always-on display feature to the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro line.