(Credit: René Ramos; Apple)
Apple's new iPads are available now, and whether you upgraded to the M4 or snagged a discount on a previous-gen tablet, now is the perfect time to tweak a few default settings to make your tablet and its accessories the best productivity and entertainment devices for you.
1. Turn on Stage Manager
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)Nearly all iPad models can handle side-by-side multitasking, but if you're running iPadOS 16 or higher on certain devices, you'll have access to a more advanced feature called Stage Manager, which will allow multiple windows on the screen at one time. It’s an opportunity to be a multi-tasking master with Safari, Notes, and other productivity apps all on the screen at once.
To turn Stage Manager on, head to Settings > Multitasking & Gestures. Across the top of that menu are three options: Off, Split View & Slide Over, and Stage Manager. Select the last option; you’ll also get options to show recent apps on the left side of the screen or if you want the dock to stay present while multitasking.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)2. Adjust the iPad's Picture-in-Picture Feature
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)If you don’t want all the windows from Stage Manager on-screen at once, Picture in Picture lets you continue watching a video in a smaller window when you navigate away to another app. Check your email as a YouTube video plays in the corner, for example. Under Settings > Multitasking & Gestures, you’ll find the toggle to automatically start Picture in Picture when you swipe away or close an app that’s playing a video. Toggle again to turn it off.
3. Enable Large App Icons
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)Now that widgets can be positioned on your iPad’s home screen, regular app icons may seem small. Make them bigger without changing the text sizes or magnification around other parts of the iPad. Go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library, and enable Use Large App Icons.
4. Turn Off Notifications When Screen Sharing
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)Like most people, I use my iPad primarily for watching videos, and I end up using AirPlay to mirror my iPad’s screen a lot. Under Settings > Notifications > Screen Sharing, you can disable notifications from showing when using SharePlay or Screen Mirroring, which can also be handy for your iPhone if you’d rather not have notifications pop up while you're sharing something.
5. Set Apple Pencil Gestures
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)If you have an Apple Pencil, you can program it to perform specific gestures from the iPad screen's bottom left or right corners. Open Settings > Apple Pencil, and change the left or right corner to take a screenshot or create a Quick Note. Either side can be set to either task, or you can set both sides to do the same thing. Unfortunately, those are the only two options right now. (Note that the new Apple Pencil Pro requires an M4 iPad Pro or M2 iPad Air.)
If you don’t have an Apple Pencil, you can still enable the corner gestures for your fingers by going to Settings > Notes, tapping on Corner Gestures, and selecting your preferences.