Apple releases iPadOS 16.2 to multiple iPads with limits on improved Stage Manager support

Apple has released iPadOS 16.2, one of many stable OS updates that the company has introduced this week. As expected, iPadOS 16.2 introduces several new features to Apple's tablet operating system, such as the Freeform app and external display support for Stage Manager. However, the latter is unavailable on the majority of iPads eligible for iPadOS 16.2, which starts with the iPad Air 3, iPad 5, iPad mini 5 and all iPad Pro models.

Conversely, only iPads equipped with an Apple M series chipset can reproduce Stage Manager on an external display. According to Apple's changelog, iPadOS 16.2 also adds the ability to drag and drop files or windows with Stage Manager running on your iPad and an external monitor. It is now possible to run eight apps in Stage Manager, with four on your iPad and four on your external monitor. By contrast, the Freeform app is available across all iPads that can run iPadOS 16.2, as is Apple Music's new Sing feature, which brings karaoke functionality to the company's music streaming service.

Moreover, iPadOS 16.2 expands the number of iCloud data categories to 23 and adds SharePlay support in Game Center. iPadOS 16.2 also contains several bug fixes, which we have included below. iPadOS 16.2 should be available to download globally now. Download sizes may vary between models, but iPadOS 16.2 should be approximately a 1 GB update package. Apple has shared the security fixes it has applied within iPadOS 16.2 too, which you can read via the link below.

• AirDrop now automatically reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes to prevent unwanted requests to receive content
• Fixes an issue that causes some notes not to sync with iCloud after updates are made
• Fixes an issue that may cause Multi-Touch gestures to become unresponsive while using the Zoom accessibility feature
• Improved search in Messages allows you to find photos based on their content, like a dog, car, person, or text
• News articles in Weather display information relevant to the weather in that location
• Participant Cursors in Notes allow you to see live indicators as others make updates in a shared note
• Tracking Notifications alert you if an AirTag separated from its owner is nearby and has recently played a chime to indicate it is moving
• Turn Off Hide IP Address enables iCloud Private Relay users to temporarily disable the service for a specific site in Safari

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