Apple is unveiling iPadOS 16 this June at WWDC 2022. The upcoming operating system will be available for both the iPad Air 3 and the much-rumored iPad mini 4 Pro. With that in mind, here’s a sneak peek at how Apple could improve multitasking on the iPad OS 16.
The next iPad operating system could end up having the biggest overhaul since its inception in 2010, a concept that imagines what innovative features could be included.
Apple has refreshed the iPad hardware once or twice in a year since 2011, but the tablet’s operating system has remained largely unchanged. If Apple follows its usual release schedule, iOS 13 and iPadOS 16 are due within the next 12 months—if so, here’s what we’d like to see.
What if the iPad was actually designed for productivity? What if you could have four apps in Split View or pick from different layouts as you work? Apple could finally revamp iPadOS with update 16.0.
Designer Parker Ortolani shared his ideas for iPadOS 16, including his own concept designs, on Twitter.
iPadOS 16 concept enables users to switch apps or adjust the layout of multiple apps at once. To change apps, you would no longer need to drag them out of the dock in a single column. Instead, dragging an app icon would bring up a central app switching experience with up to four windows for multitasking. Note that even though Pages has four windows open, it only appears as one app in this concept. Using a similar layout as what’s on macOS, users could resize windows by dragging the handle in the title bar.
Now, imagine taking a full laptop experience and shrinking it down to an iPad. That’s iPadOS 16. Sitting at the intersection of mobility and power computing, iPadOS 16 will make us rethink the possibilities of the tablet.
Imagine 4 apps on-screen at once. Drag and drop 3 apps to the left, or to the first app. Open the multitasking menu and add a fourth app. Slide it next to another like normal or have the first app fill up over 11/4 of the screen to use all four apps at once.
On the newest iPads, Apple could take multitasking to a whole new level with four apps side by side. It would require a lot of optimization, but Apple could make it work, thanks to its new chip that includes 2 billion transistors. Users could drag and drop apps between windows or use the multitasking menu to change views. With this approach, Apple could also optimize the new iPadOS for faster switching between apps.
Here are some of the iPadOS 16 Concepts designed by Parker
In this concept, I designed a whole new iPadOS. With four app views that can be dragged and dropped from the multitasking menu in different layouts, you can create amazing work easily with apps like Safari, Mail, Maps, Numbers, and more.
In addition to the application library on the iPadOS 15, the iPadOS 16 has Mission Control, which allows users to organize open application windows, such as map stacks, for easy access and for the first time ever, open new application windows by tapping.
One of the best ideas in this concept is Popover Apps, which allows you to open applications in a free-floating window without taking up much of the screen.
For the iPadOS 16 home screen and dock, Parker offers a bold idea to add your favorite music, podcasts, books, movies, files, and more. directly on the home screen or dock, just like in macOS.
Last but not least, Parker has introduced a new Studio mode that will ultimately enhance the amazing iPad experience with an external display. With this new feature, whether you connect an iPad Air or an iPad Pro with iPadOS 16 to an external display or with AirPlay, users will experience a whole new desktop experience.
