Apple Seeds New Public Betas of iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16.1 With Stage Manager for Older iPad Pro Models

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming iOS 16.1 update to public beta testers, with the beta coming one week after Apple seeded the second public beta. Apple has also seeded a new public beta of iPadOS 16.1.

iOS 16
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's free beta testing program can download the ‌iOS 16.1 or iPadOS 16.1‌ betas over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website.

With the latest iPadOS 16.1 beta, Apple has expanded Stage Manager to the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro models, no longer limiting it to the M1 ‌iPad Pro‌ and the ‌M1‌ iPad Air. ‌Stage Manager‌ is a new way of multitasking on the iPad, allowing for four apps to be open at once with resizable windows. With the expansion of ‌Stage Manager‌, Apple removed the feature that allows it to work with external displays. The functionality will return in a later beta and this option will remain limited to the ‌M1‌ iPads.

Apple says that iOS 16.1 will introduce Live Activities, an interactive notification feature designed to let you keep an eye on things happening in real time. Live Activities will be available on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, but you won't see them in the beta because developers are still working on implementing support.

The update includes a Clean Energy Charging feature in the United States that causes the iPhone to selectively charge at times when lower carbon emission electricity is available, plus it lays the groundwork for Matter, a smart home standard that Apple plans to begin supporting this fall.

The second developer beta of iOS 16.1 tweaked the design of the battery status bar icon, adding a visual indication of charge level. It also changed the battery font, updated the Lock Screen charging indicator, and fixed a copy and paste bug.

Other new features in iOS 16.1 include a deletable Wallet app, changes to the Lock Screen customizing interface, and more, with details available in our iOS 16.1 feature guide.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...

Top Rated Comments

JGIGS Avatar
41 months ago
Me waiting for the non beta version to drop.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrono1081 Avatar
41 months ago
But but but...I was told by a few people on here I was wrong when I said this was completely possible...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stevez67 Avatar
41 months ago

Exactly why betas are just not worth bothering with.
Now hurry it up with the general release please Apple.
And if no one bothered to test drive the betas, many of those bugs would still be in the general release.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razorpit Avatar
41 months ago

Immediately greeted with 3 "system crash notifications" upon reboot after the installation completed.
Thank you for your service. I'm holding back on this one. ?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FelixDerKater Avatar
41 months ago
Immediately greeted with 3 "system crash notifications" upon reboot after the installation completed.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bobbuilds69 Avatar
41 months ago

But but but...I was told by a few people on here I was wrong when I said this was completely possible...
I wouldn’t say completely possible, maybe possible, since they are removing the external display for anything other than M1 iPads…
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)