iPad Pro 2024 and 2 displays

The specs page for the new iPad Pro M4 says "Supports one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz"

PeteG_Aus wrote:

• Thanks @lotuspilot.

I’m still having the issue where I can use an external monitor but only mirror my display not extend it.

iPadPro 4th Gen (2020)

• iPadOS 17.5.1 (just updated from 16.5 to see if that fixed the issue)

• Dell U2520D monitor connected via USB-C

There is no option to mirror the display (I.e. it is mirrored by default):

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/2c47280a-eb87-4d6a-ae98-c773ad438267

Any thoughts?

A fourth generation iPad Pro 12.9 fundamentally does not support Stage Manager's extended desktop feature - and as such only supports mirroring to a single external display/monitor.

Support for this feature is described within the iPad User Guide - explicitly the section entitled Move an App to an external display (follow the embedded link to supported models);

Move, resize, and organize windows with Stage Manager on iPad - Apple Support

Quoting directly from the embedded link...

Models that support extended displays

• iPad Air (5th generation)
• iPad Air 11-inch (M2)
• iPad Air 13-inch (M2)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and later)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later)
• iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)

Apple has not announced any changes to support for external displays. As such, until the new devices are with Customers, contributors here will merely be speculating.

Until Apple publish revised specifications, you would be best advised to assume that the new 2024 iPad's Pro and Air only support a single external monitor.

For extended display mode, your iPad Pro needs to be

• an iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and later), or
• an iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later), or
• an iPad Pro 13-inch (M4)

Assuming you have one of those models, the extended display feature might be tied to the use of Stage Manager in some way. (I don't have an iPad Pro with which to experiment.)

Move, resize, and organize windows with Stage Manager on iPad - Apple Support

To be absolutely clear, the iPad/iPadOS system architecture supports connection of one external display of up to 6K resolution. Using an appropriate adapter or hub, iPad supported display types are VGA (Analogue), HDMI, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt.

If you were to connect a USB-C hub or Thunderbolt dock that has multiple monitor connections, only one connected monitor can be used with iPad.

Thanks @lotuspilot.

I’m still having the issue where I can use an external monitor but only mirror my display not extend it.

• iPadPro 4th Gen (2020)
• iPadOS 17.5.1 (just updated from 16.5 to see if that fixed the issue)
• Dell U2520D monitor connected via USB-C

There is no option to mirror the display (I.e. it is mirrored by default):

Any thoughts?

External display support is indeed determined by the host device. To date, iPad models that support external displays, including those with M-series CPUs, can drive a single external display.

I'm also interesting in the support of the external displays. I own a LG ultrawide display with a resolution of 5120X1440 and would be nice to know if the new iPad Pro will support this. Looking for the first tests.

HZMD wrote:

I was hoping somebody would say that there is a splitter that would allow the new iPad Pro to control two monitors - but I suspect the control needs to originate within the iPad.

If you could find a hardware splitter or "video wall" device that presented itself to the iPad Pro as a single display, with a resolution that the iPad Pro supports, maybe.

I suspect that if such hardware splitters exist, they are specialized, expensive devices mostly sold to commercial and industrial niche markets. The price of such a hypothetical device might well be greatly in excess of what you were willing to pay.

LotusPilot wrote:

To be absolutely clear, the iPad/iPadOS system architecture supports connection of one external display of up to 6K resolution. Using an appropriate adapter or hub, iPad supported display types are VGA (Analogue), HDMI, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt.

If you were to connect a USB-C hub or Thunderbolt dock that has multiple monitor connections, only one connected monitor can be used with iPad.

Exactly. A USB-C or Thunderbolt hub/dock is not a specialized "video wall" hardware splitter that appears to a host machine as a single display. You cannot use a USB-C or Thunderbolt dock or hub to attach two (or more) displays to an iPad Pro that supports a maximum of one external display. That iPad Pro will only send one video signal to the dock for the dock to forward or repackage.

In case someone is thinking of attaching a DisplayLink (or similar) adapter to an iPad Pro, that won't work at all. There won't be any driver software on the iPad Pro to feed data to the the external "stunt box" … so any display attached that way will receive no signal.

LotusPilot wrote:

A fourth generation iPad Pro 12.9 fundamentally does not support Stage Manager's extended desktop feature - and as such only supports mirroring to a single external display/monitor.

Good catch. I should have looked at the year.

The fourth-generation 11" iPad Pros – which support extended desktop mode – came out in 2022.

The fourth-generation 12.9" iPad Pros – which don't support extended desktop mode – came out in 2020.

Thus making an "iPadPro 4th Gen (2020)" a 12.9" model.

Existing M-series iPads support external monitors of "up-to" 5K resolution.