The iPad is now so feature-rich that some people are using it as a replacement for their computer for work, content creation, and entertainment. The iPad’s major benefit is its larger screen and extreme portability. Just like your laptop or desk computer, you can split your screen into discrete windows for different tasks. Not sure how to do this, or need a refresher? Here’s a guide to split-screen mode on iPadOS 15.
How to split an iPad screen into two windows
With iPadOS 15, Apple has greatly simplified its multitasking interface to make using the split-screen function more intuitive.
Step 1: Start with the home screen and launch the app of your choice.
Step 2: Tap the Three dots at the top-center of the screen to open the multitasking menu. If you don’t see the three dots at the top, that means the app you’re using does not support the multitasking feature.
Step 3: Observe the three icons: The icon on the right is for the Slide Over feature. The icon in the middle is for Split View. The icon on the left is the default full page.
Step 4: Tap the middle Split view icon. The app on the screen moves to the left side of the screen and a message appears in the multitasking area to choose another app.
Step 5: With the second app, the two apps appear side by side on the screen, spaced so that each app takes up half the screen.
Step 6: You can change how much space each app occupies by dragging the bar between them to the left or right.
Step 7: To exit split view, tap the Three dots at the top of the screen and tap the Left icon.
How to use the Slide Over feature
Slide Over is another feature of the iPad’s multitasking mode. It is similar to Split View but displays one app in full-screen and the second one as a small floating window at the side of the screen. The iPad tracks the apps you open in Slide Over so that you can easily switch between them. With this feature, you can have several apps open and available at the same time.
Step 1: Launch the first app and tap on the Slide over icon.
Step 2: Choose a second app, following the on-screen instruction.
Step 3: Tap the second app, and the first one appears as a small window over the second app.
Step 4: You can dim the background app by grabbing the black bottom bar of the slide-over app’s window.
Step 5: To open a third app in Slide Over, swipe up slightly from the bottom edge to reveal the Dock, then drag the third app up from the Dock.
Step 6: Tap on the bottom app bar to alternate between active apps in Slide Over mode.
Step 7: You can view all your open apps by gently swiping across the screen or switch between them via the black bottom bar.
How to move content between apps
If you have two or more apps open, you can use drag and drop to share content, like text or photos, between them. For example, you can pull text or images from an email, web page, or photo app straight to your Notes app.
Step 1: Open two apps with the Split view or Slide over feature.
Step 2: Tap and hold down the item you wish to move from one app to the other.Â
Step 3: When the item detaches, carefully drag it over without removing your finger from the display. You will see a green plus sign (+), which means you have successfully moved the content.
How to set up picture-in-picture mode
You can play videos in a different window while tackling other tasks on your iPad, like scrolling through your emails, thanks to picture-in-picture mode.
Step 1: For PiP to work, you first need to set it up in the preferences. Go to Settings > General > Picture in picture.
Step 2: Toggle on the Start PiP automatically setting.
Step 3: Netflix and Amazon Prime Video (but not YouTube) will then automatically play in a separate window even if you are running multiple apps.
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