Split View — Two Apps Side by Side

  1. 1

    Open your first app

    Open the first app you want to use. Make sure it supports multitasking — most Apple apps and major third-party apps do, but some do not.

  2. 2

    Tap the three dots at the top

    Tap the three dots (...) that appear at the top centre of the screen. A menu appears with three options: full screen, Split View, and Slide Over.

  3. 3

    Tap Split View (middle icon)

    Tap the Split View icon (two rectangles side by side). Your current app slides to one side of the screen.

  4. 4

    Select the second app

    The Home Screen appears on the other half. Tap the second app you want to open. Both apps now appear side by side.

  5. 5

    Adjust the split

    Drag the divider bar in the middle to adjust how much space each app gets — an even 50/50 split or 1/3 and 2/3.

Slide Over — Floating Window

Slide Over puts a second app in a smaller floating window you can drag around the screen. Tap the three dots → Slide Over. Useful for quickly checking messages or notes without leaving your main app. Swipe the Slide Over window off the right edge to hide it temporarily.

Close Split View

Tap the three dots on the app you want to close → tap the full-screen icon. Or drag the divider bar all the way to one side to close that app.

Stage Manager (iPadOS 16+)iPads with M1 chip or later also support Stage Manager — a more flexible windowing system that lets you resize and overlap multiple apps freely. Enable it in Control Centre by tapping the Stage Manager button.

Frequently Asked Questions

Split View requires iPadOS 13 or later, and the specific app must support multitasking. Some apps (particularly games and some streaming services) do not support Split View. Also check Settings → General → Multitasking and Gestures → confirm multitasking is enabled.
Yes — you can have two apps in Split View and a third in Slide Over simultaneously. On iPads with M1 or later chips using Stage Manager, you can have up to four apps visible at once in overlapping windows.