How to Split Screen on iPad
How to use Split View and Slide Over on iPad to run two apps at once — including what to do if the option is missing, and how iPadOS 26's multitasking modes affect it.
| Step | Details |
|---|---|
| 01 | Make sure multiple apps are allowed Go to Settings > General > Multitasking & Dock and turn on Allow Multiple Apps. Split View and Slide Over both stay unavailable until this is switched on. |
| 02 | Open your first app, then tap the three-dot control Every app shows a small ••• button at the top center of its window once multitasking is enabled. Tap it to open the multitasking menu. |
| 03 | Choose Split View and pick your second app The first app slides to one side of the screen and an app picker appears — tap the second app you want open alongside it, and both now run side by side. |
| 04 | Drag the center divider to resize the two apps The line between the two apps can be dragged left or right at any time, giving one app more room when you're mostly focused on it. |
| 05 | Use Slide Over instead for a quick floating app Tap the ••• control and choose Slide Over when you only need a second app briefly — it floats on top of your main app instead of splitting the screen, and swipes away when you're done. |
Running two apps side by side on iPad isn't a hidden trick — it's a built-in feature called Split View, and it only takes a couple of taps once it's turned on.
Split View vs. Slide Over
| Feature | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Split View | Puts two apps permanently side by side | Working in two apps at once, like notes next to a browser |
| Slide Over | Floats one app in a panel over your main app | Quickly checking something without leaving what you're doing |
Turning on multitasking first
If the ••• control doesn't show a Split View option at all, multitasking is probably switched off. Go to Settings > General > Multitasking & Dock and turn on Allow Multiple Apps — without this, both Split View and Slide Over stay unavailable no matter which app you're in.
Starting Split View
Open the first app you want to use, tap the small ••• button that appears at the top center of its window, and choose Split View. The app slides over to make room, and a picker shows up so you can choose the second app — tap one, and the two now run side by side. Drag the divider between them left or right anytime to give one app more space.
When to use Slide Over instead
If you just need to glance at a second app — checking a message, looking something up — Split View can feel like overkill. Tap the same ••• control and choose Slide Over instead: the app floats in a resizable panel on top of whatever you're doing, and swiping it off the edge of the screen dismisses it without disturbing the app underneath.
A note on iPadOS 26
iPadOS 26 introduced a choice of multitasking modes — Full Screen Apps, Windowed Apps, or Stage Manager — set in the same Multitasking & Dock settings screen. Split View only works when you're not in Stage Manager mode, since Stage Manager replaces it with its own system of grouped app windows. If Split View suddenly stopped working after an update, checking this setting is the first place to look.
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