A big advantage of the iPad over the iPhone is the larger screen. With multitasking you can use this extra screen space extra well, by displaying two or three apps side by side. In this tip, you can read all about how to use iPad multitasking.
Apple distinguishes three different techniques for multitasking on the iPad: Slide Over, Split View and Picture in Picture. All techniques are supported by different iPad models, so for convenience we will discuss the three techniques separately below. Under each term you can read from which iPads you can use the feature. If your iPad supports multitasking, you can manually turn the functions on and off by going to ‘Settings> General> Multitasking’.
Pay attention: always install the most recent iOS update. The multitasking functions below only work from iOS 11.
iPad multitasking: Slide Over
The Slide Over function is useful if you want to keep an eye on an extra app on a regular basis. With Slide Over you can quickly open a second app, which then only takes up a small part of your screen. This means you don’t have to close the app you used before. You activate Slide Over as follows:
- Open an app that uses the entire screen;
- Open the iPad Dock by swiping the screen from bottom to top;
- Choose the app you want to multitask, for example Twitter;
- Briefly press and hold the icon and drag it to the screen;
- Release to open a narrow window that will be overlaid on the app in use.
When you’re done, swipe right or left on the top gray bar of the column to close the Slide Over window. You can bring the screen back by swiping from the corner where you swiped the screen. You can use Slide Over from the iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 2 or later.
iPad Multitasking: Split View
Split View is the iPad’s most functional and comprehensive multitasking feature. Here you can open and operate two apps at the same time, each of which takes up half or one third of your screen. You can control the open apps at the same time if you want, and also remain active if you decide to use only one. You activate Split View in the same way as Slide Over:
- Open an app that uses the entire screen;
- Open the iPad Dock by swiping the screen from bottom to top;
- Choose the app you want to multitask, for example Twitter;
- Briefly press and hold the icon and drag it to the screen;
- Move the app icon to the left or right corner of the display, a gray area will appear on the screen;
- Now release the app to fill the window. Two apps are now displayed side by side.
It is important that the app supports Split View, otherwise you will automatically notice that the function does not work. Some examples of apps that support this feature are Notes, Twitter, YouTube, FaceTime, and Google Drive. You can easily close Split View by dragging the little gray bar in the black dividing line between the two apps all the way to the left or right. You can use Split View from the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4.
iPad Multitasking: Picture in Picture
Beeld in Beeld is a godsend for people who like to watch a movie while working. With Picture in Picture you get a small extra window on your screen in which a video is playing, while the majority of the display is still intended for your work. You can recognize apps that support Picture in Picture (or Picture-in-Picture) by the special icon of two rectangles that partially overlap each other. You will find these in the Videos app from Apple, but also, for example, FaceTime, VLC and Twitch.
Picture in Picture can be activated automatically if you close a supporting app while a video is playing. You can then manually move the window to a different location that is most convenient for you at that moment. Tap the cross in the window to exit Picture in Picture. You can use Picture in Picture from the iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 2 or later.