Gmail gets a major update that mainly revolves around multitasking. From now on it is possible to use the Split View function with the Gmail app on your iPad. We explain how it works.
Split View with Gmail
Apple has been working for years to make multitasking on the iPad easier. By means of Split View you can open and operate two apps at the same time. Gmail recently announced that the iOS app now supports Split View.
Apps that you open in Split View each take up half or one third of your screen. The opened apps can be operated at the same time and also remain active if you decide to use only one.
Enable Split View
To use Gmail in Split View, you must first activate Split View. Make sure you have an iPad that supports this. Split View is supported from the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 4. It works as follows.
- Open the Settings app on your iPad;
- Tap on ‘General’;
- Tap on ‘Multitasking’.
Using Gmail in Split View
When Split View is on, you can open Gmail in half of your screen. That is how it works:
- Open an app that uses the entire screen;
- Open the iPad dock by swiping up from the bottom of the screen;
- Briefly press and hold the Gmail icon and drag it to the screen;
- Move the app icon to the left or right corner of the display. Then a gray area appears on the screen;
- Release the app to fill the window. Two apps are now displayed side by side.
If you want to close Split View again, simply swipe the gray bar in the black dividing line between the two apps all the way to the left or right.
More about multitasking with the iPad
Support for Split View has taken a long time. For example, the Notes app, Twitter, YouTube, FaceTime, and Google Drive have supported the feature for years.
To make multitasking in iPadOS easier, Apple has already added several functions. The Cupertino company distinguishes between three different multi-task techniques: in addition to Split View, there is Slide Over and Beeld in Beeld. It is also possible to multitask quickly with interactive corners.
Recently Apple announced iPadOS 14. The update will ensure that you can still easily do your work on the iPad. This way you can add widgets and choose your default apps. This allows you, for example, to set Gmail as your default mail app.