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How to invoke split screen on iPad with iOS 11

With iOS 11, Apple supercharged the way how users. It came with many additions including a revamp to split screen multitasking. Gone is the swipe over and pick from a hideous and unintuitive app picker.

Follow along as we walk you through how to invoke and use split screen multitasking on the iPad with iOS 11.

How to invoke split screen on iPad with iOS 11

  1. Open an app that supports split screen. Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear or easy way to know which apps are split screen compatible. Most apps that support the iPad now support split screen, though.
  2. Once your first app is open, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to invoke the dock. Tap and drag the app icon to the right side of the screen. If the app supports split screen multitasking, you’ll see it pop into the right side of your screen. You’ll also see a little nub once you’ve invoked multitasking.
  3. With the nub, you’ll be able to swipe the secondary app off the screen completely, or move it from a 80/20 split to a 50/50 split.
  4. To remove an app from split screen, simply grab the nub at the top of the app and pull down, this will bring it back into Slide Over. From there you can simply swipe the app off the screen with the same nub.

The beauty of iOS 11 on the iPad is that if you continuously use the same two apps in split screen, iOS will remember that. So the next time you launch your primary app, the secondary app will launch with it. Also, the app pairing will be remembered in multitasking. Multitasking can be invoked by either using four fingers and swiping up, or double tapping the Home button from any screen.

With modern iPads, you can take this a step further and add yet another app atop your two current apps. However, this will only open in Slide Over, on top of your two current apps, as opposed to two apps side-by-side.

Also in iOS 11, you can do a 20/80 split vs a 80/20 split, meaning the secondary app will be the larger of the two vs only the primary app, previously. With new multitasking capabilities in iOS 11, users are now able to do much more on their iPad, including Drag and Drop between two split screen apps.

For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:


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