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Apple announces split-screen multitasking for iPad in iOS 9

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Apple has announced a new “Slide Over” feature in iOS 9 that will allow users to run two iPad apps side-by-side. The feature was first reported by 9to5Mac as being in development for iOS 8, but was ultimately cut because it wasn’t ready. Earlier the same feature was introduced for full-screen apps on the new OS X El Capitan.

The feature is accompanied by a new app switcher that allows users to quickly swipe an app into place running at the width of an iPhone app alongside an iPad-sized app. Users can also switch to a view that shows to iPad-sized apps next to each other, but only on the iPad Air 2.

Users will also be able to shrink videos down and watch them while working in other apps by tapping incoming notifications.

Apps developed using Auto Layout and Size Classes for iOS 8 are already mostly compatible with most this feature. The two most recent iPad mini and both iPad Air models will support the “Slide Over” feature that puts one smaller app on screen, but as mentioned above only the iPad Air 2 will be able to use the full multitasking feature.

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Comments

  1. goncalobc - 9 years ago

    Finally!

  2. joaopedro1520 - 9 years ago

    Finally!

  3. David Fine - 9 years ago

    The only question is which iPad can use this and all these updates. I have an iPad 3 and am not sure this is for any iPad except the Airs, and maybe 4.

    • jacosta45 - 9 years ago

      It’s only for iPad mini 2, 3, and both iPad Airs. Only the iPad Air 2 gets the ability to view apps in the same size side-by-side, not just in a smaller view.

    • dailycardoodle - 9 years ago

      you could read the article?

  4. cvnadagroup2017 - 9 years ago

    when this would be released…

  5. Apaches911 - 9 years ago

    Glad I upgraded to an air2!

    • samuelsnay - 9 years ago

      I was cheering when they said its for iPad Air 2 (versus waiting for the next iPad to be released to take advantage of this). I upgraded a couple months ago.

  6. rwanderman - 9 years ago

    Very nicely done. Reminds me of switcher… From the old days.

  7. Terrence Newton - 9 years ago

    How about an API for dragging and dropping content between apps?

  8. bmuller999 - 9 years ago

    Guess I’m not clear… Can I watch a video from say VUDU app or Dropbox, and have that video play in a small window above another app like they showed in today’s presentation? They showed a video clip from a website playing that way, but not from another non-safari app. Also, what about facetime in a little window while viewing another app?…. Can anyone clarify and which hardware will support the feature? Thanks.

  9. crichton007 - 9 years ago

    I know that Tim Cook is a big iPad user and that many of the best features or Apple products have come from executives at the company because they wanted a problem that was personal to them solved. Given all that (and I am not trying to troll here) but I can’t help but wonder if Steve was in Tim’s position if iPad multi-tasking wouldn’t have been in an earlier release. Based on how they’re implementing it and the supported models it doesn’t appear to be something that requires too much more processing power beyond what is currently available.

  10. jxslepton - 9 years ago

    Is there a specific type of “smaller app” that will be able to be used with my iPad air 1?

  11. rettun1 - 9 years ago

    I was a little bit more confused after reading this article regarding the differentiation between these two features. Does slide over allow you to use both apps simultaneously? Because I was under the impression you *slide* one app *over* part of another in order to quickly do something, then resume the main app.

    Or maybe they can be used side by side at the same time, but apps need to be optimized for the feature? And that iPad Air 2 gets to run ANY two apps evenly side by side, regardless of optimization.

    So confused, need to watch the keynote again.

  12. Michael Clanton - 9 years ago

    So it took something from windows 10….which is fine, since EVERYONE barrows from one another and puts there own spin on it, it just bugs me when it does happen, everyone forgets that they were not the first, and all of a sudden its an amazing Apple invention.
    IO9 and the new OSX, is just taking others ideas and strong points(cortana,google maps, windows 8/10), refining them, and calling it revolutionary.

    • Are you saying Siri copied cortana? Cortana was released in 2014, way after Siri. Since you get bugged by people borrowing, windows 8’s interface is a copy of an OLD computer interface (which I don’t remember the name right now). The split screen looks similar to windows 8’s, fine, but on windows 8 you can’t make metro apps windowed (without extra apps) while you can go in fullscreen and split things on El Capitan. Also it bugs me how people always complain if Apple adds a long requested feature, seriously first people want them then they complain because “this is a copy of that”. And people call Apple’s new features as amazing inventions because they’re refined and just work, like people wants.

  13. Jack H (@hayesy007) - 9 years ago

    Will you be able to use this with the original iPad mini on official release of iOS 9

    • Mike Beasley - 9 years ago

      No, the article states that only the two most recent iPad minis will be supported, and only the iPad Air 2 will get the full-size multitasking feature. The iPad mini will only get the Slide Over version.

  14. Darrian Briggs - 9 years ago

    Is slide over going to be available on phones anytime soon because thats the only thing I even care about or like about ios9

  15. Nirav Sharma - 9 years ago

    What of the other ipads??
    i have an ipad mini 2