During its WWDC keynote this morning, Apple announced new “Slide Over” and side-by-side features that allow users to run two iPad apps in a single window. The features, which we originally reported on more than a year ago, are similar to a feature also available in the latest Mac operating system, OS X El Capitan.
Support for running multiple apps on the iPad comes in a couple of different ways. Slide Over allows users to place an app along the side of the interface, while running the main app at full iPad size. For iPad Air 2 users, however, two apps can also be run at equal sizes right next to each other.
The process is relatively simple. From within an app, simply swipe from the right edge of the display towards the center and a list of apps will appear. Once you choose an app, it will appear in a window along the right side of the display. If you have an iPad Air 2, however, you can pull the inner edge of the app’s window further towards the center and it will take over half of the display, pushing the other open app to the other half of the interface.
Apple noted during the keynote earlier today that apps developed using Auto Layout and Size Classes for iOS 8 are already compatible with these features, although only first-party apps seem it in the first beta of iOS 9. If you exit an app in which you’re using Slide Over or side-by-side and reenter it later, iOS remembers and sets back up your interface as you had it.
Slide Over is supported by the iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air, and iPad Air 2. Fullscreen side-by-side is supported only by the iPad Air 2.
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Hmmmmmmm…been using that on the Surface Pro’s 1-3 for two years now – with real support for full applications. Like swimming in the olympic pool. Great having Word in one half and Excel in the other – really ought to give it a try folks. On my SPro 3, it costs me 0.7 lbs, and delivers tons more functionality. Welcome to the kiddy pool iPad…
No one cares about your retarded Surface Pro, mate.
Congratulations, do you want a metal for your Surface?
Do you want one for the ability to delineate the difference between a classification in the period table and an award for participating in a 3rd grade spelling bee? Because even you wouldn’t be able to win that apparently.
Hardly anyone owns a Surface Pro. You mad?
Lol, its the iPad’s that are in huge decline, nobody buys them anymore, whereas surface has seen huge increase in demand… Just sayin
The fact that your statement is about public appearance rather than functionality just shows the fact that the users of Apple products care primarily about keeping their brand relevant rather than functional–and that it is strictly a purchase made out of infatuation for the brand rather than a reasoned thinking. As clichéd as the idea is, apple is famous for refining the image of functionality rather than actually making their products functional. So, why should anybody be mad that nobody else owns their product if they get their job done and public approval is tertiary to that at best? It’s fine if you want to buy a product for the product’s public image, but don’t get self-conscious when another individual has a differing opinion and prefers to pick their products by reasoned thinking.
The Surface Pro’s aren’t really a fair comparison, compare the iPads against the Surface that uses ARM processors. In addition, you have additional thickness, not just being heavier. .7 lbs is a lot when the iPad Airs are only 1 lb., plus the Windows surfaces have lower ppi. Have a nice day and go back to your Windows related sites and discontinue your trolling. Everyone knew that Apple was delaying certain features, because they opted for other features first.
Exactly! And the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Note 10.1 has had this since 2012 ! Lol… Apple, Get with the times!
This is where you are wrong. Apple never wants to be ‘first’ to do these things, they just want to make sure they do it the ‘best’. Why does every Android user think this is some kind of race? Think of it more like a talent show than a race. Because it doesn’t matter who goes first, its about who performs better. And for that, Apple wins every single time. So keep on enjoying your irregular, massively fragmented, software updates, your dodgy security, your lack of support and the very shitty fact that Google owns all of your private data.
it’s all about execution, not who’s first, it’s which is the better implementation, Apple’s looks more functional. Now run along Mr/Ms Troll.
@RichDavis9 – the execution looks almost identical to that of windows 8 snap feature… Now that’s saying something… And yes, I can’t think of many tablets at all that haven’t been able to handle multitasking really well…
Oh by the way, the two implementations are completely different. Samsung’s split screen multitasking is crap compared to Apple’s now because it’s at the app level, running in the TouchWiz layer. So apps have to be made specifically compatible with it. Android does not support this, not even in M so far, it’s a TouchWiz thing.
In iOS9 however, split screen multitasking is at the OS level, so all apps will work in it automatically.
Please friends, don’t feed the trolls – it only encourages them ;)
So nearly 2 lbs with the keyboard cover? Man, that’s just not a tablet. At that point, I’d rather carry a Macbook Air and have it sit nice and stable on my lap.
Let the flamewars commence…
Look, the bottom line is that Apple, Google, and Microsoft are ALL shamelessly copying each other’s best innovations. This only benefits us as consumers. Apple was a little late to the party with split-screen support, but they have been trailblazers in other regards.
I’m an Android guy myself, but I do iOS dev at work. All are fine choices, no need to hate on the ones we don’t happen to own.
We need more devs and individuals like you in the world. I’m the exact same (but the opposite – I work on Android but I prefer iOS).
Word and Excel…are desktop apps…
Yes, this article actually only highlights Split-View (only available on the iPad Air 2). Slide-Over is actually when the app on the right takes up about 1/4 the screen and “slides over” the top of the app you were in (which dims during this process).
LOL–bring out the “Android’s been doing this for years” and “A ‘Surface Pro 3 running Windows 8.1 has done this forever” crowd.
There’s your problem right there: those devices run Android. And, those devices run Windows (8 or 8.1 no less…*gags*).
A couple years ago, I uploaded video I took on my phone of and old lady wearing a scarf, then I noticed Martin Scorsese had an old lady in a scene wearing a scarf in his latest film. But I did it first years ago, mine was fine the way it was!
That’s what the argument is equivalent to. It’s great someone did it years ago, and hey, maybe they even prompted the idea. But an idea is not brilliant unless it’s executed the right way. Apple waits until ideas mature to create fully realized and carefully crafted tools, while they’re fine having other companies poke around to see what might work for them eventually.
Plus, they are making it so it doesn’t lag. I’ve seen Android demos on split screen, even on recent Lollipop models and they became laggy, plus it wasn’t as full functionality as Apple’s. Apple looks like they did a better job at the implementation.
And this, @Rich Davis is most likely why Apple is restricting it to the iPad with the latest CPU and the most RAM – lag is a user experience killer that serves as a bad advert for a feature that should increase functionality, convenience and fun
I’m not 100% sure, but here’s hoping at least that slideover will work on all iPads that can run iOS 9 (crosses fingers…)
And, what you are trying to say is ios is more sophisticated? That’s not true. This whole feature shows that ios is about a year, maybe 2, even 3 years behind the trend. And now you’re going to go on banging about how they wait till they perfected blah blah blah. Truth be told, all the devices I have used have managed to handle multitasking, some much better than others, most seem to have perfected the use. Here’s the thing. Contrary to popular belief, ios is not better in every aspect compared to the other OS’s in the market. The only thing they have is nothing (for simplicity I guess) and nothing other than what apple says you can have through the app store.
‘For iPad Air 2 users, however, two apps can also be run at equal sizes right next to each other.’…. Really?? What about the MILLIONS of non-iPad Air 2 users ?? FU** YOU.
The difference is in the performance of the chips used in the Air 2. There’s been speculation that this would be the case from the moment that we knew the Air 2 has a tri-core processor and 2 GB of RAM.
They need a certain amount of resources to do it where it isn’t laggy. That’s the reason why.
I hear you! Been waiting for this bloody feature forever and now I find out I won’t get it. Not even Slide Over! iPad 4 owner here. Well, Apple, I won’t upgrade to the Air 2. Sony Xperia Z4 tablet is my next purchase…
Upgrade if you want, don’t upgrade if you don’t want. So easy…
There is no reason this isn’t available on the iPad Air. A kid made a hack for this years ago running on non iPad Air and it worked fine with more features.
i don’t like the fact that the split-screen multitasking can only be done on the iPad air 2 and future iPads. why couldn’t the iPad air be in this update. hopefully they change that by the time the update is released
And if you have an iPad that’s say 9 months old – YOU’RE SCREWED!!! This is all moot.. Totally usless feature.
Yeah, and?
A company comes up with a feature to entice you to purchase new, rather than stick to your current device. For shame. Idiot.
Apple still has a proven track record of supporting older devices with updates going farther back than Microsoft or Google. Especially if we are talking mobile front carriers hold back near all Android updates, Microsoft WP7/KIN, WinRT users ALL got actually screwed. And you are going to whine about a feature you call “totally useless”?
Customers are not getting screwed here. Surface Pro 3’s table mode snap feature is truly useless due to a lack of page formatting. Least iOS snap will get moderated. Aero Snap will always be better, but this ins’t a desktop. Just like MS Metro will never be a desktop replacement either.
I think the Surface Pro guy brings up a legitimate point. Although Apple does things, buy in large, very welll is that reliability enough to offset the lag that they exhibit in features? It’s not an us vs. them, i think it’s a legitimate question which is not simply answered by gainsaying what is often said which is ” they, apple wait to get it right”, well not so much anymore. So the question remains why do they have such feature lag?
IMHO if they came out with it in iOS 7 or iOS 8 it wouldn’t have been the right time… they needed some serious foundation before implementing such a massive change to the UI. I’m happy that they took their time with inter-app communications in iOS 8 and didn’t divide their attention between the two features.
Besides, the hardware to do it fully wasn’t available when the last iOS came out.
No, the hardware was always there, Apple just decided not to use it. You can come up with your own colourful explanation as to why, but the hardware required to do this kind of stuff has been around for 2-3 years (And when I say around, I mean that it was in a position to be used in past ipads with not much drawbacks.
may be a little off topic, but… i hated how “coverflow” showed the open apps…
It seems that in split-view a swipe from the top in the left app opens the notification-center (as we know it) while a swipe from the top in the right app opens the app-switcher. That is very inconsistent and should be done better. E.g. when you have two apps on the screen a second swipe from the right side changes between the app and the app-switcher. While a swipe from the top opens the notification-center, no matter where you swipe from the top.
Maybe you are talking about SlideOver mode, not Split View…
Multitasking gestures in iOS 9?(pinch to the home screen,swipe up to multitask,etc?) Multi window will be added and the multitasking gesture feature will be removed?
Question here. How to add non stock apps in Splits view window. Any idea? U can email me also in amchhaya@yahoo.com