iPadOS 26.2: Split View is BACK! 🤩🎉

Tech & Science

Split View Returns: Multi-tasking Gets a Boost
With iPadOS 26.2, Apple is introducing two significant updates to the iPad experience: the return of Split View and a redesigned Slide Over gesture. Users can now simply drag and drop apps from their dock, allowing them to instantly snap those apps into place without needing to manually resize windows as previously required. This functionality, which had debuted in iPadOS 18 and prior versions, is now fully restored.

Slide Over’s Revival: A Familiar Favorite
Slide Over, with its simple ability to quickly pull up apps like Messages and then easily dismiss them, remained a particularly valuable feature. The return of this familiar multi-tasking approach is welcome for those who valued it prior to iPadOS 26.

The Windowing System: A Shift in iPad Multi-tasking
With iPadOS 26 at WWDC25, they introduced a completely new windowing system for the iPad, mirroring the functionality of the Mac with features like traffic lights for resizing, freely overlapping windows, and the elimination of Stage Manager.

A Balanced Approach: Integrating Old and New
The return of Split View and Slide Over gestures is imminent, with the release of iPadOS 26.2. Users will once again be able to utilize these familiar gestures to open apps in Split View and Slide Over, although they now function within the broader Windowing system.

Seamless Integration: A User-Friendly Update
While not identical to their previous implementation, the updated gestures closely resemble their earlier functionality.