By popular demand, Apple has brought back Slide Over in iPadOS 26.1 beta 2. iPad users, including yours truly, were not happy that Apple had removed this beloved feature even though the company introduced its the biggest update to how multitasking works with iPadOS 26. However, users who used iPad in tablet mode, or just loved to have apps accessible with a quick gesture, loved using Slide Over.
Before we dive into the changes, here is how Slide Over looks like in action on iPadOS 26.1 beta 2:
It can be access by long pressing the green traffic light on any app window, or hovering over with the cursor (if using a mouse or trackpad). You get a new option which says “Enter Slide Over”.
This will instantly move the app to Slide Over. However, there are a few caveats:
- You can only have one app at a time in Slide Over. If you put another app in Slide Over, it will replace the previous app.
- Slide Over works as an ‘always on top’ option for the selected app.
- You can resize the app to be as narrow or as wide as you want. You can even adjust the height to your liking.
- You can swipe away the app and bring it back too.
- If you minimize an app that is in Slide Over, and open it again, it opens back in Slide Over mode.
- The feature is buggy for now. I swiped away an app and it wouldn’t come back without issues.
- When using Mission Control, the app shows the thick glass bezel/border which indicates it’s in Slide Over.
- You can use the green traffic signal to remove the app from Slide Over mode.
- All types of apps can be used now. Previously, apps like Threads couldn’t be used in Slide Over mode in iOS 18 as they did not have iPad support. Now, they work.
I, for one, am glad that Apple listened. However, not being able to have multiple apps in Slide Over is still a bummer. If this feature is to work as ‘always on top’ feature for apps, that should be allowed for all apps. Let’s hope Apple continues to improve based on feedback and allows putting multiple apps here.
