With iPadOS 26, Apple has introduced the most significant change to multitasking since the iPad gained Split View and Slide Over. These two features, which for years allowed users to pull in a floating app panel or split the display between two apps, are no longer available as separate modes. For anyone who relied on them daily, this disappearance can be confusing, but the reality is that Apple has replaced both with a unified system called Windowed Apps that is designed to be more flexible and more consistent across the platform.
Rather than juggling multiple multitasking models, iPadOS 26 now treats every app as a window that can be moved, resized, overlapped, or tiled into place. The change eliminates the old gestures for Slide Over and Split View, but in their place Apple has created a system that better reflects the way users expect to handle multiple apps, and one that more closely mirrors the Mac experience while still being touch-first.
Everything new with multitasking in iPadOS 26
The Windowed Apps system gives every application a small set of controls in the top-left corner of its window, allowing you to close, minimize, expand to full screen, or tile the app into halves, thirds, or quarters. You can even flick windows into position, overlapping them freely when needed. These controls remove the rigidity of the old Split View, where you were limited to a strict side-by-side arrangement, and they go beyond what Slide Over could do by letting you keep multiple smaller windows visible at once rather than just one drawer panel.
Stage Manager continues to exist in iPadOS 26, but it now functions alongside Windowed Apps instead of being the defining multitasking system. You can use Stage Manager if you want to create grouped workspaces with a left-side strip of apps, or you can leave it disabled and rely purely on resizable windows, which may feel simpler for those who do not need workspace management.
What happened to Slide Over and Split View?
Slide Over is no longer available as a separate gesture-driven panel that you could swipe in from the side. However, the same effect can be recreated by opening an app as a smaller floating window and placing it over your main app. That window can be resized into a narrow strip and then minimized into the Dock when not needed, ready to be restored with a single tap when required.
Similarly, Split View in its original form, which allowed two apps to share the screen in a locked 50/50 or 70/30 ratio, has been removed as a mode. The new tiling system now lets you place two apps side by side, but with far more flexibility. You can create equal splits, narrow sidebars, or even arrange apps into thirds and quarters, giving you a wider range of layouts than traditional Split View ever allowed. In other words, the specific modes have disappeared, but their core functionality lives on in a more powerful way.
How to use apps like Slide Over in iPadOS 26
For those who relied on Slide Over or Split View for quick multitasking, the transition may feel unfamiliar at first, but the steps to replicate those setups are straightforward.
-
Open the app you want to keep on hand.
- Tap the top-left window traffic control and choose a tiling option to position it.
-
Resize the window into a narrow column if you want a Slide Over-like strip.
- Or tile two apps evenly to recreate Split View.
-
Minimize windows into the Dock when not in use and restore them instantly with a tap.
Once you get comfortable with these controls, you will find that you can achieve the same multitasking outcomes as before, but with greater flexibility and more persistence across work sessions.
Compatibility
The Windowed Apps system is included on all devices that support iPadOS 26. While it works across the lineup, Apple notes that M-series iPads benefit the most because of their additional memory and processing power, which makes juggling multiple resizable windows smooth and responsive. Older devices still gain the redesigned multitasking model, but heavier use of overlapping windows may feel limited compared to the newest hardware.
FAQs
Can I still use Slide Over or Split View in iPadOS 26?
No, both have been removed as standalone modes. The new Windowed Apps system is Apple’s intended replacement, and it allows you to recreate the same layouts in more flexible ways.
Does Stage Manager replace them?
Not directly. Stage Manager is still available as an option for those who like grouped workspaces and quick switching, but the primary multitasking model is Windowed Apps, which now handles the functions Slide Over and Split View used to provide.
Why did Apple remove the old modes?
Apple has explained that multitasking on iPad had become fragmented, with three overlapping systems that worked differently and caused confusion. By consolidating everything into a single model, iPadOS 26 simplifies the experience while giving advanced users more control.
Slide Over and Split View are no longer part of iPadOS 26, but their usefulness has not disappeared. By tiling, resizing, and overlapping windows, you can create setups that look and feel very much like the old modes, with the added advantage of being able to go further than before. Apple’s shift represents a deliberate move toward making the iPad behave more like a traditional computer, but with a design that is still optimized for touch and portability.
