For years, the iPad was viewed primarily as the ultimate device for consumption. It was the perfect slab of glass for watching movies on a plane, reading e-books in bed, or scrolling through photos from your last vacation. But if you are still using your iPad one app at a time, you are leaving a massive amount of potential on the table. Over the last few major iPadOS updates, Apple has transformed this device into a legitimate productivity powerhouse capable of handling complex workflows that used to require a laptop.
Whether you are a student researching a paper, a professional managing emails and spreadsheets simultaneously, or a creative planning your next project, mastering multitasking is the key to unlocking the "Pro" in your iPad. It might feel a little different than the windows you are used to on a Mac or PC, but once you build the muscle memory, you will fly through tasks. Let’s dive into how you can double your efficiency starting right now.
Split View and Slide Over: The Dynamic Duo
The foundation of iPad multitasking lies in two distinct modes: Split View and Slide Over. Understanding the difference between these two is the first step toward productivity nirvana. Split View allows you to place two apps side-by-side, dividing the screen between them. Slide Over, on the other hand, keeps one main app open while a second app floats on top in a smaller, iPhone-sized window.
Imagine you are planning a dinner party. You can have Safari open in Split View to look up recipes, while your Notes app sits on the other side of the screen to jot down the grocery list. Suddenly, you remember you need to text your partner about the wine. You can pull Messages up in Slide Over, send the text, and swipe it away without ever losing your place in the recipe or your list.
Here is how to initiate Split View using the most modern method:
- Open your first app (e.g., Safari).
- Tap the three dots (the Multitasking button) at the very top center of the screen.
- Select the icon that looks like a split screen (half shaded, half clear).
- Your current app will slide aside, revealing your Home Screen. Tap the second app you want to open (e.g., Notes).
- Voila! You are now working in two apps at once.
Quick Tip: In Split View, you will see a small gray handle on the black dividing line between the apps. Drag this handle left or right to adjust the ratio. You can have a 50/50 split or a 70/30 split, depending on which app needs more focus.
The Multitasking Menu: No Gestures Required
For a long time, iPad multitasking relied heavily on invisible gestures—swiping from edges, dragging icons, and hovering. While those gestures still work, they often frustrated users who couldn't get them right on the first try. Enter the Multitasking Menu.
As mentioned above, the three small dots at the top of your app window are your command center. This menu takes the guesswork out of window management. When you tap those three dots, you are presented with three clear options:
- Full Screen: This is the default mode. It keeps the app filling the whole display.
- Split View: As discussed, this shares the screen with another app.
- Slide Over: This pushes the current app into a floating column on the right side of the screen, allowing you to pick a new app to go behind it.
Why is this menu so important? It creates a visual confirmation of what you are about to do. It prevents those accidental swipes where you didn't mean to close an app or merge two windows. If you ever get "stuck" in a multitasking view and just want to go back to normal, simply tap those three dots on the app you want to keep and select "Full Screen." The other app will politely disappear.
Drag and Drop: Moving Magic Between Apps
Once you have two apps open side-by-side, the real magic of the touch interface comes alive with Drag and Drop. On a computer, you might copy text from a website, click over to a document, and paste it. On the iPad, you can physically touch the content and move it.
This feature is incredibly intuitive and works with text, photos, files, and even web links. Let's say you are composing an email in Mail and you have the Photos app open in Split View. You don't need to tap the attachment paperclip icon and dig through menus. You simply tap and hold the photo you want, drag it across the black dividing line, and drop it right into the body of your email.
Here are a few real-world examples to try:
- Files to Messages: Drag a PDF from the Files app directly into a conversation thread to send it instantly.
- Safari to Notes: Highlight a paragraph of text on a webpage, tap and hold it until it "lifts," and drag it into a note. It will paste the text and often include a link to the source.
- Reminders to Calendar: Drag a task from your Reminders list onto a specific time slot in your Calendar to turn a to-do item into a scheduled event.
Pro Note: You can even use multi-touch! Tap and hold one photo with one finger, and while holding it, tap other photos with a second finger to add them to the "stack." Then drag the whole bunch over to your other app.
Stage Manager: The Desktop Experience on Your Lap
If you have a newer iPad (specifically one with an M-series chip or the 2018/2020 iPad Pro), you have access to the ultimate multitasking tool: Stage Manager. This feature breaks the traditional grid of the iPad and introduces overlapping windows, much like you would see on a Mac or PC.
Stage Manager organizes your apps into "strips" on the left side of the screen, representing different workspaces. The app you are currently working on takes center stage. The beauty of Stage Manager is flexibility. You can resize windows by dragging the corner handle, giving you a custom layout that fits your specific task. You aren't locked into the rigid 50/50 split anymore.
This is particularly useful for users who need to reference multiple sources at once. You could have a Word document in the center, a Safari window slightly behind it to the right, and a calculator floating in the corner. Switching between tasks is as simple as tapping a group on the left strip.
To turn this on:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.
- Tap the Stage Manager icon (it looks like a rectangle with three dots on the left).
- Your interface will instantly shift to this new windowed mode.
Picture-in-Picture: Keep Watching While You Work
Finally, we cannot talk about multitasking without mentioning Picture-in-Picture (PiP). This feature allows you to continue watching a video or conducting a FaceTime call while using other apps. It is the perfect solution for attending a Zoom meeting while taking notes, or watching a tutorial on YouTube while following the steps in Procreate.
For most video apps (like Apple TV, Netflix, or YouTube), activating this is effortless. While a video is playing, simply swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go Home. Instead of the video stopping, it will shrink into a floating player in the corner of your screen.
You can interact with this floating window in several ways:
- Resize: Pinch or spread two fingers on the video window to make it larger or smaller.
- Move: Drag the video to any of the four corners of the screen.
- Hide: If you need to see the full screen but want to keep listening, swipe the video window all the way to the left or right edge. It will disappear into a small tab, but the audio will keep playing. Tap the tab to bring it back.
The iPad has evolved far beyond a simple media consumption device. By mastering Split View, utilizing the Multitasking Menu, and embracing features like Drag and Drop and Stage Manager, you can transform your workflow. The next time you sit down to work, try opening that second window. You might be surprised at just how much you can get done.