In the fast-paced world we live in today, multitasking has become an essential skill. Whether you’re responding to work emails while checking your calendar, reading a recipe while shopping for ingredients online, or texting a friend while watching a YouTube video, the ability to split your iPhone screen can greatly enhance your productivity. In this article, we’ll guide you through the simple steps on how to enable split screen on your iPhone.
How to Split screen on iPhone or iPad?
In the future, multitasking is something that a laptop or desktop computer can’t offer. Fortunately, Apple has made it easy to split screen on iPhone, allowing you to seamlessly juggle multiple tasks at once. Now we can easily multitask on iPhone or iPad, which means you can now split the screen on iPhone or iPad. Let’s find out how to split the screen on iPhone or iPad.
Compatibility Check
Before we dive into the how-to’s of split-screen multitasking, it’s essential to confirm whether your iPhone model supports this feature. Split-screen functionality was available on iPhone models starting from the iPhone 6s and onwards. However, keep in mind that Apple may have introduced new features or changes in subsequent iOS updates, so it’s a good practice to ensure your device supports this feature.
Check Your iPhone Model
- Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and select “General.”
- Tap on “About.”
- Look for the “Model Name” or “Model Number” entry.
Cross-reference your model with the list of compatible devices for split-screen functionality.
Update Your iOS
Apple regularly releases iOS updates that can introduce new features, improve performance, and fix bugs. To make sure you have the latest multitasking capabilities, update your iPhone to the most recent iOS version available. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to “Settings” on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on “General.”
- Select “Software Update.”
- If an update is available, tap “Download and Install.”
Enable Split Screen on iPhone.
Once you’ve confirmed that your iPhone supports split-screen multitasking and updated to the latest iOS version, it’s time to learn how to use this feature. There are two primary ways to split the screen on your iPhone:
Split Screen with Slide Over
Slide Over is a handy feature that allows you to temporarily access a second app without leaving your current app. Here’s how to use it:
- Open the first app you want to use.
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the upper-right corner on Face ID-equipped devices) to access the App Switcher.
- In the App Switcher, you’ll see a list of your recently used apps at the bottom. Swipe left or right to find the app you want to use alongside your current app.
- Tap and drag the second app to the right or left side of the screen.
- Adjust the size of each app’s window by dragging the app divider.
- To switch between apps, swipe down on the top app and select the app you want to focus on.
Split Screen with Split View (iPad-style multitasking)
With Split View, you can run two apps side by side, making it perfect for true multitasking. Here’s how to set it up:
- Open the first app you want to use.
- Swipe up from the bottom (or swipe down from the upper-right corner) to access the App Switcher.
- In the App Switcher, locate the app you want to use alongside your current app and drag it to the right or left side of the screen.
- Adjust the size of each app’s window by dragging the app divider.
- To switch between apps, simply swipe left or right on the divider.
Adjusting the Split Screen
After activating the split screen, you may find that you want to adjust the size of each app’s window to your preference. Here’s how you can do that:
- To change the size of the apps’ windows, locate the dark vertical bar that separates the two apps.
- Press and hold the bar with your finger.
- Drag it to the left or right to resize the apps’ windows as per your requirement.
Switching Apps in Split Screen
Switching between apps in split screen mode is a breeze. Follow these steps to seamlessly transition between the two applications:
- Swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the Notification Center.
- Locate the top app’s window and tap on its title bar.
- Swipe left or right to navigate between the apps you have open in split screen.
Exiting Split Screen
When you’re finished multitasking and want to exit split-screen mode, follow these steps:
- Touch and hold the app divider between the two apps.
- Drag the divider to the left or right edge of the screen, depending on which app you want to keep open.
The app you’re moving will slide off the screen, leaving the other app in full-screen mode.
Split screen on iPhone using Apps
iPhone doesn’t have a built-in function to allow you to do this either. So, you can download and install a free app from the apple App Store called Split View – Multi Window. There are many apps out there that you need to pay for, make sure you get the right one.
Suppose you’re convinced by the app and want to access websites without restrictions, as well as add your favorite sites to the home screen for faster navigation. In that case, you’ll have to dig a little deeper into your pocket and invest a few dollars in the premium version, which can be well worth it, depending on how big your need for such a solution is. Split View seems to be very popular among users because the app currently has a rating of 4.6 out of 5, with a total of 339 App Store ratings.
Download the Split View – Multi Window app
So, to do split screen on your iPhone and start multitasking, go ahead and install the split view multi window app.
- Go to the Apple App Store.
- Type and search the app “Split View – Multi Window”
- Click to Install that to your iPhone.
- You are Done.
Split your iPhone screen & make it multitasking
Using Split View is very easy and almost self-explanatory. I’ll show you how to use the split view app inside the split screen.
- As soon as you open the app, you will see two browser windows on the screen.
- As usual, you can now enter a search word or URL in the upper address lines.
- If you turn your iPhone, the vertical View will also switch to horizontal landscape mode.
- Then you can run a video on YouTube on one side while you check your mail, chat with friends, store or surf the Internet on the other.
As you can see inside the app, there are two web browser windows. If you want to swipe the split all the way up to the top, you can see the whole of your bottom page. And, if you swipe down, you can see the whole of the top page.
Bonus: You can also watch and follow this amazing video tutorial to split your iPhone or iPad screen.
More Apps to Split your iPhone Screen
Many of the apps do an extremely good job and can effortlessly display two screen contents side by side or on top of each other. Below we present the three more best applications on App Store.
Are you enjoying this guide? You might also interested to read in How to transfer data to the New iPhone
Split Web Browser
Another application that lets you get an iPhone split screen is Split Web Browser. The app is free to download from the App Store and allows you to use two browsers in parallel, similar to the WebDuo Pro application.
Unfortunately, you can’t use apps like Twitter, Facebook Messenger or TikTok with it at the same time. The good news is that although the app is free, it comes completely without ads.
SplitNet
The SplitNet application is also recommended. The app is available in a free and a paid version and allows the simultaneous display of content. This includes websites as well as apps like Instagram and Twitter.
With this app, you have the free choice of which screen contents you want to share. A small drawback: The design of the app looks a bit old-fashioned or unfashionable.
Split Screen View
There is also the free application “Split Screen View.” Behind the somewhat bulky name is one of the best split screen applications currently on the market. Once you download and open it, you can start using apps – whether browsers or social media apps – at the same time.
The free version has ads, and the paid version does not. Interesting fact: The icons in the app look like those on Android devices.
Conclusion
Split-screen multitasking on your iPhone can significantly enhance your productivity by allowing you to work with two apps simultaneously. Whether you’re using Slide Over for quick access to another app or Split View for side-by-side multitasking, these features can make your iPhone a more powerful tool for managing tasks, staying organized, and getting things done efficiently. So, try it out and make the most of your iPhone’s capabilities to boost your productivity in your daily tasks.