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Techexp2

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 23, 2016
60
5
Hi,

Is it possible to run more than one app at the same time(iPad) ?
 

Cascades42

macrumors 6502
Jan 25, 2016
347
198
UK
With the newer iPads you can run apps in slide over or split screen mode. The latter has two apps side by side on the screen, the former has the second application hover or float above the first - you can't interact with them at the same time, unlike split screen.
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,612
7,790
With the newer iPads you can run apps in slide over or split screen mode. The latter has two apps side by side on the screen, the former has the second application hover or float above the first - you can't interact with them at the same time, unlike split screen.

No, there's just one split screen mode, but you can have the second screen take only a quarter of the screen, or half the screen. In either case, you can immediately switch between the two apps by tapping on them.

There's also picture-in-picture mode for videos.

Then there are some app processes that can run in the background. Like music will keep playing even if you switch to another app, and some apps can update data while in the background, and stuff like that.
 

BeSweeet

macrumors 68000
Apr 2, 2009
1,566
1,269
San Antonio, TX
Without a jailbreak (where you can open as many as you want in their own little windows, until your RAM runs out), you can only use split-screen apps, as others have mentioned.

I really wish split screen mode would allow multiple instances of the same program though.

Hopefully this is something that will come to iOS 10.
 

tgara

macrumors 65816
Jul 17, 2012
1,154
2,898
Connecticut, USA
I really wish split screen mode would allow multiple instances of the same program though.

Yeah, and drag and drop between documents too, e.g., Have 2 Word documents open in split screen, highlight text on one and drag it over to the other with your finger or the Pencil.
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,612
7,790
Yeah, and drag and drop between documents too, e.g., Have 2 Word documents open in split screen, highlight text on one and drag it over to the other with your finger or the Pencil.

This may be just me, but highlight, tap copy, then tap the other document and tap paste seems faster and more reliable to me. Whenever I try to drag something, I tend to let go before I intended to, ending up pasting it somewhere I didn't intend, or having to restart the action from the beginning.
 

richpjr

macrumors 68040
May 9, 2006
3,504
2,240
Yeah, and drag and drop between documents too, e.g., Have 2 Word documents open in split screen, highlight text on one and drag it over to the other with your finger or the Pencil.

That would be great as cutting and pasting between 2 documents is something I regularly do on my iMac and MBA.
 

docal97

macrumors 6502a
Jun 28, 2006
808
59
Southampton
Without a jailbreak (where you can open as many as you want in their own little windows, until your RAM runs out), you can only use split-screen apps, as others have mentioned.



Hopefully this is something that will come to iOS 10.

I would think(and hope), that this has to be a major new feature of iOS 10- to be able to interact with both apps in multitasking side by side, instead of only one, as it is currently. Also, to be able to arrange the apps available in the multi-tasking pane to your liking, and eliminate ones that you do not want to see at all.
 

Skika

macrumors 68030
Mar 11, 2009
2,999
1,246
I would think(and hope), that this has to be a major new feature of iOS 10- to be able to interact with both apps in multitasking side by side, instead of only one, as it is currently. Also, to be able to arrange the apps available in the multi-tasking pane to your liking, and eliminate ones that you do not want to see at all.

You can do that on iPads with 2gb of ram.
 

docal97

macrumors 6502a
Jun 28, 2006
808
59
Southampton
You can do that on iPads with 2gb of ram.

no, you can only interact with one of the apps at a time, not both simultaneously.
Also, you can't remove apps that are able to be selected from he list of apps available for multi-tasking.
 

Skika

macrumors 68030
Mar 11, 2009
2,999
1,246
no, you can only interact with one of the apps at a time, not both simultaneously.
Also, you can't remove apps that are able to be selected from he list of apps available for multi-tasking.

Ok, im writing this post on my ipad pro, safari running on the right and youtube on the left both fully interactable at the same time, so hows that?
 
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C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
no, you can only interact with one of the apps at a time, not both simultaneously.
Also, you can't remove apps that are able to be selected from he list of apps available for multi-tasking.
Perhaps you are thinking of slide-over rather than side-by-side?
 
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Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,612
7,790
Maybe he doesnt know he can further expand the view when in Slide over to enter Side by side mode.

But can't you interact with an app, even in slide over mode? I'm pretty sure I can keep iMessage open in slide over and type in it
 

Skika

macrumors 68030
Mar 11, 2009
2,999
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But can't you interact with an app, even in slide over mode? I'm pretty sure I can keep iMessage open in slide over and type in it

You can interact one app at a time with slide over, in side by side you can interact with both at the same time, basically you are running two apps at once fully. When you are using iMessage in slide over the other app is suspended, if you want to interact with it Messages dissapear, this is not true for Side by side.
 
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Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,612
7,790
You can interact one app at a time with slide over, in side by side you can interact with both at the same time, basically you are running two apps at once fully. When you are using iMessage in slide over the other app is suspended, if you want to interact with it Messages dissapear, this is not true for Side by side.

I don't have my iPad with me at the moment so I can't check, but I don't think slide over disappears if I touch the main app. I'll check and report back once I get home.
 

Mascots

macrumors 68000
Sep 5, 2009
1,665
1,415
I don't have my iPad with me at the moment so I can't check, but I don't think slide over disappears if I touch the main app. I'll check and report back once I get home.


Slide-Over-vs-Split-View.jpg

There are multiple modes: Trying to interact with Safari on the first (left) iPad will close Twitter because Slide Over only allows a single app to have focus. Continuing to drag the Slide Over-app into Split Screen will allow them both to keep focus, meaning you can interact with Safari or Maps without the other closing.
 

mixel

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2006
1,729
976
Leeds, UK
Slide-Over-vs-Split-View.jpg

There are multiple modes: Trying to interact with Safari on the first (left) iPad will close Twitter because Slide Over only allows a single app to have focus. Continuing to drag the Slide Over-app into Split Screen will allow them both to keep focus, meaning you can interact with Safari or Maps without the other closing.
But you can slide the right window back a bit after making it 50/50 size and have it 1/3rd size and neither suspended. Both live at once. This is how I prefer using split screen usually.

:) It's like having an iPad with a really tall iPhone 6+ stuck to the side.

image.png
 

Mascots

macrumors 68000
Sep 5, 2009
1,665
1,415
But you can slide the right window back a bit after making it 50/50 size and have it 1/3rd size and neither suspended. Both live at once. This is how I prefer using split screen usually.

I think it's important to note, just for clarity since it is a little confusing: Even in the 1/3, 2/3 sizing, you are in Split Screen mode. Only when you get the faded background app with a 1/3-only foreground app are you in "Slide Over".

The terminology is kind of silly when you break it down :p
 

Night Spring

macrumors G5
Jul 17, 2008
14,612
7,790
But you can slide the right window back a bit after making it 50/50 size and have it 1/3rd size and neither suspended. Both live at once. This is how I prefer using split screen usually.

Yes! That's what I was doing. And I just got home and tried this on my 12.9 iPP, and you don't have to drag it to 50/50 first. Just drag it to the 1/3 position, and hold your finger there until both apps become active.
 
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