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iPadOS 26 is an Absolute Mess

eltoslightfoot said:
Okay? So tell me the steps I will try it when I get home. Because I really want to try it.
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If you already have one of the apps open you want in the Split View, you can add it to Split View in several ways. The primary gesture method is kind of flicking the app window to the side of the screen you want it on. You could also add it to Split View by selecting the appropriate option in Menu Bar > Window > Move & Resize. “Arrange” options in this menu also allow you to create an automatic Split View from several already open windows. And another way to create a Split View is by hold pressing the traffic light window button, and selecting the desired Split View option. This is the option I use most often, as it’s very similar to the way the prior Multitasking Menu gray dots interface used to work. Once you have one of the apps in the Split View setup, you can drag the other one in from the App Dock just like the older iteration. And as I mentioned before, if two app windows are already open, you could also use the window options to arrange both into a Split View. I hope that helps you out. 👍🏻
 
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eltoslightfoot said:
Okay? So tell me the steps I will try it when I get home. Because I really want to try it.
Click to expand...
@Kal Madda already explained most of the ways but I think there is a method that may be the closest to how it used to be in iPadOS18 and what was brought back.

If you have an app already in full screen, just drag and app from the dock (or if you search for it) to the left or right of the full screen app and once you do the full screen app will shrink a little and there will be a little “panel control” that will slide out. If you drop the new app into the open space the apps go into split screen. If you drag onto that panel control, that app you were dragging goes into Slide Over, replacing the original one. Once you are in Split View, there is a control in the middle to adjust the sizing of the windows.
 
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Somewhat different question: my gen 5 iPad, still at 18.7.3, and dreading anything 26, can run anything 26. Is there any conceivable way, short of jailbreaking, to run the latest 18.7.7 via IPSW for the security benefit? Expecting very short answer, such as absolutely not, but maybe who knows? Short of jailbreaking, is there a way to force install?
 
RK78 said:
Somewhat different question: my gen 5 iPad, still at 18.7.3, and dreading anything 26, can run anything 26. Is there any conceivable way, short of jailbreaking, to run the latest 18.7.7 via IPSW for the security benefit? Expecting very short answer, such as absolutely not, but maybe who knows? Short of jailbreaking, is there a way to force install?
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Can’t speak to the more manual update methods, but my iPadPro(4thGen) shows no upgrade to anything other than v26.4 through Software Update. Like you, I’m still on v18.7.3 and remaining so.
 
Kal Madda said:
Stage Manager still works the same way it did before, only it allows the ability to add more windows into a stage now if someone wants to. For me, things have only improved in terms of window management vs iPadOS 18, and I went in skeptical of the changes. YMMV, but other than the addition of the Menu Bar and the windowing buttons being moved to the left (makes sense for greater consistency IMO), I can still use Stage Manager the same way I did before if I wish. Only now it’s improved because I can use Split View and Slide Over inside Stage Manager (before you couldn’t use Split View and Slide Over if you were using Stage Manager). And I can create three or four way split views now, something I couldn’t do as cleanly or simply before.
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I am not really using stage manager, my anger is concerning Split View. I wish there was a way to use it as before.
 
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eltoslightfoot said:
Look I might not have the right name, but they definitely got rid of the thing that allows one to drag an app to 3/4 of the screen and then drag another app to 1/4 of the screen. And we are not talking windows here like stage manager. There was no group of 5 apps, it was just 1 app that you had to drag over to the window if you wanted it onscreen at the same time as the 1/4 app. I'll find the name if you make me get pedantic. And it is definitely gone.

Edited to add: It was called Split View. And it no longer exists. Here is a thread discussing it. Slide Over was put back, but not Split View:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/1o676fy/i_updated_to_ipados_26_and_lost_split_view_my
Click to expand...

They could easily add it back when stage manager and apps as a window is turned off. Basically that would be it, but they don’t allow you anymore to drag a window next to another… you have to use app as a window for that, but that’s just one holy mess that doesn’t work for me. 😂
 
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Kal Madda said:
And another way to create a Split View is by hold pressing the traffic light window button, and selecting the desired Split View option. This is the option I use most often, as it’s very similar to the way the prior Multitasking Menu gray dots interface used to work. Once you have one of the apps in the Split View setup, you can drag the other one in from the App Dock just like the older iteration.
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This is the only one that seems remotely like the old version. And it is still extra steps the first time? And you can't just select Split View in the settings as a multitasking option.

The only options are: "Full Screen Apps"--which doesn't allow Split View, "Windowed Apps"--which does the "workaround" that you describe. As I can't just instantly get an app to take up the appropriate space like before. For instance, Your method worked (the traffic light thingie) with Safari and then I did the same thing with Music, and then dragged the little indicator to the appropriate proportions - 80% Main App, and then 20% Music App. Then I can finally drag apps into the 80% and it worked with about half of my apps. Settings failed completely and just gave me a weird window half off the screen. Same with Reeder, 2FAS, Bitwarden, and many others.

Split View has no off screen. It is full screen, but allowing 2 apps on screen at the same time, but still with the hard stop being the edges of the screen.

This is just a way to shoe-horn "Split View" onto the Windowed Apps option under Multitasking. It's way more steps and doesn't always work.

And don't get me started on the "Stage Manager" as that is worst of all options.

This is not Split View. I tried it as you say. It's simply not. I am really glad that you found a method of Windowed Apps that works for you. Mine when I start opening about 8 or 9 apps in Windowed View really laaaaaags. And I have an M1 iPad Pro. It just isn't as good.


Ah well. I tried. I appreciate you trying to help me make it work.
 
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eltoslightfoot said:
This is the only one that seems remotely like the old version. And it is still extra steps the first time? And you can't just select Split View in the settings as a multitasking option.

The only options are: "Full Screen Apps"--which doesn't allow Split View, "Windowed Apps"--which does the "workaround" that you describe. As I can't just instantly get an app to take up the appropriate space like before. For instance, Your method worked (the traffic light thingie) with Safari and then I did the same thing with Music, and then dragged the little indicator to the appropriate proportions - 80% Main App, and then 20% Music App. Then I can finally drag apps into the 80% and it worked with about half of my apps. Settings failed completely and just gave me a weird window half off the screen. Same with Reeder, 2FAS, Bitwarden, and many others.

Split View has no off screen. It is full screen, but allowing 2 apps on screen at the same time, but still with the hard stop being the edges of the screen.

This is just a way to shoe-horn "Split View" onto the Windowed Apps option under Multitasking. It's way more steps and doesn't always work.

And don't get me started on the "Stage Manager" as that is worst of all options.

This is not Split View. I tried it as you say. It's simply not. I am really glad that you found a method of Windowed Apps that works for you. Mine when I start opening about 8 or 9 apps in Windowed View really laaaaaags. And I have an M1 iPad Pro. It just isn't as good.


Ah well. I tried. I appreciate you trying to help me make it work.
Click to expand...
I have an ipad on iPadOS 18. I tried Split View and I didn’t like it. I found any more than 2 apps and I didn’t like the presentation. So I turned off Split View.

This is one of those YMMV as I think the windowing and multitasking in iPadOS 26 is better.
 
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I7guy said:
I have an ipad on iPadOS 18. I tried Split View and I didn’t like it. I found any more than 2 apps and I didn’t like the presentation. So I turned off Split View.

This is one of those YMMV as I think the windowing and multitasking in iPadOS 26 is better.
Click to expand...
You forgot the "for you". The difference is that your option in iPadOS 18 didn't exist and now it does, so, yes, I can see how that is an improvement for you.

My favorite option (as I like to only have 2 apps, and only 2 apps) of Split View worked perfectly in iPadOS 18, and now is not an option at all as it existed then. So for me this is not better, but rather a drawback.

I think it has to do with how much a person needs the exact same dimension on all the windows. Because due to the idiosyncrasies of iPad apps, some work great with any size window, and others jump to certain sizes as if there is an underlying grid (Settings for instance). Nothing to be done about that. It either bothers you or it doesn't. Again, I am glad it doesn't bother you, but this is not true windows management. This is not a problem in Linux, Mac, or Windows.

I'll try on iPadOS 26 and see how it goes. There are other issues as well--Mice don't work well with an iPad (back and forward buttons on the side don't work and the scrolling is janky) as an example. Ah well.

Edited to add: I updated to 26.4 and I have been messing with it, and it does seem like if you drop the window in the upper middle quadrant of the app size you want, it tries to match, if it can. This is helpful. I'll keep at it. Maybe I will get there.
 
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I7guy said:
So you start the thread off by insinuating I’m paid by apple and then falsely believe I have disclose such remuneration. If I were to be paid by Apple they would pay me in bytes.

The you ask why I spend time in this thread. It’s to correct the gross mischaracterization that iPadOS is anything less than very good and very nicely designed.

I don’t care that you have glitches. My anecdotal universe is not having the kinds of issues you are. You then go on to insults by saying I’m not a power user because I spend time in these threads. By your own declaration you can’t be a power user either.

The new window management system is great imo and there was a small learning curve, but it works well, much better than Split View. But yeah to go to the Home Screen I swipe up. I got what you are saying, but I got used to it.

The trajectory of iOS 7 says the iOS 26 will be tweaked over time. You can count on it.
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I hate the all too common insinuation that you have to be paid|sold out to like macOS/iPadOS/iOS 26. As if the only rational choice is to hate.
 
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eltoslightfoot said:
This is the only one that seems remotely like the old version. And it is still extra steps the first time? And you can't just select Split View in the settings as a multitasking option.

The only options are: "Full Screen Apps"--which doesn't allow Split View, "Windowed Apps"--which does the "workaround" that you describe. As I can't just instantly get an app to take up the appropriate space like before. For instance, Your method worked (the traffic light thingie) with Safari and then I did the same thing with Music, and then dragged the little indicator to the appropriate proportions - 80% Main App, and then 20% Music App. Then I can finally drag apps into the 80% and it worked with about half of my apps. Settings failed completely and just gave me a weird window half off the screen. Same with Reeder, 2FAS, Bitwarden, and many others.

Split View has no off screen. It is full screen, but allowing 2 apps on screen at the same time, but still with the hard stop being the edges of the screen.

This is just a way to shoe-horn "Split View" onto the Windowed Apps option under Multitasking. It's way more steps and doesn't always work.

And don't get me started on the "Stage Manager" as that is worst of all options.

This is not Split View. I tried it as you say. It's simply not. I am really glad that you found a method of Windowed Apps that works for you. Mine when I start opening about 8 or 9 apps in Windowed View really laaaaaags. And I have an M1 iPad Pro. It just isn't as good.


Ah well. I tried. I appreciate you trying to help me make it work.
Click to expand...
I do agree, I think an intermediate option for split view and possibly slide over with no multi-windowing aside from that could be helpful for some who prefer to only use those options. On the other hand, I think they were also trying to simplify things by having one option for traditional one-app-at-a-time use, and one option for multitasking, rather than several different competing systems. I saw people criticizing iPadOS not including split view and slide over within stage manager and making you have to pick between the two multitasking systems. So I think they were trying to address those criticisms. Personally, I think it’s kind of a tough line to walk. But it’s not as if I think it can’t improve, my guess is they will refine it over the years, and it will improve. 🙂👍🏻

I’m sorry to hear you’re encountering those glitches, for me, Settings worked perfectly fine for me in Split View. I only say that to demonstrate it must be a bug or glitch you’re encountering, not to discount anything. 🙂👍🏻. Here’s Settings in Split View on my iPad:

1774721930553.png


Hopefully the bug gets fixed and it works better for you. 🙂👍🏻

Oh, and one other potentially helpful tip, if you have two apps you use together in Split View a lot, you can create a Siri Shortcut that will open them together, and you can even adjust whether the split is 50/50 or 25/75. That can be quite handy for certain things. 🙂👍🏻

I hope and think this will improve, and I sympathize with others who find the new system harder, personally, I appreciate that they’re now both integrated as one system, so if I want a Split View, I can use it and not lose the other windowing abilities. I basically never used Split View after iPadOS 16, even though I liked it, because I liked the flexibility of Stage Manager better. So I’m glad to be able to use both together now, it was one of the things I had on my annual iPadOS wishlist ever since iPadOS 16. 🙂👍🏻
 
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Silly John Fatty said:
I am not really using stage manager, my anger is concerning Split View. I wish there was a way to use it as before.
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Ok, you asked about window management, so I thought you were talking about Stage Manager, sorry I misunderstood. Split View isn’t identical to prior versions, but it’s similar, and the functionality is the same, it’s just initiated a bit differently.
 
Kal Madda said:
Ok, you asked about window management, so I thought you were talking about Stage Manager, sorry I misunderstood. Split View isn’t identical to prior versions, but it’s similar, and the functionality is the same, it’s just initiated a bit differently.
Click to expand...
Except it really doesn't work similarly.

Old: Multiple groups of split views each with their own fullscreen "space" for lack of a better word.
New: Multiple stacks of windows to the left and right of the screen all in a single space.

This is just straight worse if you don't want to have all your windows in a single space.

Resizable slide-over is a pretty straightforward win though.
 
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bcortens said:
Except it really doesn't work similarly.

Old: Multiple groups of split views each with their own fullscreen "space" for lack of a better word.
New: Multiple stacks of windows to the left and right of the screen all in a single space.

This is just straight worse if you don't want to have all your windows in a single space.

Resizable slide-over is a pretty straightforward win though.
Click to expand...
That’s where Stage Manager comes in handy. With Stage Manager, you can create multiple groups of Split Views each with their own fullscreen space. Perhaps that would be helpful for you. 🙂👍🏻

I do think an intermediate multitasking mode that just has Split View and Slide Over could be useful for some, and perhaps Apple will add something like that. But I think they were trying to address the complaints about having to choose between either the Split View/Slide Over multitasking, or the multi-windowing option with Stage Manager, and not being able to use both together. Personally, I’m glad to be able to use both options together now. I wouldn’t be opposed to an additional multitasking option for just the others though as I said.

But I think Stage Manager seriously could help with that. You can hide the side recent stages strip, and use it for many different Split View spaces, complete with even 3 way and 4 way split views now. 👍🏻

And yeah, definitely agree about resizable Slide Over, that has been so awesome for being able to use it for larger windows as well, or to make Slide Over windows even smaller windows like the Calculator app. 🙂👍🏻
 
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