All IPadOS 15 Multitasking Features Worth Knowing About (and How to Use Them)
Lately, Apple has essentially been releasing a new iPad multitasking system every two years or so. iPadOS 15 is yet another redesigned multitasking system for the iPad and iPad Pro, but this time around, Apple has really made significant headway in making multitasking easier for new users.
There are now real buttons to launch apps side-by-side, and since this new system builds on the past years, you can still use drag and drop gestures if that’s what you’re used to. Here’s what you need to know about the new Split View features in iPadOS 15.
How to use the new multitasking menu in iPadOS 15
The previous method still works: you can drag a new app out of the Dock and place it on the edge of the screen to enter Split View. But that limits you to apps only in the Dock, and Apple’s new multitasking system is finally fixing that fatal flaw.
With the app open, tap the new three-dot menu button at the top (you’ll find it in the middle of the status bar).
This will show you three different options. The first is for opening the app in full screen mode, the second is for Split View , and the third is for Slide Over . Select the Split View option.
You will see the app animate and snap to the right edge. You now have access to the entire iPad home screen. You can browse and select any app from the home screen, app library, or search.
Once selected, the application will be docked in Split View. You can now resize the windows using the black bar in the middle.
How to use the new App Switcher in iPadOS 15
IPadOS 15 also features a redesign of the App Switcher. You can still access it by swiping up from the main panel and holding for a second or two. The layout is still familiar (and everything else, like swiping up to close the app, works the same), but Slide Over windows now have their own section at the end. Here you can swipe and switch to any Slide Over panel.
However, the biggest change is the fact that all Split View windows and panels are live and dynamic here. You can select an application window from the Split View pair and drag it to create a full-screen window from it. Likewise, you can stack one app on top of another to create a split view pairing.
When multiple windows are open in an application, you will see a small Windows icon next to it (it looks like two cascading squares).
When you click on it, you will be able to see all windows from the application (including split and slide windows) on one screen.
How to use the shelf on your iPad
Several application windows open up a new feature for us in iPadOS 15 called the shelf. This is a new Dock-like panel that appears when you open a multi-window application.
You can also access it by pressing the multitasking menu button. Basically, it is a quick visual way to switch between multiple windows of the same application.
Use new keyboard shortcuts for multitasking
While keyboard shortcuts are not new to iPad, they finally come to life in iPadOS 15. As you may already know, you can hold down the Command key to see a floating window with all the keyboard shortcuts associated with an application.
In iPadOS 15, however, you’ll see the Multitasking tab, where you’ll find a set of new and powerful keyboard shortcuts for multitasking only. If you’re using an iPad or iPad Pro with a keyboard, these keyboard shortcuts are worth assigning to your muscle memory:
Globe + Left / Right Arrow : Quickly switch between the previous or most recent app (or app pairs).
Globe + Up : Open the app switcher.
Globle + Down : Show all open windows for the current application.
Globe + F : Turn the current Split View app into a full screen app.
Control + Globle + Left / Right : Position the current app to the left or right.
Control + Globe + Down : Replace the current app in Split View.
Globe + Tilda : go to the next window.
How to get out of Split View on iPad
In previous iterations of a multitasking system, detaching two apps from Split View has always been a problem. The multitasking menu button makes it a lot easier.
If you want to make an application or window full screen, just click the multitasking menu button at the top (three dots icon) and select the first full screen icon (a rectangle that is completely filled).
And voila, now both apps are unrelated.