During its WWDC keynote this morning, Apple announced new “Slide Over” and side-by-side features that allow users to run two iPad apps in a single window. The features, which we originally reported on more than a year ago, are similar to a feature also available in the latest Mac operating system, OS X El Capitan.
Support for running multiple apps on the iPad comes in a couple of different ways. Slide Over allows users to place an app along the side of the interface, while running the main app at full iPad size. For iPad Air 2 users, however, two apps can also be run at equal sizes right next to each other.
The process is relatively simple. From within an app, simply swipe from the right edge of the display towards the center and a list of apps will appear. Once you choose an app, it will appear in a window along the right side of the display. If you have an iPad Air 2, however, you can pull the inner edge of the app’s window further towards the center and it will take over half of the display, pushing the other open app to the other half of the interface.
Apple noted during the keynote earlier today that apps developed using Auto Layout and Size Classes for iOS 8 are already compatible with these features, although only first-party apps seem it in the first beta of iOS 9. If you exit an app in which you’re using Slide Over or side-by-side and reenter it later, iOS remembers and sets back up your interface as you had it.
Slide Over is supported by the iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air, and iPad Air 2. Fullscreen side-by-side is supported only by the iPad Air 2.
