How to Use Split Screen and Multitasking on iPhone and Android in Australia

Trying to copy a reference number from an email into a form, watch a video while replying to a message, or compare two prices side by side is painful when you keep switching between apps. Split screen solves that by putting two apps on screen at once. Android phones have done this for years. iPads do it well. iPhones are the exception, and knowing what each device can actually do saves a lot of frustration.

This guide covers the real options on each device. No extra app is needed for any of it.

Step 1: Split screen on Android, the standard way

On most Android phones, including Pixel and many other brands, split screen starts from the recent apps view. Open the first app you want, then swipe up and hold from the bottom of the screen to open recent apps, or tap the square recent apps button if your phone still has one. Tap the app icon at the top of that app’s preview card, then choose Split screen. Now pick the second app from your app list or recent apps.

The screen divides in two, with a bar in the middle. Drag that bar to give one app more room. To leave split screen, drag the bar all the way to the top or bottom, or close one app from recent apps. Some apps, such as certain banking or streaming apps, do not support split screen, and Android will tell you. That is a limit of the app, not a setting you can change.

Step 2: Samsung phones, split screen and pop-up view

Samsung adds two extras that are worth knowing. The first is the same split screen method, reached from recent apps by tapping the app icon and choosing Open in split screen view. The second is pop-up view, which floats an app in a small window over whatever else you are doing. From recent apps, tap the app icon and choose Open in pop-up view. You can drag the window around, resize it by dragging a corner, and minimise it to a small floating icon.

Samsung also lets you save an app pair to the Edge panel, so you can open two favourite apps in split screen with one tap. Open the pair, tap the divider, and look for the option to add the pair to the Edge panel.

Step 3: What iPhone can and cannot do

Here is the honest answer: iPhones do not offer true split screen for two apps side by side. Apple reserves that for iPad. On an iPhone, the closest options are Picture in Picture, fast app switching, and a few app-specific tricks.

Picture in Picture lets a video float over another app. Start a video in Safari or a supported app, swipe up to go home, and the video shrinks to a small window you can drag around. You can keep watching while you reply to a message or check a map. To use it, make sure Picture in Picture is turned on in Settings, then General, then Picture in Picture, and that the app supports it. Not every streaming app allows it.

For copying between apps, the fastest iPhone method is the app switcher. Swipe up and hold from the bottom, or double-click the Home button on older models, to jump between recent apps. Long-press text, copy it, switch apps, and paste. It is not split screen, but it takes only a second or two.

Step 4: Split View and Slide Over on iPad

If you have an iPad, this is where multitasking shines. Open the first app, then swipe up slightly from the bottom to reveal the Dock, or open the App Library. Drag the second app’s icon to the left or right edge of the screen, and it will open in Split View beside the first app. Drag the divider to resize. To change one side, swipe down from the top of that app to reveal its app switcher, or drag a new app in to replace it.

Slide Over is the floating version. Drag an app to the middle of the screen instead of the edge, and it floats over the main app. Swipe it off to the side to hide it, and swipe in from the edge to bring it back. To leave Split View, drag the divider all the way to one edge. In most recent versions, you can also tap the three dots at the top centre of an app for Split View, Slide Over, and full screen options.

Step 5: Make multitasking actually useful

Split screen only helps if the pairing makes sense. Good pairs are a browser with a notes app, a calculator with a shopping app, maps with a messaging app when you are sharing an arrival time, or an email app with a calendar when you are booking something. Bad pairs are two video apps, or two apps that both need the keyboard at once, because the keyboard will cover half the screen.

Turn on auto-rotate for a wider split in landscape, since two apps side by side work better that way. Keep the text size comfortable, because split apps show less content at once. If an app resizes oddly in split screen, close and reopen it there, or check for an app update. Once you get used to it, split screen becomes a habit: you stop switching back and forth, and you copy fewer things wrong.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use split screen on any Android phone?

Most Android phones support it, including Pixel, Samsung, and most other brands, in most recent versions. A few apps do not support split screen, and the phone will say so when you try. If you cannot find the option, check that your phone’s software is up to date.

Why does my iPhone not have split screen?

Apple only offers true two-app split screen on iPad, not on iPhone. On iPhone, use Picture in Picture for video, the app switcher for fast switching, and an iPad if you need two full apps side by side.

How do I exit split screen?

On Android, drag the divider all the way to the top or bottom of the screen, or close one app from recent apps. On iPad, drag the divider all the way to one edge. On Samsung, you can also tap the divider and choose to close one side.