iOS 8 Code Points to Multiple Options for Split-Screen Multitasking

Apple's split-screen multitasking feature for iOS 8 did not make it into the company's Worldwide Developers Conference or the first release of iOS 8, but it is still in the works. As noted by developer Steven Troughton-Smith, iOS 8's internal SpringBoard includes code that allows apps to run side-by-side in multiple sizes: 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4. Apps that are running side-by-side are displayed as a single app in the App Switcher.

First hinted at in May, split-screen multitasking will allow two apps to be displayed on a single screen on the iPad Air, Apple's largest tablet. The feature, which reportedly only works in landscape mode, will allow iPad owners to use two apps simultaneously and it may also allow users to share information like links, images, and text between two apps.

Previous concept for split-screen multitasking (not based on specific rumors)

The iPad's inability to display two apps at once is a lack that Microsoft has used to advertise its Surface tablet, which does have the ability to display multiple apps on the screen at one time.

It appears that split-screen multitasking may initially be limited to the iPad Air, with support for the iPhone and the Retina iPad mini possibly coming at a later date. Split-screen multitasking could also be slated for Apple's rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" that may or may not be in development.

Ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference, Brian Chen of The New York Times confirmed that split-screen multitasking is still a work in progress. It may see a debut during one of the many updates Apple is likely to release as it refines iOS 8 ahead of a public release, or it may be a feature the company is saving for a later iOS 8.1 update.

Related Forum: iOS 8

Top Rated Comments

sk1wbw Avatar
129 months ago
Do Android zealots actually believe that Android was the first OS to do anything? :rolleyes:
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
129 months ago
Welcome to Android, 2 years ago. :p

More like welcome to Xerox PARC, in 1973.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sk1wbw Avatar
129 months ago
Welcome to Android, 2 years ago. :p

Android wasn’t the first OS to have split window multitasking.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icyrock1 Avatar
129 months ago
But seriously, who cares who had it first?

The people who keep passive aggressively bringing it up.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
129 months ago
I wouldn't be too shocked if Apple withheld this from the iOS 8 preview b/c it's going to be an iPad Air 2/iMac mini Retina 2 exclusive... not because the earlier models aren't buff enough but just because it makes a great selling point when you have not much else different for the new models other than Touch ID and under the hood stuff most people don't understand.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sky Blue Avatar
129 months ago
Unless MacRumors has additional sources besides the ones linked to in the article, this appears to be utter bull. The only thing they link to is a tweet from a random guy (as far as I can tell) claiming that he saw SpringBoard code that says it can do this.

He doesn't share the code in question that he supposedly saw, nor where he saw it.

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Apple Music Messages and Notes Feature 1

iOS 18 Rumored to Add New Features to These 15 Apps on Your iPhone

Tuesday April 30, 2024 10:44 am PDT by
Apple is expected to announce iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, and new features have already been rumored for many apps, including Apple Music, Apple Maps, Calculator, Messages, Notes, Safari, and others. Below, we recap iOS 18 rumors on a per-app basis, based on reports from MacRumors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and others: Apple Maps: At least two new Apple Maps features are...
maxresdefault

Apple Event Rumors: iPad Pro With M4 Chip and New Apple Pencil With Haptic Feedback

Sunday April 28, 2024 6:19 am PDT by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman outlined some of the new products he expects Apple to announce at its "Let Loose" event on May 7. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. First, Gurman now believes there is a "strong possibility" that the upcoming iPad Pro models will be equipped with Apple's next-generation M4 chip, rather than the M3 chip that...
iPad Pro OLED Feature 2

Apple to Use 'Best OLED Panels on the Market' for Upcoming iPad Pro

Monday April 29, 2024 10:04 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPad Pro models will feature "by far the best OLED tablet panels on the market," according to Display Supply Chain Consultants. Set to be announced on May 7, the OLED iPad Pro models will feature LTPO (a more power efficient form of OLED), a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, and a tandem stack and glass thinning that will bring "ultra-thin and light displays" that support high...
iOS 18 General Notes Feature 2

iOS 18 Rumored to 'Overhaul' Notes, Mail, Photos, and Fitness Apps

Sunday April 28, 2024 6:44 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iOS 18 will "overhaul" many of Apple's built-in apps, including Notes, Mail, Photos, and Fitness. Gurman did not reveal any specific new features planned for these apps. It was previously rumored that the Notes app will gain support for displaying more math equations, and a built-in option to record voice memos, but this is the first time we have...
iPad Air 5 Colors

Apple's M1 iPad Air Drops to New Low Price of $399.99 at Best Buy

Monday April 29, 2024 7:12 am PDT by
Best Buy today has discounted Apple's M1 iPad Air (64GB Wi-Fi) to a new all-time low price of $399.99 in the Starlight color option, down from $599.99. Best Buy says this deal will last through the end of the day, and it's only available in one color at this record low price. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
ios 17 5 repair state

iOS 17.5 Includes 'Repair State' Option That Doesn't Require Turning Off Find My for Service

Tuesday April 30, 2024 1:24 pm PDT by
With iOS 17.5, Apple is adding a "Repair State" feature that is designed to allow an iPhone to be sent in for service without deactivating Find My and Activation Lock. The fourth iOS 17.5 beta that came out today adds a "Remove This Device" option for all devices in Find My, and using it with an iPhone puts that iPhone into the new Repair State. Right now, sending an iPhone to Apple to be...