- Apple released iPadOS 26.1
- The new update brings back Slide Over multitasking, which was removed with iPadOS 26
- Fan-Favorite Split View Is Still Missing
Apple has released iPadOS 26.1, the first major update to iPadOS 26, bringing fixes and new features to the best iPads.
Many new features, like a tinted mode for Liquid Glass and new gestures in Apple Music, are shared between iPadOS 26.1 and iOS 26.1, launching simultaneously, but there is one key feature exclusive to Apple’s tablet line.
For iPad users in particular, the update marks the return of a much-loved feature from iPadOS 18, giving touchscreen-focused users back some of the multitasking power they lose with iPadOS 26.
iPadOS 26.1 brings Slide Over back to the iPad, giving touchscreen users additional multitasking power. The feature allows users to quickly access an app in a floating window on the edge of the screen that can be dragged off the screen when not needed.
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Slide Over was a core feature of iPadOS for years until the release of iPadOS 26, when it was quietly removed. Of course, iPadOS 26 also brought significantly expanded multitasking capabilities with new floating windows and background processing. But for some users, it appears to have shifted the focus toward keyboard users, inspiring many annoyed Reddit threads.
Fortunately, Slide Over is back in iPadOS 26.1 and, thanks to a new resizable window, could be considered more powerful than ever. As MacRumors reports, you can now access Slide Over by tapping the green full-screen button on the app window and pressing “Enter Slide Over.”
This will certainly be a win for touchscreen users who feel left behind by iPadOS 26 – but Apple could still do more to cater to its hands-on audience.
Split view is still missing
Apple not only removed Slide Over with iPadOS 26, it also removed Split View, which through iPadOS 18 allowed users to quickly and easily open two apps side by side, with a slider in the middle of the screen controlling the size of each app.
And even if Slide Over returns with iPadOS 26.1, filling the screen with two applications remains more tedious than before.
You can still do this, but now you’ll have to work with the new windowing system, swiping through apps and holding down the full-screen button to access the different app layouts.
As someone who uses their iPad with a keyboard and alone in about equal measure, I’ve missed Split View since the launch of iPadOS 26 – while I like the new windowed multitasking, I think Apple needs to keep a good range of features available for people who want to use their tablet’s touchscreen to get things done.
Will you be using Slide Over in iPadOS 26.1 or are you waiting for Split View to return? Let us know in the comments below.
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