Slide Over and split-screen gestures removed in iPadOS 26 multitasking

iPadOS multitasking has received a significant makeover from that to which you may be accustomed in iPadOS 18.x and earlier - and may take a little time to learn and adjust your workflows. You would be well advised to review the official iPadOS User Guide and the many available online tutorials (such as YouTube) to become better acquainted with the new multitasking interface and associated gestures and controls.

Work with multiple windows at once on iPad - Apple Support

OS - iPadOS 26 - Apple

While the previous Slide Over view has been retired, Split View remains - although it is accessed differently. You can have two or three App windows side-by-side - or a spit the screen into four quadrants.

To access, ensure that the current App window is not maximised; touch-and-hold the traffic-light icon at top-left of the App window to expose the Fill & Arrange options:

The current App window will move aside, allowing you to open another App; the selected view will open the selected Apps in their own windows - which can be resized laterally, as before, by dragging the divider to left or right.

Apple invite submission of constructive comments and feature requests via its Product Feedback portal. If you would like to see a specific feature or changed functionality in a future version of iPadOS, this would be the most appropriate channel through which to make a request:

Feedback - iPad - Apple

It’s frustrating that something which used to take a single finger now requires a year of effort and four fingers to accomplish. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if next year it takes a head bump to trigger a command.

Please consider adding a Legacy Mode for Slide Over and Split View, so users who rely on fast, touch-based workflows can continue working efficiently.

Apple does not read the comments here. Use the link LotusPilot

provided you above to let Apple know of your desire for this feature.