How to multitask in iPadOS 26

[nickdalzell1]

I noticed the little three dot icon is gone now, and I often watch YouTube with Messages to the right to keep up with my text messages conveniently without leaving YouTube, so how do I activate this new 'windowing' feature? It's on in Settings, but there's no discernible icon to toggle it. The three dot icon is gone, so when I'm in YouTube it's full-screen (the app not the video) but no way I can figure to open another app over top or to the side of it. I am using a Magic Keyboard and Pencil but no buttons or gestures seem to toggle the new windowing feature. What am I doing wrong? Settings has no help either. It shows a tiny little animation that doesn't convey what I'm supposed to do in order to toggle this feature, so I can no longer text while watching YouTube unless I leave YouTube.

 

[achappy]

In Windowed/Stage Manager mode apps open in full screen first. Just grab a corner or edge of the YouTube app and resize to where you want. If you are in Windowed mode, now you can just open up messages and then resize to where you want. Now whenever you open this apps, they will remember their size and position.

If using Stage Manager, it’s a little more complicated as opening up a new app puts it in a new Stage. You have to drag the app onto the the current stage and then resize.

 

[Michael0816]

Swipe down from the upper edge of the screen and tap on "Window", or tap and hold on the traffic light buttons.
Options you're looking for should be there. 👍

 

[nickdalzell1]

Where are the traffic light buttons? There's no icon or menu to tap! If I swipe down I just get Control or Notification Center. There's a little handle near the bottom right corner but I never tried interacting with it. How do you make the 'traffic light/windowed mode' thing happen?

All I want to do is have Messages in a little tile next to my YouTube app as before. Can't believe they disabled Slide-over like this.

I don't know how to GET to Windowed mode. I can switch between full-screen Messages and YouTube, or have a YouTube video in pop-out view while Messages is open but that is so 2017...I thought they wanted the iPad to be more Mac-like with this update? It seems instead it is just a 2017 Galaxy Tab S3 now.

 

[coffeeplease]

There's a little handle near the bottom right corner but I never tried interacting with it. How do you make the 'traffic light/windowed mode' thing happen?

If you drag the handle away from the edge, then it will resize the app into a window. This will show the traffic lights in the top left corner.

If you do this for youtube and messages then you can have them side by side.

You could also keep youtube full screen, and only put messages into a window. Then while in youtube, swipe up to reveal the dock and open messages. It will show messages on top of youtube.

 

[Michael0816]

You don't see a menu bar when swiping down from the upper edge? Maybe try it more in the middle. 🤔

 

[nickdalzell1]

When I swiped down I got Control Center or Notification Center. Notification Center if swiped down from left or centre, and Control Center if swiped down from right.

That handle gave me no reason to assume it had to do with multitasking. Perhaps I should send that as Feedback, because there is no reason the three dot icon couldn't do the same thing. At least the three dot menu icon can be interpreted as 'menu' while the handle on lower right corner invokes PS Vita-era 'go back to home screen' to me, especially since the gesture bar doesn't display.

 

[Michael0816]

Post a screenshot of an app running on your ipad.

 

[nickdalzell1]

Not sure why Siri got triggered, that's happened often since the beta. But the gesture bar has been GONE since the update, so I figured that 'handle' icon on lower right was the 'go home' or gesture bar's new version. I use the Magic TrackPad in the keyboard accessory to go home with multi-finger swipe so I don't smudge up the screen.

 

[Michael0816]

If you use the trackpad and you go with the cursor to the top of the screen and "above", it doesn't show the menu bar?

 

[nickdalzell1]

Haven't tried that. There is nothing on the screen to indicate doing that would accomplish anything. I don't do the 'tap and swipe all over to see what happens' act since Android 4.0. What does that handle even do? is it the new gesture bar? the go home action? Does it make a paper turn animation like the PS Vita if I tap and drag it?

Tried that and YES, I get menu bar and traffic lights. Wow, Apple, please make that an indicator I would notice, please. Now, if that's how you trigger Windowing mode, what does that handle do? Either way that has resolved my issue entirely. Thanks.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Haven't tried that. There is nothing on the screen to indicate doing that would accomplish anything. I don't do the 'tap and swipe all over to see what happens' act since Android 4.0. What does that handle even do? is it the new gesture bar? the go home action? Does it make a paper turn animation like the PS Vita if I tap and drag it?

Tried that and YES, I get menu bar and traffic lights. Wow, Apple, please make that an indicator I would notice, please. Now, if that's how you trigger Windowing mode, what does that handle do? Either way that has resolved my issue entirely. Thanks.

dragging the handle turns a full screen app into a window.
it’s really that simple, apps open in full screen, if you want them in a window, you drag the handle to wherever you want it.
you can also press and hold the green stoplight button to activate split screen, 1/3 mode or tiled mode.