iPad iPadOS removes the seamless ability to drag-and-drop apps into split screen multitasking

[symphony]

iPadOS removes the seamless ability to drag-and-drop apps into split screen multitasking

This change is absolutely awful. I feel like this is an oversight from Apple, but it’s been this way since the first beta of iOS 13.

You cannot pick up an app from your home screen, then drag it into an app anymore.

Instead, you have to invoke the wiggle mode, then tap ‘done’ in the top right corner to be able to drag-and-drop the app into another app.

I feel like this method of multitasking is essential for iPad, yet Apple removed it. This change did not seem to pick up any traction in the betas.

 

[CTHarrryH]

Not working that way for me - works just as it did on 12 for me

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Works the same for me too

 

[danmart]

Also working as iOS 12 and better here, too

 

[symphony]

Not working that way for me - works just as it did on 12 for me

Works the same for me too

Also working as iOS 12 and better here, too

Do you all have the latest iPad Pros?

 

[Mabus51]

I have the 2018 Pro. Swipe up to get the app bar to appear, Drag an icon from the app bar at the bottom onto the screen. Works just as it did on iOS 12 for me.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Air2 for me

 

[symphony]

I have the 2018 Pro. Swipe up to get the app bar to appear, Drag an icon from the app bar at the bottom onto the screen. Works just as it did on iOS 12 for me.

Yes, that works for me too. What I’m talking about is dragging apps from the home screen. Does this work for you, or does it invoke the wiggle mode?

 

[anthony13]

I can not for the life of me figure out how to do split screen with pages?

 

[symphony]

I can not for the life of me figure out how to do split screen with pages?

How come? What are you trying to do?

 

[anthony13]

How come? What are you trying to do?

Just have two documents open side by side. It must be obvious but I can’t figure it out.
[automerge]1569380050[/automerge]

Just have two documents open side by side. It must be obvious but I can’t figure it out.

To be clear, I’m talking about the Pages app.

 

[symphony]

Just have two documents open side by side. It must be obvious but I can’t figure it out.
[automerge]1569380050[/automerge]

To be clear, I’m talking about the Pages app.

Pages needs to be updated to support multi windows as far as I’m aware.

 

[inkahauts]

Yes, that works for me too. What I’m talking about is dragging apps from the home screen. Does this work for you, or does it invoke the wiggle mode?

I’ve never seen that. You are saying you could get it to open two apps at the same time by dropping an app on top of another?

 

[canesalato]

Also working as iOS 12 and better here, too

if you guys just read properly what the op wrote...
I confirm that multitasking from the home screen is either broken, or they decided to remove the feature, for some reason. This is disruptive for the way I multitask and I don't see any reason why it might be better...Actually, this is the most annoying aspect of iPad OS 13 to me. However, people who multitask only from the dock are not going to even notice.

 

[anthony13]

Pages needs to be updated to support multi windows as far as I’m aware.

Seriously?! Considering you already could have multiple safari windows in iOS 12, I would think pages and office are the signature apps that need multi window support and they aren’t ready at launch? That’s sad Apple.

 

[canesalato]

Seriously?! Considering you already could have multiple safari windows in iOS 12, I would think pages and office are the signature apps that need multi window support and they aren’t ready at launch? That’s sad Apple.

might be scheduled for release on the 30th, as that's when iPad OS was supposed to launch. 13.1 has been moved to the 24th because 13.0 on iPhones was too buggy

 

[Mabus51]

if you guys just read what the op wrote...
I confirm that multitasking from the home screen is either broken, or they decided to remove the feature, for some reason. This is disruptive for the way I multitask and I don't see any reason why it might be better...people who multitasked only from the dock are not going to even notice.

As far as I know multitasking split screen was only ever designed to work from the dock. That’s how it was documented anyway. That’s also one reason why many recommended placing all apps or as many as you could since it supports folders on the dock (app bar) and leaving your home screen blank or with less used apps.

 

[canesalato]

As far as I know multitasking split screen was only ever designed to work from the dock. That’s how it was documented anyway. That’s also one reason why many recommended placing all apps or as many as you could since it supports folders on the dock (app bar) and leaving your home screen blank or with less used apps.

Hi Mabus51,
although the dock was certainly the most intuitive way to do it, you are incorrect: what you described, is how it works in 13. With 11 and 12, you could just drag an app from the home screen (say notes), open another one (say safari), release and...boom, you had a note and a safari window side by side. It was actually quite simple to do and much more functional than having a dock full of folders and an almost empty home screen (which basically defeats the purpose of having a home screen ). It also used to work from spotlight, and that now doesn't work as well. What's funny is that this year at the keynote, apple even promoted new ways to launch apps into split screen.

 

[SnacksGU]

With 11 and 12, you could just drag an app from the home screen (say notes), open another one (say safari), release and...boom, you had a not and a safari window side by side. It was actually quite simple to do it and much more functional than having a dock full of folders and an almost empty home screen (which basically defeats the purpose of having a home screen ).

How do I do this? How can I open an app and then select one from the home screen?

 

[canesalato]

How do I do this? How can I open an app and then select one from the home screen?

it works (worked) in the opposite way:
go to the home screen, start dragging app 1, open app 2, release app 1 into app 2.

 

[Mabus51]

Hi Mabus51,
although the dock was certainly the most intuitive way to do it, you are incorrect: what you described, it's how it works in 13. With 11 and 12, you could just drag an app from the home screen (say notes), open another one (say safari), release and...boom, you had a note and a safari window side by side. It was actually quite simple to do it and much more functional than having a dock full of folders and an almost empty home screen (which basically defeats the purpose of having a home screen ). It also used to work from spotlight, and that now doesn't work as well. What's funny is that this year at the keynote, apple even promoted new ways to launch apps into split screen.

That’s cool, I’ve just never seen it documented that way. Even looking up some old articles on it they all say launch from the dock. So I’ve only used that way since iOS 11 and never noticed a change during the 13 betas.

 

[canesalato]

That’s cool, I’ve just never seen it documented that way. Even looking up some old articles on it they all say launch from the dock. So I’ve only used that way since iOS 11 and never noticed a change during the 13 betas.

You are lucky, at least you won't miss that feature. And now dragging an app in the home screen immediately triggers icon rearrangement. I keep rearranging icons by mistake, because my muscle memory is set on the old way.

PS: this new way is also more inconsistent, because if you drag apps within folders placed in the dock, the system still works in the old way (except that now you need two fingers to drag them into multi tasking...which is also a regression from 11/12/13 early betas). Basically, there are now 2 ways to rearrange icons inside folders, depending if they are in the dock or not. The purpose of all this is very unclear to me. I thought it was a bug but has been this way since 13.0 beta 2 or 3.

 

[SnacksGU]

it works (worked) in the opposite way:
go to the home screen, start dragging app 1, open app 2, release app 1 into app 2.

Wow. It works. I’m still on iOS 12. Interesting. I rarely needed split screen with non dock apps, but this handy.

 

[bmac89]

You are lucky, at least you won't miss that feature. And now dragging an app in the home screen immediately triggers icon rearrangement. I keep rearranging icons by mistake, because my muscle memory is set on the old way.

PS: this new way is also more inconsistent, because if you drag apps within folders placed in the dock, the system still works in the old way (except that now you need two fingers to drag them into multi tasking...which is also a regression from 11/12/13 early betas). Basically, there are now 2 ways to rearrange icons inside folders, depending if they are in the dock or not. The purpose of all this is very unclear to me. I thought it was a bug but has been this way since 13.0 beta 2 or 3.

I really hope they bring this back. The other thing I find really frustrating is not being able to spotlight search from within an app and initiate multitasking that way.

I really don’t understand why this was removed (or not fixed if it is a bug). Please keep providing feedback to Apple. It doesn’t make sense, iPadOS is suppose to make the iPad even more multitasking friendly.
In iOS 11 swiping up took you to multitasking app window but with iOS 12 and 13 it takes you straight to homescreen, so this gives even more reason to use drag & drop from the homescreen.

 

[symphony]

I’ve never seen that. You are saying you could get it to open two apps at the same time by dropping an app on top of another?

at 1:12

The method is similar to any other type of drag-and-drop. You pick up an app (whether it’s from the dock, home screen, or spotlight), open the second app you want to multitask with, then drop the first app into it to invoke split view multitasking.

if you guys just read properly what the op wrote...
I confirm that multitasking from the home screen is either broken, or they decided to remove the feature, for some reason. This is disruptive for the way I multitask and I don't see any reason why it might be better...Actually, this is the most annoying aspect of iPad OS 13 to me. However, people who multitask only from the dock are not going to even notice.

Yeah, I didn’t realize most people multitask only from the dock. I find that strange, because what if you wanted to multitask with an app that’s not in your dock...?

It’s so annoying, but at least you can still drag-and-drop apps from the home screen by picking up the app, which will invoke the wiggle mode, then you tap ‘done’ on the top right corner, then you’re back to how it was on iOS 12.

As far as I know multitasking split screen was only ever designed to work from the dock. That’s how it was documented anyway. That’s also one reason why many recommended placing all apps or as many as you could since it supports folders on the dock (app bar) and leaving your home screen blank or with less used apps.

Now that you mention it, I have never seen Apple use the method that I mentioned. But Apple did make dragging and dropping apps from the home screen a thing. It makes sense too.

If something can be dragged and dropped then the action should be the same if you can do it with the dock, I don’t see why you can’t do it with the home screen, since they’re part of the same thing. You can even drag apps from spotlight.

The method I mentioned in the OP is still available in iOS 13, but it requires an inconvenient step to make it work like it was on iOS 12.

However, I don’t find it intuitive that you can’t drag-and-drop apps from the home screen unless it’s in your dock. If you can do it with the dock, then you should be able to do it with the home screen.

How do I do this? How can I open an app and then select one from the home screen?

On iOS 13, just pick up an app and tap ‘done’ on the top right corner to cancel the wiggle mode. At this point, you can drag the app into another app and drop it into split view.

That’s cool, I’ve just never seen it documented that way. Even looking up some old articles on it they all say launch from the dock. So I’ve only used that way since iOS 11 and never noticed a change during the 13 betas.

It was an intuitive way to multitask with any app on iPad without relying on the dock and it’s recents app list.