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brilliantthings

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 13, 2011
876
410
I'd like to know why Apple leaves it up to developers to decide if they want to support multitasking. eg. Why does Google get to decide that Gmail app doesn't support it? This is 2019.
 

rsxmachine

macrumors 6502a
Dec 19, 2007
599
92
I'd like to know why Apple leaves it up to developers to decide if they want to support multitasking. eg. Why does Google get to decide that Gmail app doesn't support it? This is 2019.
If I am not mistaken, with IOS 13 it will be a requirement from Apple.
 

DavidQPR

macrumors regular
Jul 25, 2017
222
108
Leighton Buzzard UK
This. All apps that update or is a new release must support splitscreen etc after this date
I’m glad to hear that. Really gets on my nerves that Amazon video doesn’t support split screen and although picture in picture is supposed to be supported it just doesn’t work.
 

Krevnik

macrumors 601
Sep 8, 2003
4,101
1,312
I'd like to know why Apple leaves it up to developers to decide if they want to support multitasking. eg. Why does Google get to decide that Gmail app doesn't support it? This is 2019.

This is a general problem when you add features to a platform that's been around a while.

While Apple does things to make it easier for devs, and to pave the way, developers still have to bring their stuff "up to snuff" to get new features in some cases. Split screen isn't something Apple makes devs support directly. Instead it's about supporting multiple window sizes, and the easiest way to do that is using Autolayout. That was introduced in iOS 6. Yes. 6. If you added support for Autolayout, you got automatic split screen support and support for newer screen sizes (12.9", 10.5", 11" Pro models).

Apple does this a lot: introduce feature A that developers need to support manually. But if they do, X, Y, and Z come along for free down the road.

Google in particular likes to use some middleware that gives them Android-like APIs on iOS, along with Android-like UI (see Material design all over Google Hangouts). Doing that means they save effort porting the app, since they are really porting Android libraries instead, and so all their apps come over more cheaply. But it means they will always be playing catch up with anything Apple does, because they bypass a lot of the "make things easier for devs" features by using Android libraries as middleware.
 

ZEEN0j

macrumors 68000
Sep 29, 2014
1,569
721
The game would be fine, as slide over is always supported regardless of the app.

Not true. Carrot weather for example only works in full screen. If you try to slide over it will take over the whole screen.
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
16,271
11,768
Not true. Carrot weather for example only works in full screen. If you try to slide over it will take over the whole screen.
Ok. What I want to say is I can always slide over supported apps while playing game, hence the “multitasking” thing.
As for the carrot weather though, they should support split view or slide over.
 

Krevnik

macrumors 601
Sep 8, 2003
4,101
1,312
Not true. Carrot weather for example only works in full screen. If you try to slide over it will take over the whole screen.

I think they were saying you can still slide over while in a full screen app.
 

ZEEN0j

macrumors 68000
Sep 29, 2014
1,569
721
Ok. What I want to say is I can always slide over supported apps while playing game, hence the “multitasking” thing.
As for the carrot weather though, they should support split view or slide over.

They are going to soon... But point still stands. Apps that don’t support splitscreen today. As in App A support splitscreen and app B doesn’t. If I drag in app B it will take over the whole screen. If I drag in app A it will open in split view. When Apple reinforces this app B must also support split view and splitscreen. Otherwise what are they reinforcing? My point was that games might be an exemption and will still behave like they do today. Or they force games to be playable in all states which I find unlikely.
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
16,271
11,768
They are going to soon... But point still stands. Apps that don’t support splitscreen today. As in App A support splitscreen and app B doesn’t. If I drag in app B it will take over the whole screen. If I drag in app A it will open in split view. When Apple reinforces this app B must also support split view and splitscreen. Otherwise what are they reinforcing? My point was that games might be an exemption and will still behave like they do today. Or they force games to be playable in all states which I find unlikely.
Over a year already yet we still can find tons of apps not supporting iPhone X notch. So I am not sure how this enforcement would work after iOS 13 is released.
 

ZEEN0j

macrumors 68000
Sep 29, 2014
1,569
721
Over a year already yet we still can find tons of apps not supporting iPhone X notch. So I am not sure how this enforcement would work after iOS 13 is released.

Now that you mention it. The reason why many apps don’t support iPhone X is because Apple is only requiring new apps to support it, not updated. I can’t find any mention of updated apps in the iPad for split view/screen. So adaption could be slow for iPadOS as well if they only require it for new apps. Hopefully it’s for updated apps as well.
 

Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
5,313
5,100
Over a year already yet we still can find tons of apps not supporting iPhone X notch. So I am not sure how this enforcement would work after iOS 13 is released.

And what, three, maybe 4 years since "Open In" as opposed to "Copy To" was supported in share sheets and still many apps don't support it. I understand why they do it as they do but I feel that Apple needs to be a bit more aggressive in driving adoption of new features.
 

gwhizkids

macrumors G5
Jun 21, 2013
13,338
21,568
Now that you mention it. The reason why many apps don’t support iPhone X is because Apple is only requiring new apps to support it, not updated. I can’t find any mention of updated apps in the iPad for split view/screen. So adaption could be slow for iPadOS as well if they only require it for new apps. Hopefully it’s for updated apps as well.
I have a hunch that with the formal forking of iPadOS, we may see Apple be more aggressive on this. For productivity apps not to support this feature really hurts adoption overall.
 

brilliantthings

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 13, 2011
876
410
I can’t find any mention of updated apps in the iPad for split view/screen. So adaption could be slow for iPadOS as well if they only require it for new apps. Hopefully it’s for updated apps as well.

That's why I asked what the source of this information about the March/April cut off was?
 

ZEEN0j

macrumors 68000
Sep 29, 2014
1,569
721

brilliantthings

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 13, 2011
876
410
This. All apps that update or is a new release must support splitscreen etc after this date

I was wondering if this was still happening. So I've just done a bit of research. It all came from "Video 224" at WWDC. Transcription here:


This is the relevant part:

"Make sure your application properly lays out to support any size, whether it is the smallest iPhone to the largest iPad.

And finally, make sure that your iPad applications also support Split Screen Multitasking.

Because all of this is going to be required by April 2020."

I can't wait.
 
Last edited:

brilliantthings

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 13, 2011
876
410

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,740
32,207
So when is Apple going to require video apps support PIP? DirecTV app doesn’t support it. And of course the biggest offender is YouTube.
 
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brilliantthings

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 13, 2011
876
410
So when is Apple going to require video apps support PIP? DirecTV app doesn’t support it. And of course the biggest offender is YouTube.

Great question. But I don’t think Apple will ever require apps to support PIP because Apple earns money from YouTube’s tiered subscription model.
 
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