Trying to understand Slide Over in iOS 12 on my iPad Air (9.7)

[iRock1]

First issue:

So let's say I'm using app X and then open up app Y from the dock. Because app Y was being used on the right side of my screen recently, app Y doesn't go full screen (which in my mind is the damn point of having an app on the dock, i.e. having quick and full access to it), but instead it takes the same position on the right side, over app X.

This behavior is terribly annoying by itself, however, what I can't stand is the fact that once app Y has been positioned on the right side because dumb me still doesn't understand the UI, I can't quickly drag and drop it to take full screen neither. I mean, I can't even do so from the dock. The only way of accomplishing what I want and fixing this unforgivable mistake implies having to go to the SpringBoard first and then launching the app again (a little PITA in terms of workflow).

Am I missing something here?

Second issue :

What's the purpose of the little horizontal line on the top center, besides being able to move the window to the left side of the screen? I mean, in iOS 9 I could easily use that (swipe down) to change to any other app in the system... Not to mention that if I swipe down in iOS 12, the app gets blurred and covered by its icon, and the window even shrinks a little, as if it wanted to accomplish something, but ends up doing nothing, which really intrigues me.

Third issue :

According to the description in the Dock and Multitasking options, I'm supposed to be able to drag apps to the side of the screen not only from the dock, but also from the SpringBoard. How am I supposed to do that?

 

[NoBoMac]

Yeah, maybe not what you want with UI choices, but, some logic to it.

The second app coming up in small mode makes some sense in that you are intending to use two apps at once. Slide off to the right to bring back up: basically, that is your secondary app and want to come back to it while using the primary wide screen app.

Swipe down the bar in the secondary to go into split screen mode, adjust accordingly with the slider. If done with the primary app, put into split screen and adjust the second app so that it slides off the left side: you've now restored back to classic Launcher mode.

And, no, cannot do multi-task from Springboard. The note in Settings is for gestures to go to Springboard with Home button use (yeah, might not fit your worflow, but that is what it is).

 

[iRock1]

The second app coming up in small mode makes some sense in that you are intending to use two apps at once.

But it makes less sense when you consider that the quickest way to invoke the secondary app as a secondary app is just swiping from the right side of the screen, the same way we've been doing it since iOS 9.

I mean, the "logic" behind all of this is so absurd that if I wanted to open up one of my frequently used apps which I've added to the dock, in fullscreen mode, and I go from another app to the multitasking screen, tapping in the dock icon from there still calls that app in the side of the screen. The only way of using that app in fullscreen mode would imply: 1) going to the SpringBoard or 2) going all the way back in the multitasking view until I find the app there.

Yet, my big question remains unanswered — how can you quickly turn the secondary app into the primary one using fullscreen?

Swipe down the bar in the secondary to go into split screen mode, adjust accordingly with the slider. If done with the primary app, put into split screen and adjust the second app so that it slides off the left side: you've now restored back to classic Launcher mode.

But I'm using the old iPad Air, which has a 9.7 inch screen. There is no fancy split mode here. So the weird behavior of that line remains mysterious to me.

And, no, cannot do multi-task from Springboard. The note in Settings is for gestures to go to Springboard with Home button use (yeah, might not fit your worflow, but that is what it is).

We are not talking about the same. See the message under "Allow Multiple Apps". It states that you can drag apps from the dock or the Home screen to Split View/Slide Over.