- Apple has released iPadOS 26.1
- The new update brings back Slide Over multitasking, which was removed with iPadOS 26
- Fan-favorite split view still missing
Apple released iPadOS 26.1, the first major update to iPadOS 26, bringing fixes and new features to the best iPads.
Many of the new features, such as a tinted mode for Liquid Glass and new gestures in Apple Music, are shared between iPadOS 26.1 and iOS 26.1, which were released simultaneously, but there is one key feature exclusive to Apple’s tablet line.
Specifically for iPad users, the update marks the return of a much-loved iPadOS 18 feature, giving touchscreen-focused users some of the multitasking power they lose with iPadOS 26.
iPadOS 26.1 brings Slide Over back to iPad, giving touchscreen users additional multitasking power. The feature allows users to quickly access an app in a floating window on the edge of the screen that can slide off the screen when not needed.
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Slide Over was a staple feature of iPadOS for years until the release of iPadOS 26, when it was quietly removed. Of course, iPadOS 26 also brought with it greatly expanded multitasking capabilities with new floating windows and background processing. But for some users it appears that this shifted the priority to keyboard users, inspiring many angry threads on Reddit.
Fortunately, Slide Over is back in iPadOS 26.1 and, thanks to a new resizable window, it could be considered more powerful than ever. As MacRumors reports, you can now access Slide Over by tapping the green full-screen button in the app window and pressing “Enter Slide Over.”
This will surely feel like a victory for touchscreen users who felt abandoned by iPadOS 26, but Apple could still do more to cater to its hands-on audience.
Split view still missing
Not only did Apple eliminate Slide Over with iPadOS 26, it also eliminated Split View, which through iPadOS 18 allowed users to quickly and easily open two apps side by side, with a slider in the middle of the screen that controlled the size of each app.
And although Slide Over returned with iPadOS 26.1, filling the screen with two apps is still more tedious than before.
You can still do it, but now you’ll have to work with the new window system, dragging apps and holding the full screen button to access different app layouts.
As someone who uses their iPad with a keyboard and only to about the same extent, I’ve missed Split View since the release of iPadOS 26; As much as I like the new windowed multitasking, I think Apple needs to keep a good range of features available for people who want to use their tablet’s touchscreen to get things done.
Will you be using Slide Over in iPadOS 26.1 or are you waiting for Split View to return? Let us know in the comments below.
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