Ethan Brooks
How To Apply Window Tiling on Your iPad Effectively
If you’re trying to juggle multiple apps on your iPad, chances are you’ve noticed that multitasking isn’t always smooth or straightforward, especially if you’re on an older iPadOS version. The whole window tiling thing is kinda new and can be confusing at first. It’s supposed to let you run several apps in a split-screen or even picture-in-picture, making multitasking a lot less painful. But getting it to work isn’t always as simple as flipping a switch — sometimes you have to poke around in settings, enable a feature or two, and get used to the flow. This guide is here to help you figure out what needs to be toggled on, how to resize windows, and how to open multiple apps in a kinda windowed mode. Expect to boost your productivity a bit, or at least stop wasting time trying to keep apps on the screen without everything crashing or misbehaving.
How to Fix Window Tiling on iPad in iPadOS 16+
Enable Multitasking Features in Settings
First things first: if window tiling or split view isn’t working, you probably just need to make sure that multitasking options are enabled. On some setups, this gets disabled or is turned off by default, especially if someone else set up your iPad or you skipped some updates. To do this:
- Go to Settings > Home Screen & Multitasking. Not sure why Apple hides it there, but that’s where the magic happens in recent iPadOS versions.
- Make sure options like Split View and Picture in Picture are toggled on.
- Also, scroll down to Multitasking & Gestures and ensure Allow Multiple Apps or similar toggles are turned on.
Expect this to open up more options when you start playing with the app dragging and window resizing features. On some iPads, if these are off, nothing will happen no matter how many times you try to drag app windows around.
Open Apps in Windowed Mode or Use Split View
Once the toggles are set, you can try opening apps in split view or windowed mode. It’s kinda weird because not every app supports it, but most of Apple’s core apps do, and some third-party ones are getting better at it. Here’s what works:
- Open an app, say Mail.
- Swipe up from the bottom to open the Dock, then drag another app (like Safari) from the Dock to either the left or right edge of the screen. The app should snap into split view, creating two windows side by side.
- If you want a more free-form window, look for the small circle or resize icon at the bottom right of the app’s window — not all apps display it, but if it’s there, you can drag it to resize the window.
On some machines, especially older iPads or specific app combos, the drag-and-drop may be finicky or just outright not work. Restarting the iPad sometimes helps, or trying again after a quick software update.
Resize and Move Windows Like a Boss
After opening multiple apps, resizing is key. The resizing handle (if available) is usually at the corner of the window, but be warned: some apps don’t show it, or it’s kinda buggy. Drag the corner to tweak the size. Moving a window is just a matter of pressing on the title bar (or top of the app) and dragging it around the screen.
- Sometimes, dragging the window to the edge makes it snap or switch into full screen mode, which is kinda annoying if you wanted a smaller window. Keep trying or adjust the window size again.
This part can feel a bit hit or miss depending on what apps you use, so don’t get too frustrated if it’s not perfect every time.
Open Additional Apps for Full Multitasking
Want more than just split view? You can try floating multiple apps, but this depends on your iPad model and iPadOS version. If your iPad supports multitasking well:
- Swipe up to access the App Switcher.
- Drag an app from the switcher or from the Dock to the screen; it should open in a new window, or you might be able to hold it and drop it into split view or other multitasking modes.
Just be aware: sometimes you need to give the app a little nudge or reopen it if things get weird. And on some setups, a reboot or a software update can turn things around.
Close and Manage Windows
Once you’re done with an app or a window that’s just not cooperating, close it by tapping the top and then hitting the small X. Or, in split view, just slide the divider to close one side. Easy enough.
Keep in mind that not all apps will support all these features perfectly — some might crash or be stubborn about resizing. That’s just the way it is with beta-like multitasking on iPad.
Extra Tips & Common Snags
- Always keep your iPad updated to the latest iPadOS version because new updates fix bugs and improve multitasking stability. Sometimes, just updating fixes everything.
- Some apps just won’t support floating windows or split view, so check for a resize icon or try dragging from the Dock to verify support.
- If it acts buggy, a quick restart can clear out glitches. Or, toggle off and on the multitasking options in settings.
Wrap-up
Getting window tiling to work smoothly on your iPad can be a bit of a puzzle, especially since not all apps cooperate. But once you get the hang of enabling the features, dragging windows, resizing, and opening multiple apps in split view, it makes multitasking way less stressful. Expect some trial and error, but overall, the core idea is to toggle everything on, open apps from the Dock or App Switcher, and mess around with window sizes until it feels right.
Summary
- Update your iPad to iPadOS 16 or later.
- Enable multitasking options in Settings > Home Screen & Multitasking.
- Open apps via the Dock or App Switcher, then drag them into split view or resize if supported.
- Adjust window sizes and positions to fit your workflow.
- Restart or update if things get weird or don’t work as expected.
Fingers crossed this helps
Getting window tiling to behave nicely is kinda weird, but once it clicks, it’s a game changer for multitasking on iPad. Just remember, some apps are more cooperative than others, and a bit of patience might be needed. Hope this shaves off a few hours trying to figure out the fiddly bits, and hey — at least now you know where the settings are to turn things on properly.