iPad update makes it easier to put two apps side by side

Apple's latest iPad update makes it quicker to put two apps next to each other on the screen. iPadOS 27.2 came out last week. When you tile one app to the left or right, the Home Screen now appears so you can pick the second app right away.

What changed

Apple's release notes say side-by-side multitasking is easier to set up. You get the option to choose a second app whenever you tile an app to the left or right, using the window controls or the menu bar.

Before, the process took more work. You opened the first app and resized it. Then you swiped up from the bottom of the screen, picked another app, and often had to resize that one by hand too. Apple's multitasking setup had worked that way since iPadOS 26 last year.

Now one tap on the Home Screen picks the second app and tiles it. The built-in keyboard shortcuts for app tiling can make it faster still.

Why it may feel familiar

9to5Mac says the change is likely inspired by iPhone Duo. Early reviews of that device said its Split View felt more intuitive than iPad multitasking. The site notes the new iPad method is not identical, but it is much closer than the old one.

What is not known

The material does not say which iPad models get the update or whether it costs anything. Apple's own release notes are the place to check for that.