Use multiple apps at once

Depending on the app, you can use more than one app at once.

Use multiple apps with split screen

  1. Open the first app.

  2. At the top, tap and choose Split screen.

    Or, touch & hold , then drag it to the top, bottom, left, or right, to position the app in the desired section of the screen.

    Either way, if you wait a few seconds, you’ll see a list of suggested second apps. (You can turn these suggestions off.)

  3. Select the second app to use, from the suggested apps or others.

    It opens beside the first app.

Other ways to create a split screen:

  • Touch & hold an app's icon, then tap for split screen and select the second app.
  • Open an app, then swipe up with three fingers to split the screen into top/bottom, or swipe left/right with three fingers to split the screen side to side. If this doesn’t work, check that the gesture is enabled. Note that swiping down with three fingers takes a screen shot if the gesture is enabled.

You can copy images and text between apps. For example, copy an image from a webpage, then drag it into a note or a text message on the split screen.

  1. Touch & hold an image or text in one app.
  2. Drag it to the second app and release.
Resize the screens
Drag the divider between the apps.
Swap positions
Tap the divider between the apps, then tap Swap position.
Change the orientation of the split screen
Tap the divider between the apps, then tap Split vertically or Split horizontally.
Replace one of the apps

Do either of these:

  • At the top of the app to remove, tap , then tap Replace App and select the appp to use.
  • On the taskbar, drag the new app onto the app you want to replace in the split screen. Release it when the background turns gray.

To save your commonly used combinations of apps for quick access:

  1. Tap the divider between the apps.

  2. Tap Save app combo.

    The shortcut will appear on your home screen. Just tap the shortcut to restart the split screen with these apps.

Do one of the following:

  • Drag the divider line to the edge of the screen.
  • Or, tap at the top of either app, then tap Close App or Fullscreen.
  • Or, go to the home screen (Gesture navigation: Swipe up of from the bottom of the screen. 3-button navigation: Tap .)

Open second app over current one

To open an app in a small, freeform window:

  1. Open the app.
  2. At the top, tap and choose Freeform.

  3. If needed:

    • To move the window, touch & hold at the top, then drag.
    • To resize the window, drag a bottom corner diagonally.

To get rid of the freeform window:

  1. At the top of the freeform app, tap
  2. Choose Fullscreen or Close.

See one app while using another (Picture-in-picture)

With some apps, you can watch video in a small, movable frame while you do other things. Use it when navigating with Google Maps, too.

  1. When you’re playing a video or navigating with Maps, go to the home screen or app you want to use.

    The video (or navigation) shrinks.

  2. You can drag the video (or navigation) anywhere on the screen.

    • To make the frame larger, tap it twice.
    • To return it to full size, tap it once, then tap .
    • To close it, drag it to the bottom of the screen. Or, tap it, then tap .
  1. Go to Settings > Apps.
  2. Tap Special app access > Picture-in-picture.
  3. Tap the app.
  4. Turn Allow picture-in-picture off toggle off switch.