iOS 9 will finally bring true multi-tasking to iPads

The iPad’s inability to run two apps simultaneously in split-screen is one of the reasons why many users have stuck with PCs or Microsoft’s Surface tablets for work. However, at the company’s annual World Wide Developers Conference today, Apple announced that it will be removing this limitation with iOS 9, and even demonstrated true multi-tasking working on an iPad. 

Apple is looking to make iPads more functional devices for business productivity with a new split-screen app mode which allows iPad users to run two different apps side-by-side. This sort of feature is something Microsoft has previously used to target the iPad in its advertisements, which highlighted its own Surface tablet as something that’s better for those doing “real work” on its hybrid laptop/tablet computer. The iPad splitscreen feature has been rumored for some time. In addition to Surface, Samsung Galaxy Tab devices also previously offered a multi-window mode. Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, demonstrated the iPad’s new split screen view during the WWDC keynote this morning. While using Safari, he swiped from the right side of the screen — and a view of the Messages app slides into place. He then swiped down from above on the Messages view, and is able to switch just that one app independently. On the left side, he was running one app, and on the right, another. Each app is running fully independently. As the demo continued, Federighi was able to tap a Map link within a note, and it opens within the Apple Maps application on the left side of the screen.