While I think we’re all starting to develop a mild hate for the word ‘multitasking’ the truth is we still need it badly in our lives. The limitations of our brains sadly don’t allow us to perform a billion things at once but at least our devices are getting more and more powerful offering some valuable help in this department.
The iPad received some new multitasking capabilities in iOS 9 and you can benefit from them if you own an iPad Pro, Air, Air 2, mini 2, mini 3 or mini 4. Slide Over is one of these multitasking features and it lets you easily go from one app to another. Here’s how to use it:
How to enter Slide Over mode on iPad
Open any app on your iPad, then simply swipe with one finger from the right edge of the screen to the left.
This action will display a slide over panel showing another app which was previously loaded. If there isn’t one (meaning you never used Slide Over before, or at least not recently), the sidebar will show a list of available apps and you can pick one from there by tapping on it.
Then, the primary app will dim and you’ll be able to see the new app on the screen. Note you can only use one app at a time in Slide Over.
How to switch the Slide Over app
You can have multiple apps open in Slide Over and switch between them. However, be aware not all apps support this feature, which needs to be added by the developer, but the ones that do are available in the app switcher.
To use another app in Slide Over you need to place one finger on the gripper (shown in the image above) and swipe down. This will display the app switcher, from where you can select another app.
How to exit Slide Over mode
Exiting Slide Over is pretty intuitive. You can either touch the slide over sidebar and swipe right to dismiss it which will bring the primary app into the foreground or just tap once anywhere outside the side bar to get the same result.
Do you enjoy iOS 9’s multitasking features on your iPad and do you find Slide Over useful? Share your thoughts in the comments section below or leave us a message on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
