iPhone Split screen feature allows you to open two apps simultaneously and use them independently at the same time. The split screen feature on the iPhone is called by several other names such as “Split View” or “Slide Over” is a very useful feature that can enhance your iPhone productivity by 200% if you use it with compatible applications. It allows you to either temporarily or permanently open an app without closing or hiding the currently opened app in the background.
How Split Screen iPhone feature is helpful?
The split screen feature of the iPhone is not advertised as publicly as other features but it is one of the most useful features for iPhone power users. There are unlimited use cases for using a split screen on your iPhone. For example –
- While adding a note in your note app, you can split the screen to open the camera app which scans the content of a printed paper to add to your note app
- You can use a split screen to use WhatsApp or Instagram on the top half and a web browser on the bottom half to research something you are discussing on social media or messaging apps.
- You can use a split screen to attend video conferences while at the same time collecting points from your notes app or web browser to discuss.
- Someone has even used the iPhone split-screen feature to run two separate Instagram accounts at the same time using a parallel space app.
Does my iPhone Support the Split Screen Feature?
Not all iPhones support the split screen feature. On iPad, the support is even less. So, it’s very important to know whether your iPhone model supports a split screen feature or not. The split screen feature was first introduced in the iPhone 6 model and it has been available for all phones released with the suffix Pro, Plus, or Max from iPhone 6 and beyond. So, the iPhone Split screen feature is available on iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max models until now.
These iPhone models don’t support iPhone Split screen feature – iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone SE 1st GEN, iPhone 7, iPhone 8, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone 11, iPhone SE 2nd Gen, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone SE 3rd Gen, iPhone 14, iPhone 15
How to activate the Split Screen iPhone feature?
It’s important to note that the split screen feature doesn’t come in-built. So, most of the iPhone users who want to use the iPhone split screen feature have to either use some workaround in their iPhone settings or use an app to activate the split screen feature in their iPhone. Here, we will talk about both the ways using which you can start using the split screen/split view iPhone function.
Steps to Activate iPhone Split Screen using Settings
Step 1: Visit your iPhone settings by clicking the app with the gear icon.
Step 2: From Settings, navigate to Display & Brightness >> Display
Step 3: On the Display screen, scroll down to the Zoom section, click on Set, and then tap Use Zoom
Finally, save the settings. Activate rotation and turn your screen horizontally. Now, when you open another app, it will open in split-screen mode on your iPhone.
Apps to Activate Split Screen on iPhone/iPad
The above workaround works well but it is very limited in terms of features. So, if you want to use the split screen feature on your iPhone with its full potential, I strongly recommend you to use any of the following apps which will let you use the split screen feature in both landscape & portrait mode of your screen. These apps also increase the support and let you use more apps in the split screen mode –
PiP Splitware – Split Screen is another cool app that uses an advanced split-screen function. It converts an app into Picture-in-picture (PIP) mode. Once an app is in PIP mode, you can detach it from the screen, resize and put it anywhere on the screen over any app just like the PIP mode YouTube videos or Maps app PIP navigation screen.
How to Use Split Screen App on iPhone
These iPhone split screen apps are made too easy to use and they have good guide/direction that tells you how to use them to boost productivity on your iPhone. However, if you want to know in advance how complicated it is to use these apps. Then let me tell you the general ways these apps help you achieve split view functionality on your iPhone –
- Install the split-screen app of your choice on your iPhone
- Open the split screen app. It will by default split your screen into two sections and open two browser windows.
- Close one browser window and open an app of your choice such as Instagram, Twitter, or Note app.
- Similarly, close the other browser which is opened side by side, and open another app of your choice such as WhatsApp, Booking.com, etc.
That’s pretty much it. If you are in portrait mode, you can turn to horizontal mode to provide more screen real estate to your apps horizontally.
Things to Keep in Mind while using Split Screen App on iPhone
Split screen apps are great for boosting your productivity but you need to be aware of a few things before you regularly start using this feature or app on your iPhone –
- When you use two apps simultaneously with a split screen function, both apps are taking full resources which can drain your iPhone battery fast.
- Avoid resources demanding apps as they can crash your iPhone or apps.
- Not all apps support the iPhone Split screen feature.
Conclusion
iPhone Split screen feature has turned out to be a very useful function. So, if you haven’t used it, I insist you try it for some time, you will find the best use cases to use this feature that enhances the productivity as well as user experience of your iPhone.
FAQ
What is split in iPhone?
Split is a feature of the iPhone that lets you open two apps side by side on your iPhone screen by splitting your screen in half. These two apps can be two web browsers, two documents, or different apps such as social media and messaging.
Can iPhone do split screen?
Yes, all the iPhone 6 and above models with Pro, Max, or Plus in their suffix support the iPhone split screen feature.
Can you split screen iPhone 11?
iPhone 11 doesn’t support split screen but iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max both support this functionality.
How to do half screen on iPhone?
To open an app in half screen and another app in another half, you can either use a split screen app or use the settings provided in the article.
How do I activate split view?
To activate Split View on your iPhone or iPad, you should use Split View apps which are available free on the app store. We have listed the best split-view apps in the article.
