Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. Guides

Here’s how to use split-screen mode on your Android phone

Steven Winkelman
By
Steven Winkelman / Digital Trends
Steven Winkelman / Digital Trends

Do you like to use Twitter and Google Maps simultaneously? Prefer to watch Netflix while you’re checking your email. Well, if you use an Android phone, you’re in luck: Newer versions of Android allow you to easily multi-task with split-screen mode.

Recommended Videos

Split-screen mode basics

Android has officially offered a split-screen mode for smartphones since Google released Android 7.0 Nougat in 2016. Sure, some smartphone manufacturers offered the option earlier but many of those methods were clumsy and didn’t work well.  The introduction of Android Nougat brought a standardized method for a split-screen mode that works across most smartphones and tablets.

Related

That said, some themes and manufacturers’ interfaces will interfere with split-screen mode. This tutorial will show you the standard ways to use split-screen on Android. If you’re having problems, you may want to make sure your phone is running Android 7.0 or later before checking to see if your smartphone manufacturer has created a different method to open split-screen mode.

It’s also important to realize that split-screen mode doesn’t work with all apps. If the app is not compatible with split-screen mode, you will see a message at the top of the screen telling you as much.

How to turn on split-screen mode

There are two ways to enable split-screen mode on your Android phone. While both methods yield the same results, you may prefer one over the other.

Drag and drop

To use the drag and drop method, simply open the apps you wish to use in split-screen mode. Tap the app switcher icon (it’s usually a square on the right side of the navigation bar) and select the first app. Drag the app to the top of the screen to drop it into place. Once your first app is in place, simply tap the second app and it will appear in the bottom half of the screen.

Once you have your apps in split-screen mode you can make size adjustments. To adjust the size, simply drag the divider line that sits between the two apps.

Long-tap 

The second way to enable split-screen mode tends to be a little easier if you’re already in an app and wish to open another one without leaving it. If you’re in an app, just long-tap the app switcher icon. The primary app will minimize to fill the top half of the screen and you’ll see the other open apps at the bottom of the screen. Tap the second app you wish to use and it will automatically resize to fill the bottom half of the screen.

Again, it’s pretty easy to adjust the size of each app in split-screen mode by dragging the divider line between the two apps to your desired location.

How to end your split-screen mode session

While split-screen mode can come in handy, it’s definitely not something you want to use all the time. There are a few ways to get out of split-screen mode.

The first, and probably most simple, way to end split-screen mode is by long-tapping the split-screen app switching icon. This method automatically closes the secondary app at the bottom of your display.

Another way to end your split-screen mode session is simply by dragging the divider line all the way to the top or bottom of your display. This method allows you to select which app you prefer to keep open, as opposed to automatically selecting the app at the top of your screen.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Steven Winkelman
Steven Winkelman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven writes about technology, social practice, and books. At Digital Trends, he focuses primarily on mobile and wearables…
How to unlock your Android phone automatically with Smart Lock
Android Smart Lock

We open our smartphones innumerable times each day without even thinking twice about it. Punching in a PIN or passcode, touching a fingerprint sensor, or waiting for facial recognition has quickly become our regular routines. Nevertheless, there are methods to make the usual habits much less tedious if you own a phone with Android 5.0 Lollipop or later.

Google launched a feature named Smart Lock in 2015 along with Android Lollipop. This feature allows you to define circumstances when it’s okay to circumvent the PIN, pattern, or any other security hoops you have in place to access your phone. These conditions consist of establishing a trusted location and connecting with a trusted device.

Read more
From Android 1.0 to Android 10, here’s how Google’s OS evolved over a decade
Android

The smartphone has come a long way since the first iPhone launched in 2007. While Apple's iOS is arguably the world's first smartphone operating system, Google's Android is by far the most popular. Android has evolved significantly since first being released on an HTC-made T-Mobile device in 2008. Android was created in 2003 by Andy Rubin, who first started developing an OS for digital cameras. Soon, he realized that the market for digital camera operating systems perhaps wasn't all that big, and Android, Inc. diverted its attention toward smartphones.

It wasn't until 2005 that Google purchased Android, Inc., and while there wasn't much info about Android at the time, many took it as a signal that Google would use the platform to enter the phone business. Eventually, Google did enter the smartphone business -- but not as a hardware manufacturer. Instead, it marketed Android to other manufacturers, first catching the eye of HTC, which used the platform for the first Android phone, the HTC Dream, in 2008.

Read more
The best screen protectors for the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus

When you have a phone with a screen as artistically graceful as the Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus, you must have a screen protector that keeps it in one piece. Since some screen protectors don’t do much, it is important to know which ones work well and which ones are a waste of money. Here are some of the best screen protectors to keep your Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus safe from harm.
Supershieldz Tempered Glass Screen Protector

 

Read more