Check the device and orientation
Apple documents Split View for iPhone Duo when it is open in landscape. Two apps share the screen equally. This is a Duo-specific guide, not a generic gesture for every iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Menu wording can vary by language and iOS release. Verify the controls on your device; this article does not claim testing of third-party app behavior.
Open two different apps
Apple describes two ways to start. Choose whichever is easier from the screen you are on.
- While using an app, swipe up from the bottom, pause in the center, then keep dragging the current app to the left or right side.
- When the Home Screen appears beside it, choose the second app from Home or App Library.
- Alternatively, touch and hold an app on Home or in App Library, tap Open in Split View, then choose the second app.
- Confirm both apps appear side by side and can be used.
Swap sides or open two windows of one app
To swap sides, swipe up from the bottom of one app, pause in the center, then move it to the opposite side. To open two windows of a supported app, first put it in Split View, then tap its icon again on Home or in App Library.
Apple names Mail, Notes, Safari, and Files as examples of apps that support multiple windows. Do not assume every third-party app can open a second window; check the app and your installed iOS release if the second tap has no effect.
Pair apps for later
With two apps in Split View, tap the divider between them to pair them. Apple says opening either app later also opens the other. To unpair, drag the divider all the way to the left or right screen edge.
Pairing changes how the apps launch together; it does not merge their data.
Leave Split View
Drag the divider to either screen edge to keep one app full screen. Swipe up from the middle of the screen to return to Home. These are the exit paths in Apple's iPhone guide; resetting the device is unnecessary for a mistaken split or pair.
Apple documentation checked November 2, 2026. Recheck the linked guide if a later iOS version changes the interface.