iPad Slide Over days are over
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As we are getting closer to the release of Apple new *OS 26, I wanted to log what I miss the most after running iPad OS 26 beta on my iPad for the last few weeks: iPad Slide Over.
iPad window management
My iPad isn’t my primary computer, nor is it my main mobile computer, but it certainly is my favourite screen. Its versatility, lightweight (without a Magic Keyboard attached) and power have made it my favourite travel computer and media consumption device.
I never felt I needed an overlapping window manager on the iPad, probably due to its size (11”), and I got by fine using Split View and Slide Over.
Especially Slide Over.
Don’t get me wrong, iPadOS 26 Window Manager is impressive, and contrary to Stage Manager, it’s going to make a big difference if you multitask on your iPad, especially on a large screen, or in a multiple screens setup.
Today, my workflow doesn’t require overlapping windows. I mainly use apps full screen, and when I do need multiple apps, I settle for side-by-side windows, with the occasional floating window to dip in and out of.
iPad OS 18 Slide Over
Slide Over
I use Slide Over for iPhone layout apps. It’s perfect for multitasking. You can stack multiple apps and browse through them the same way you do on iPhone, by swiping left or right at the bottom of the window.
At anytime, my stack includes apps like,
- 1Password
- Messages
- Ivory
- PCalc
- Tot
- Proton VPN
- Croissant
- Contacts
- Reminders
- Drafts
- Music
- Antidote
- Home
- Find My
Typically utilities, reference or sharing apps.
I summon the stack by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, and dismiss it the same way. Granted, I don’t always hit a 100% success, but it’s close.
Replicating Slide Over in iPadOS 26
I attempted to do the same in iPadOS 26, with more or less success. I can replicate the same window size and location, but I can’t group multiple apps in a single stack, they all need to be launched, sized and positioned individually.
There is no way to replicate the Slide Over app switching elegantly in iPadOS 26. It’s easy to display 1Password over my current app by cmd-tabbing it into view (if it’s running), or by revealing the Dock and tapping its icon (if it’s there), but I haven’t quite figured out a natural way of performing the same action in those times when I use my iPad without a keyboard attached – I just hope it’s in the Dock. Moreover, I haven’t found a way to rotate between a fixed set of apps like you can in Slide Over.
The ability to resize windows is powerful, but I find myself falling back to side-by-side layout, either by dragging them or using the layout icons under the window manager buttons (traffic lights). I’m also getting use not to swipe near window corners to avoid resizing my app window.
Miss you
In the end, all window manager features have been preserved except for Slide Over. You can continue to use your iPad as you did before in a seamless fashion, except if you relied on the latter. There’s no elegant/efficient workaround.
I was hoping against all odds that Slide Over might be added in a later beta – following feeback maybe, but it doesn’t look so.
From what I gather, only a small fraction of users relied on Slide Over. It was a source of problems for a majority of the others, who lost their app into Slide Over mode, or couldn’t figure out how to get it out. It tracks, I understand why this feature was removed. I guess Apple has the numbers (or not). But for those of us who silently relied on it, the loss will be felt. I’ll get use to it, and move on.
Miss you Slide Over.
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29 Aug 2025