Apple Brings Back Slide Over Multitasking in iPadOS 26.1 Beta 2

Apple has released iPadOS 26.1 Beta 2, bringing back the Slide Over multitasking mode that a large number of users have been missing since it was dropped in iPadOS 26. The arrival of Slide Over constitutes a partial restoration of Apple's iconic multitasking feature, enabling users to open a resizeable app window on top of their current windowed apps.

Using this feature, users can quickly superimpose a secondary app such as Messages, Notes, or Safari over their main workspace without leaving their primary environment, which makes it a good option for instant multitasking. The present beta version, however, has an imposed limitation: Slide Over accommodates only a single app. That is, even though you can continue to multitask efficiently, you will not be able to layer multiple floating windows like you used to.

Apple's reintroduction of Slide Over indicates that the company is paying attention to user concerns, particularly among individuals who used to enjoy the versatile multitasking format previous iPadOS iterations provided. As the feature currently remains in testing, it's likely Apple will further develop its functionality through future betas or the final version of iPadOS 26.1.

For the moment, the return of Slide Over provides a returning and functional tool to the iPad experience filling the gap between iPadOS's developing desktop-like multitasking and the smooth, app-centered usability that people have grown to appreciate.