Apple released iPadOS 27.2 last week, introducing a streamlined multitasking feature designed to simplify side-by-side app configuration on iPad. The update addresses previous workflow inefficiencies in iPadOS multitasking by allowing users to select a second app with a single tap after tiling an app to the left or right using window controls.
The change brings the iPad's Split View setup closer to the intuitive experience found in iPhone Duo. Previously, under iPadOS 26, configuring two apps side-by-side required several steps: opening the first app, resizing it, swiping up from the bottom to view other apps, selecting one, and often manually resizing the second app. With iPadOS 27.2, when users employ the window resizing controls to tile an app, the Home Screen immediately appears, enabling second-app selection with one tap.
Apple has not brought the entire iOS system to iPad, but it has made one common multitasking feature easier to set up: Split View. The company notes that mastering built-in keyboard shortcuts for app tiling further enhances the speed and ease of configuring apps side-by-side. The update represents a targeted refinement inspired by iPhone's multitasking design, though it does not replicate the full iPhone Duo experience on iPad.
The iPadOS 27.2 release, while not bringing over the entire iOS system, demonstrates Apple's approach of iterative improvement based on cross-platform learnings. The single-tap Split View configuration addresses a common user pain point and makes multitasking on iPad more efficient without requiring a complete system overhaul.
