It’s easy to turn on split screen mode on your Android phone or tablet.
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You can use split screen mode on Android devices to view and use two apps simultaneously.
To enter split screen view, open “Recent Apps,” long-press an app, and then tap “Split Screen.”
On Galaxy devices, tap an app’s icon in “Recent Apps” and select “Open in split screen view.”
Have you ever wanted to use two apps on your Android mobile device at the same time? If so, you’re in luck.
Most new Android phones from over a dozen different manufacturers now allow you to run apps in split screen mode, which lets you use and view them both at once.
Keep in mind that running apps in split screen mode can deplete your battery faster. Furthermore, not all apps support split screen mode — some apps, like games, require full-screen functionality.
Additionally, not all Android devices support split screen view.
But, if you have a compatible Android device and two apps that you’d like to run in split screen mode, here’s how to do it.
How to use split screen mode on an Android device
Since Android devices have different interfaces, depending on the manufacturer, you might notice that the steps for using split screen view are slightly different on your device. However, the instructions below should work for most Androids.
1. On your Home screen, tap on the Recent Apps button. On some phones, it’s represented by three vertical lines, while on others, it’s a rounded square, and can be located in the bottom left or right corner of the screen.
Open up your “Recent Apps” menu.
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2. In Recent Apps, find the app you want to use in split screen, and then tap and hold it until a menu appears.
3. In the menu, tap Split screen.
4. The app you have selected will temporarily appear at the top of the screen, and it will be separated from the bottom part by a black bar. Then, tap the other app you want to use in split screen view.
5. Your apps will now appear in split screen mode, and you should be able to switch between the two seamlessly.
6. To end split screen view, drag the black bar that separates the apps in the direction of the app you want to close.
Quick tip: You can drag the black bar up or down to give either the top or bottom app more room on the screen – just don’t drag it all the way to the top or bottom, as that will exit split screen view.
If you view apps in split screen a lot, you’ll notice that some apps are better equipped to split screen than others.
For instance, apps like YouTube and Netflix are well-suited for split screen, since their video capabilities require little interactivity. Mobile games, on the other hand, might not be able to utilize split screen if their gameplay needs a lot of attention from the player.
How to split screens on a Samsung Galaxy
For Samsung Galaxy devices, there’s a slight difference in the way that you open split screen mode that it’s worth mentioning.
1. From the Samsung Galaxy’s Home screen, tap the Recent Apps button – the three vertical lines – in the bottom left corner.
2. In the Recent Apps screen, find the app you want to use in split screen view, and then tap that app’s icon at the top.
While in the “Recent Apps” screen, tap the icon of the app you want to use in split screen view.
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3. In the menu that appears, tap Open in split screen view.
Tap “Open in split screen view.”
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4. The app will appear in the top half of the screen separated by a blue bar at the center. Below the blue bar, you’ll see a list of other apps; all you have to do is tap on the one you want to take up the bottom half of the screen.
5. Both apps will now occupy their respective half of the screen, and you can use them without having to close the other.
6. To end split screen view, drag the blue bar that separates the apps in the direction of the app you want to close.