Apple has taken a step back from one of its most talked-about decisions in iPadOS 26 and is once again betting on the agility Slide Over in multitasking. The feature reappears in iPadOS 26.1 beta 2 to fill that gap in quick use: open an app about what you're doing without cluttering up your entire desktop.
After adopting the windowed model, many users missed that floating layer to view a message or calendar without losing track. With this change, the company is rebalancing its offering: windows for organize and Slide Over for consultation, all within the same workflow.
Slide Over returns to the iPad: what's changing?
The reintroduction comes with clear nuances: in this first phase, Slide Over supports a single application active at once, without the old rotating stack of apps. If you need to manage multiple apps, check out use multiple apps at once. In return, you gain control: the floating panel adjust its width to adapt to what you need at any given moment.
The classic gesture for hiding the window on the right edge and swiping it back in remains. In everyday use, this reduces interruptions and makes it easier to "peek, look, and continue." The result is more efficient multitasking. fast and less invasive.
The most important thing is how it fits with the new desktop: you can have several simultaneous and, in addition, a Slide Over above for specific references. It's a combination designed to maintain the flow while you work with multiple sources of information.
How to activate it and get the most out of it
From any windowed app, tap the green button to resize and you will see the new action «Activate Slide Over». When selected, the application becomes a floating window that you can position as desired, drag to the right edge to hide, and bring back when it suits you.
Another useful novelty is the adjustable size Slide Over panel: You're no longer tied to a fixed size. Keep your view narrow for a quick glance at Messages, or zoom in a bit further if you need to read a note or check calendar details without obscuring what's below.
Current limitations
For the moment, the implementation is deliberately simple: one app in Slide Over. Previously, you could switch between a small "stack" of apps; in this beta, the approach is more direct. Apple may adjust this feature as development of iPadOS 26.1 progresses.
Living with the window system
Slide Over does not replace the desktop with windows, complements. It's useful for quick queries, short answers, or copying a piece of data, avoiding the need to reorganize everything. For those who handle multiple tasks at once, it reduces context switching and provides fluency to multitasking.
Availability
The return of Slide Over is now present in iPadOS 26.1 beta 2 for developersThe public beta will be coming soon, and the final version of 26.1 is expected by the end of the month, with time to fine-tune the details. If you try it, remember to send it feedback to help polish the experience.
With this move, the iPad regains a practical piece of its multitasking history: consultation fast, resizable window y coexistence with the desktop. It doesn't change everything, but it does tweak just enough to make working with multiple apps feel more natural and with fewer interruptions.
