How to Use Split-Screen on Android (Two Apps at Once)

Split-screen lets you run two apps at once, each in its own half of the display, for example a browser above your notes or a video above a chat. On both Samsung and Pixel phones you start the same way: from the Recent Apps screen. The wording of the split option differs by brand, so below are the exact steps for each, plus how to resize and exit.

One tip that saves confusion: you tap the small app icon at the top of a card in Recent Apps, not the card itself. Tapping the card just reopens the app full-screen.

Split screen on Samsung (One UI)

1. Open the first app you want to use.
2. Open Recent Apps (tap the Recents button, or swipe up and hold if you use gesture navigation).
3. Tap the app icon at the top of that app’s card, then choose Open in split screen view.
4. The first app moves to one half; pick the second app from the list to fill the other half.

The two apps start at a 50-50 split. Drag the divider bar to give one app more room. Samsung also lets you launch pairs quickly from the Edge panel if you set that up, which is handy for app combinations you use often.

Split screen on Pixel and stock Android

1. Open the first app.
2. Open Recent Apps (tap the square Recents button, or swipe up and hold with gesture navigation).
3. Tap the app icon at the top of the card, then choose Split top (older Android versions say Split screen).
4. Select the second app from the list to fill the lower half.

On Pixel tablets and other large screens, you can also drag an app from the taskbar onto the side of the screen to start a split, which is faster once you get used to it.

Resize and swap the apps

Once both apps are open, a divider sits between them.

1. Drag the divider up or down (or left and right in landscape) to change how much space each app gets.
2. Tap the handle in the middle of the divider to reveal extra controls, where available, including the option to swap which app is on top.

Labels by phone

Pop-up and floating windows

Split-screen is not the only way to multitask. Samsung phones also offer a pop-up view, which floats one app in a small movable window on top of another, rather than splitting the screen in two. To use it, open Recent Apps, tap the app icon at the top of a card, and choose Open in pop-up view. You can drag the floating window around, resize it, or minimise it to a small bubble at the edge of the screen. Pixel and stock Android focus on split-screen rather than free-floating windows on phones, though large screens and tablets gain more flexible window controls. Pop-up view is ideal for keeping a calculator, messenger or video visible while you work in a full-screen app underneath.

Save an app pair for next time

If you often use the same two apps together, Samsung lets you save the combination as an App pair so you can launch both into split-screen with a single tap. Set up the split as usual, tap the handle in the middle of the divider, and choose the option to create an app pair; you can then add that pair to your home screen or Edge panel. It is a real time-saver for routines like a browser plus a notes app, or a video app plus a chat. Availability and wording depend on your One UI version, and stock Android does not offer the same saved-pair shortcut, so on a Pixel you simply repeat the Recent Apps steps each time.

How to exit split screen

To leave split-screen on either phone, drag the divider all the way to the top or bottom edge of the display; whichever app you drag toward takes over the full screen. On Samsung you can also tap the Home button, or tap the X on the divider handle. If you ever find your phone stuck in split-screen after an app closed oddly, dragging the divider to an edge almost always clears it, and restarting the phone will reset things if it does not.

Handy app combinations and tips

Split-screen earns its keep once you build it into everyday tasks. Some combinations that work well: a browser or recipe page above a notes or messaging app while you jot things down; a video or sports stream above a chat so you can talk while you watch; a maps app above a messaging app when coordinating a meet-up; or two documents side by side to copy details between them. Dragging and dropping text or images between the two panes works in many apps, so you can often select content in the top app and drop it into the bottom one, which is faster than copying and switching back and forth.

A few practical tips make it smoother. Give the app you are typing in the larger share of the screen by dragging the divider, since the on-screen keyboard eats into the bottom pane. Turn the phone to landscape for anything you read or type a lot, because side-by-side halves are roomier than stacked ones. And remember that the split survives switching away and back, so you can jump to another app and return to your pair without rebuilding it.

When split screen will not work

Not every app supports it. Some apps, particularly games and those with fixed layouts, block split-screen. When that happens, the app simply will not appear as a choice, or the split option is greyed out. Running two apps at once also uses more memory and battery than a single app, so on older phones you may notice slowdown, especially with video or maps in one pane. Rotating the phone to landscape can make each half more usable for reading or typing, since the two apps then sit side by side rather than stacked.

If performance drops while multitasking, a little housekeeping helps: our guide to clearing cache on Android can free up memory, and freeing up storage keeps the system responsive. Split-screen also pairs well with other quick tasks, such as learning to take a screenshot of both apps at once, or locking an app you often keep open.

For more hands-on walkthroughs, browse our Android guides. Because the exact labels and gestures change between One UI, Pixel and other skins, as well as between Android versions, treat the names above as a close guide and look for the icon-at-top-of-card step if your menu differs.