Split screen function is missing on my iPad Pro after update

Hello,


After a recent update-that I wasn’t aware was happening, the three dots at the top of my iPad Air gen 5 screen no longer functions as before. Instead, I only have ‘enter full screen mode’, ‘add window’ and ‘minimize’ then ‘close’. Also, every time I open an app, it’s in the new ‘floating window mode’ or whatever it’s really called. Can I go back to the way it was before? With all my apps opening in full screen mode and the three dots behaving as before? I ASSUME this new method is to make it easier to switch between windows and apps but I was doing just fine before. In the future, it might be a better policy if Apple OFFERED the “new” methods with a full demonstration as to how they would work rather than surprise me with what they consider a ‘gift’.


Thanks in advance for any help at all. Quite frankly I’m surprised it updated without my permission as I removed the ‘auto download and update’ permission. This has been very enervating and aggravating and your help would be most appreciated.


Kind regards,

MDM (Mad Dog Mother)



[Re-Titled by Moderator]


iPad Pro, iPadOS 14

Posted on Mar 29, 2025 7:27 AM

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Mar 30, 2025 3:51 AM in response to Chickivow

Expanding upon information already provided by 6x6


The update likely enabled Stage Manager, this feature providing a windowed desktop environment with re-sizeable App windows.


Stage Manager can be enabled/disabled from iPad settings. To disable:

Settings > Multitasking & Gestures > [Multitasking] - select Split View & Slide Over or OFF





Selecting Split View & Slide Over restores the full-screen multitasking view with which you are familiar. Selecting OFF completely disables all iPadOS multitasking features - which is unlikely to be your intent.


The iPad User Guide provides additional information about Stage Manager and its features:

Move, resize, and organize windows with Stage Manager on iPad - Apple Support


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Split screen function is missing on my iPad Pro after update

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