According to 9to5Mac, iPadOS 26.1 arrived yesterday with a major productivity upgrade by restoring the Slide Over feature that was completely removed in iPadOS 26. The author, who has used iPad Pro as their primary computer for a full decade since the first model debuted, describes Slide Over as essential for quickly popping in and out of apps while keeping the main app fully visible and accessible. To use the feature, users long-press the green window controls button near the top of the screen and tap ‘Enter Slide Over.’ The restored functionality allows setting one window as a Slide Over window that stays open on top of other windows and can be moved off-screen when not needed. However, the new version no longer supports stacking multiple apps together, which the author calls an unfortunate regression.
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Why This Actually Matters
Here’s the thing about iPad multitasking – it’s always been a bit of a compromise. Apple keeps tweaking the formula, trying to find that sweet spot between power and simplicity. When they removed Slide Over in iPadOS 26, it felt like they’d thrown the baby out with the bathwater. I mean, why remove a feature that power users had integrated into their daily workflows for years?
The beauty of Slide Over is that it solves a very specific problem: how do you keep an app accessible without dedicating permanent screen real estate to it? Think about it – how many times do you need to quickly check Slack or Messages while working in another app? Before Slide Over returned, you’d either have to completely switch apps or resize everything to make room. Neither solution is ideal when you’re in the flow of work.
The New Reality
So what’s different now? Basically, you get the best of both worlds – the new windowing system from iPadOS 26 plus the quick-access convenience of Slide Over. The author mentions keeping Slack as their Slide Over app, which makes perfect sense. You can see notifications, respond quickly, then slide it away when you need to focus.
But there’s that one big caveat: no more app stacking. Remember when you could have multiple apps in that Slide Over panel and swipe between them? That’s gone. And honestly, that’s a pretty significant loss. It means you’re limited to one Slide Over app at a time, which feels like a step backward in a supposedly progressive update.
The Bigger Picture
This whole saga tells us something important about Apple’s approach to the iPad. They’re clearly still figuring out what professional users actually want versus what they think we should want. The new windowing system in iPadOS 26 was a step forward, but removing Slide Over was two steps back. Now with iPadOS 26.1, they’ve course-corrected – partially.
What’s interesting is how this positions iPad against other devices. When your iPad can genuinely replace your laptop, these multitasking features become critical. And right now, Apple seems to be listening to feedback – which is encouraging. If you want to dive deeper into how Slide Over works, check out Apple’s official documentation.
The real question is: will Apple continue refining this, or is this the final form of iPad multitasking? Only time will tell, but for now, having Slide Over back – even in its limited form – makes the iPad experience significantly better. Follow 9to5Mac on Twitter or check their YouTube channel for more iPad insights.
