Android Split Screen: How to Use Two Apps at Once on Your Phone

Have you ever tried to copy a number from a message into another app, and kept switching back and forth until you forgot it? Or wanted to watch a video while replying to a chat? Android has a free, built-in answer: split screen. It puts two apps on your screen at the same time, one on top and one below. You do not need to download anything.

Split screen puts two apps side by side so you stop switching back and forth

How to turn on split screen

1. Open the first app you want to use, for example YouTube or Chrome.
2. Tap the square button (recent apps) at the bottom of the screen, or swipe up and hold, to open the recent apps view.
3. Find the first app's card, tap its app icon at the top of the card (or tap the three dots on it).
4. Tap Split screen or "Open in split screen view".
5. The first app will move to the top half. Now tap the second app from your recent apps or app list, and it will fill the bottom half.

Start split screen from the recent apps view — no extra app needed

Four steps to start split screen on almost any Android phone

How to adjust and exit

Resize the halves by dragging the black divider bar in the middle up or down. Swap the apps on some phones by double-tapping the divider. Exit by dragging the divider all the way to the top or the bottom. Open a different second app via the home button area or recent apps button.

What split screen is good for

• Watching a video in the top half while chatting in the bottom half.
• Reading a message and typing its details into a form or notes app.
• Comparing prices in two shopping apps.
• Following a recipe video while keeping a timer open.
• Copying notes from a document into an email without losing your place.

What split screen cannot do

Not every app supports split screen. Some games, camera apps, and banking apps may refuse to open in split view. On a small screen, two apps mean two small windows. Split screen uses more memory and battery than one app alone. On an older or slow phone, it may feel laggy. If your phone already feels slow, our guide on how to speed up a slow Android phone has simple fixes.

Bonus: pop-up view on some phones

Some Samsung and Xiaomi phones also offer a pop-up or floating window. From the same recent-apps menu, instead of Split screen, look for "Open in pop-up view".

Start split screen from the recent apps view — no extra app needed

The bottom line

Split screen is one of Android's most useful features, and it is strange how few people use it. Try it once with a video and a chat, or a message and a notes app, and you will probably use it every day. Which two apps would you use together most often? Tell us in the comments.