Two windows open side by side

[johjohjus]

Just as i learned how to do two windows opened side by side apple changes things. Is there any way to go back to the old system with the drop down in the center top of the ipad?

 

[LannyC110]

Typical of the reasons I stopped updating years ago.

 

[twerppoet103]

You can turn off the multiple windows in Settings > Multitasking, reverting the iPad to a one-app-at-a-time mode.

I'm not sure what you mean by the drop down part. Pulling down from the very top center take you to the notification screen in iPadOS 26. Pulling down from below the edge gets you Siri Search; but only from a Home Screen.

In iPadOS27 Beta it opens a Siri dialog both from the top edge and the middle (if on a Home Screen) . The notification center pulls down from the left top. You can turn off Siri to go back to the 26 way, but you lose most of the benefits of the new version. Siri is actually useful in iPadOS27.

 

[LannyC110]

The issue is tapping on the three dots at top center, not swiping down. It drops down a short menu of multi-window choices.

Apple giveth, and Apple taketh away.

 

[appleboy60077]

What 3 dots? Course I have stage manager on so maybe not an option that way.,

 

[LannyC110]

 

[twerppoet103]

iPadOS26 and 27 did away with the three dots, both in Stage Manager and Windowed Apps mode. You need to go Settings > Multitasking & Gestures or use the Control Center to switch multitasking modes now. Or if it is still there, I can no longer find it.

If you tap-hold on the Control Center multitasking control you can choose between the two multitasking modes. Taping turns the selected mode on/off.

Multitask on iPad - Apple Support

Learn how to use windowed apps on iPad to use multiple apps at the same time.

support.apple.com

The only real difference I've noticed between Stage Manager and Windowed Apps is the the previous apps you can access by swiping from the left edge of the screen in Stage Manager. There are probably other differences I haven't noticed. I mostly still use Stage Manager, even though Windowed Apps is the newer mode. Just habit I guess.

 

[LannyC110]

Ah. I stopped updating at 18.7.1 after losing use of a few valued apps when iOS stopped supporting them. I don’t feel I’m missing anything.