iPad multitasking modes
Understand how iPadOS multitasking modes affect the Screen API and orientation in your application.
Read time 2 minutesLast updated 14 days ago
iPadOS supports multitasking modes that allow users to run multiple applications simultaneously. Which modes are available depends on the iPadOS version, and each mode affects how your application reports its screen size and orientation.
Available multitasking modes
The available modes depend on the iPadOS version:
iPadOS version | Available modes |
|---|---|
| iPadOS 9 to 15 | Split View, Slide Over |
| iPadOS 16 to 18 | Split View, Slide Over, Stage Manager |
| iPadOS 26 and later | Full-Screen Apps, Windowed Apps, Stage Manager |
In all modes except Full-Screen Apps, your application can run in a resizable space alongside other apps. On iPadOS 26 and later, both Windowed Apps and Stage Manager allow freely resizable and repositionable windows. Stage Manager builds on Windowed Apps by adding workspace grouping, which lets users organize windows into sets they can switch between.
Screen size and safe area behavior
When your application runs in a multitasking mode, the following behaviors apply:
- and
Screen.widthupdate as the window or split changes size.Screen.height - adjusts to reflect the available safe area.
Screen.safeArea - returns
Screen.fullScreenwhen the app doesn't occupy the full screen.false
Note
Your application can't control the window size. The user and operating system determine window dimensions.
Orientation-locked applications
If your application restricts orientation to portrait-only or landscape-only in the Player settings, the following behavior applies in multitasking modes:
- The application window maintains the correct aspect ratio for the locked orientation.
- continues to report the locked orientation.
Screen.orientation
An orientation-locked application maintains its aspect ratio when it enters fullscreen mode. If the device's orientation is different from the application's locked orientation, for example, a portrait-only app on a device in landscape, the application is letterboxed.
Limitations
Multitasking modes place the following limitations on your application:
- Orientation lock on iPadOS 26 and later: Programmatic orientation locking with only works when Requires Fullscreen is enabled in the Player settings. When Requires Fullscreen is disabled, setting
Screen.orientationto a specific orientation has no effect on iPadOS 26 and later, even when the app is in full-screen mode.Screen.orientation - Window size control: The application can't set minimum or maximum window sizes.
- Resolution changes in windowed mode: changes rendering resolution but doesn't resize the window. After calling it,
Screen.SetResolutionandScreen.widthreport the render resolution rather than the window size.Screen.height