Tech Reference

How to do split-screen multitasking on a Samsung Galaxy S10, using two apps side by side

Written by Dave Johnson edited by John Lynch
How to hide photos on Samsung Galaxy s10
You can use Samsung's One UI to do split-screen multitasking on a Galaxy S10. Henry Nicholls/Reuters
Read in app

Samsung's latest iteration of a software overlay for the Android operating system — dubbed One UI — appears on the newest Samsung smartphones, including the Galaxy S10.

In addition to a variety of usability improvements, One UI allows Galaxy S10 users to split the screen on their phone and multitask by pinning different apps side by side.

How to do split-screen multitasking on a Samsung Galaxy S10

1. Make sure that you have recently used one of the apps that you want to multitask with. If you haven't used it recently, start the app.

2. Tap the Recent apps button at the bottom left of the screen, and then flip through the recent apps until you find the one you want.

multitask 1
Flip through your recently opened apps until you see one you want to include in your multitasking.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. Tap the icon for the app at the top of its card. A drop-down menu will appear.

multitask 2
Tap the icon to see the split-screen option.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

4. Tap "Open in split screen view."

5. That app will now occupy the top half of the screen, and the list of recent apps will continue to appear in the bottom. Find the other app you want to appear in the other half of the split screen — you can tap another recent app, or you can tap the Home button and select any app from your homescreen.

multitask 3
After you select a second app, it will appear below the first one, with a divider separating them.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

How to adjust split-screen windows when multitasking on a Galaxy S10

Once you have configured two apps, each one takes up exactly half of the screen, and you can interact with each one the way you usually would. Here are some things to keep in mind:

  • You can rotate the screen so the apps are truly side by side, rather than above and below each other.
multitask 4
Rotate the screen so the apps are side-by-side.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider
  • If you want to give one app more space on the screen than the other, you can drag the divider that separates the two apps to resize them.
multitask 5
Dragging the divider lets you change the size of the apps.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider
  • You can change the second app (in the lower position) at any time just by closing it and choosing a different app.
  • To end your side-by-side multitasking session and return to just a single app, grab the divider between the two apps and drag it all the way to the top or bottom of the screen, so one app takes over the entire display.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Read next

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

dave june
Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.