How to View and Switch Between Open Apps on an iPad Tablet

The iPad offers several easy ways to view, switch between, and manage open apps. Whether you have an iPad with a Home button or a newer model without one, learning these gestures and shortcuts can help boost your productivity.

View Open Apps with the App Switcher

The key to seeing your open apps is using the App Switcher. Here’s how to access it:

• On newer iPad models (without a Home button): Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen and pause when you reach the middle. After a moment, the App Switcher will appear.
• On older iPad models (with a Home button): Double-press the Home button. The App Switcher will pop up.

The App Switcher displays all your open apps in order of most recently used. You can swipe left and right to see more apps.

Close Apps with the App Switcher

In addition to switching apps, you can close misbehaving apps using the App Switcher:

1. Open the App Switcher
2. Locate the app you want to close
3. Swipe up on the app’s preview to close it

Closing apps can help resolve issues with unresponsive or buggy apps.

View App Windows with the App Switcher

The App Switcher also allows you to see all open windows for a particular app.

For apps like Safari or Notes that support multiple windows, you’ll see a “Windows” icon next to apps with more than one window open.

Tap the icon to only display the windows for that app. This lets you easily switch between specific windows.

Use Multitasking Gestures

Once you get the hang of the App Switcher, try using these gestures:

• Switch between recent apps: Swipe left or right along the bottom edge of the screen with one finger.
• View the Dock: Swipe up slightly from the bottom edge to view your Dock for quick app switching.
• View Control Center: Swipe down from top-right corner.

On an iPad with a Home button, perform these gestures in a slight arc instead of straight across.

These gestures give you quick access to app switching features without having to open the App Switcher each time. Practice them to boost efficiency.

Organize Apps with App Library

App Library provides another way to access apps, organizing them automatically into categories. To view it:

1. Open the App Switcher
2. Swipe all the way left to the end of your recent apps
3. Tap the App Library icon in the top-right corner

The App Library icon also appears on your Home Screen dock. Tapping it takes you straight to the categorized view of all your apps.

Use Split View for Side-by-Side Apps

Once you get the hang of viewing your open apps, try using Split View to multitask:

1. Open an app
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top corner
3. Choose Split View
4. Pick a second app to open side-by-side

You can now view two apps at the same time or easily drag and drop content between them!

Customize the Dock for Frequent Access

For apps you use all the time, add them to your Dock:

1. Open the App Switcher
2. Tap the App Library icon
3. Touch and hold an app icon
4. Drag it into your Dock

Now you can access frequently used apps from the Dock anytime with a quick upward swipe.

Use Spotlight Search to Open and Switch Apps

Spotlight Search provides another quick way to open and switch between apps:

1. Swipe down from the middle of any Home screen
2. Type the first few letters of the app’s name
3. Tap the search result to launch that app
4. Swipe sideways to switch between open apps

This method works great when you have a keyboard attached.

Customize Multitasking Settings

Under Settings > Home Screen & Dock, you can customize aspects of iPad multitasking:

• Show Suggested and Recent Apps
• Multitasking Gestures like four- and five-finger swipes
• What happens when you close apps in the App Switcher

Adjust these settings to personalize the multitasking experience on your iPad.

Conclusion

With a Home button or not, every iPad offers a variety of ways to view, manage, and switch between your open apps. Mastering gestures like the App Switcher and Split View can significantly boost productivity. Implement some of the tips above to see just how smooth and effective multitasking can be on the iPad.

Over time, regularly utilizing these app switching features will become second nature. You’ll zip through tasks more rapidly, getting more done in less time with your iPad.