Android 16 May Get A Cool Display Feature That Will Make Apple Users Jealous

Android users have long enjoyed the split app feature on their devices, allowing them to view and use two apps simultaneously, a capability not currently available on iPhones. Interestingly, there appear to be plans to expand this feature on Android to accommodate three apps at once. The official Android 16 update will likely include an expanded split screen feature alongside a host of new functionality, and is slated for release in the second quarter of 2025. While the exact release date remains unknown, Google has offered glimpses of what to expect through two developer previews. The second Developer Preview (DP2) hints at a significant upgrade in the design of the split screen mode that will likely modify how users switch between apps.

Android analyst Mishaal Rahman offered insight into the upcoming mobile operating system. He explained that the multitasking feature is likely modeled after OnePlus Open Canvas multitasking. In this setup, two apps will occupy 90% of the screen, while the third will occupy 10%. Users can enlarge the third with a single tap. All three app positions are flexible and can be interchanged according to user preference.

However, since legal rights and copyrights protect Open Canvas's multitasking design, Google's Android 16 split-screen design is unlikely to replicate it exactly. DP2 contains codes for a flexible split screen mode, although this code is still incomplete. However, the code shows three different positions where apps could be dropped, indicating that Google plans to introduce a three-way split-screen design.

Mishaal projects that many Android users may not find this design particularly exciting, especially those already accustomed to desktop Windows support, which provides greater flexibility by handling more than three applications simultaneously. Notwithstanding, as seen in DP2, the proposed multitasking split screen mode offers a seamless user experience that many will useful. Mobile users who enjoy multitasking are likely to anticipate this feature eagerly, and even iPhone lovers might find themselves wishing to have this multitasking option on iOS.