You told us: Here’s how often you use split-view multitasking

Split-view multitasking has been available on Android phones for years now, allowing you to run two apps on-screen at once. This feature typically splits the screen in half, with an app occupying each half of the display (as seen above).

We wanted to know how often people actually use this feature though — if indeed they use it at all. We posed this question last week and here’s how you voted.

How often do you use split-view multitasking?

Results

Over 5,000 votes were tallied in this poll after it was posted on August 20, giving us a huge sample size to work with. And it turns out that the single biggest choice was “I’ve never used it,” with almost 28% of respondents voting this way. Some of the reader comments suggest that activating this feature isn’t exactly straightforward, or that pop-up windows are a better alternative in some cases.

Otherwise, it seems like there’s a relatively even split among the rest of the options. Just under 13% of readers say they use split-view multitasking every day, 15% say they use it every week, and 17% say they use the feature once or twice a month. Finally, 14% say they use the feature every few months, and 14% of respondents indicate that they’ve used the feature once a year.

Readers note that split-view multitasking works well when using a chat app, watching videos, or for productivity-related reasons.

Comments

• Sebastian: Get a 21:9 display and try it. Really great feature.
• Tennisfreak: I’m actually surprised to see so many votes saying they never use it. I love using that feature especially for messaging/chatting while doing something else.
• Kossay Zemzem: I totally forgot I had this. Honestly it’s quite confusing to use two apps simultaneously, not to mention how small each side becomes.
• Silverio Vicente II: I use it all the time, for watching Twitch and different chat app for the emotes. For Google Maps with Music App, YouTube and Twitter or other social media app. To browse Reddit with a chrome app, or Twitch to load Twitch clips. Discord with Chrome to open links. I should note this is for my Z Fold 2. The use cases for my non Fold phone are less, just Twitch with Chat, and Reddit with Twitch, YouTube and social media apps/messaging.
• Harry Flores: The problem with this feature is that it’s not in front of you. You have to look for it
• Hoseki Lukashiki: I use it for retro gaming. One for the emulator and one screen for the walkthrough. Amazing feature in my opinion.
• Matěj Dona: I was working part-time as a postman last year, delivering letters and small packages on a bike over rather long distances in a rural area (I traveled 20-35 km every day). Split-screen helped me a lot back then, and I used it every day. Memorizing everything would take longer than I worked there, so I had my phone on a bike mount with a chart of all the addresses I delivered to on one half and a map on the other half of the screen.
• Evie: Used to a lot but not since picture in picture become a thing.
• Walter Kowalski: Kind of forgot about the feature but it would be nice to make it easier either through a “hey Google” command of an option to hold the mutil task virtual key
• rmiller1959: I would use it more if I remembered how to activate it!

Thanks for voting in our poll and for leaving comments. Do you think split-view multitasking needs tweaking or is it fine as is? Let us know below!