Your current Android phone doesn’t have much in common with devices from a decade ago. These days, you’re basically carrying a pocket computer with you at all times — something even more true if you happen to have ashiny new foldable. Android has kept up with the sheer processing power of smartphones, but some features — like multi-window multitasking — have been around for ages. The only question is, do you actually use it?
I remember relying on split-screen apps in my first car. I’d prop my smartphone up on the windshield mount, open the music player and Google Maps, and cruise to my destination. Android Auto for phone screens eventually rendered this setup obsolete, and honestly, I reverted to keeping my apps full-screen for years. Of course, with Android Auto — and its replacement, Assistant Driving Mode — both dead, I suppose anyone without an in-dash display is likely back to utilizing this sort of function.
Thanks to devices like thePixel FoldandGalaxy Z Fold 5, multi-window mode has found new life for me. Google’s foldable feels like it was made for this feature, allowing you to essentially keep two apps side-by-side in their normal aspect ratio. The Z Fold 5, meanwhile, lets you take things to the next level, thanks to pop-out windows and other tools that make two apps look like child’s play.
Best I can tell,we haven’t asked this question since 2017, though we havepreviously asked about PiP windows. Considering how much larger smartphones are since then — not to mention the arrival of foldables in 2019 — it only makes sense for more people than ever to be relying on split-screen multitasking for apps. In 2017, 41 percent of respondents didn’t rely on multi-window mode at all, but I’m guessing things have changed a lot. So, are you a productivity master, or are you the Dom Torretto of smartphones, living your lifea quarter mileone app at a time? Let us know in the poll below.
