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Microsoft Office for iPad finally gets Split View multitasking in Word and PowerPoint

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By Daniel Petrov

Published: May 11, 2020, 10:31 AM

While not the longest labor in Apple's pre-natal device or feature history, the Office for iPad Split Screen view that was just released comes almost a year after it was demonstrated and promised way back at WWDC 2019 as you can see in the keynote video here.

Granted, this one is on Microsoft as much as on Apple, but users have been clamoring to used their MS Office apps on the largish iPad displays in split screen for a while now. With the latest Office app update, you are finally able to work on two Word or Powerpoint pages at once, or without resorting to workarounds.

Microsoft Office just updated Word, Excel, PowerPoint for iPad. Now, Word can open 2 windows simultaneously like demo in WWDC 2019. However, there is still no trackpad support on those apps. @9to5mac @verge @appleinsider @MacRumors pic.twitter.com/fFArRr0nFw
— Nelson EHus (@nelsonehus18) May 11, 2020

Unfortunately, the side-by-side functionality doesn't extend to Excel tables just yet, but we hope this wrong will be made right in future Microsoft Office for iPad app updates. Those same updates are expected to bring full trackpad support as well, and Microsoft will be experimenting on making the iPad a productivity machine until this fall, when the trackpad feature is said to be released.

How to launch Microsoft Word or Powerpoint in split screen, side-by-side view on your iPad:

Launch the Microsoft Word or Powerpoint apps on your iPad
Slide up and hold from the bottom of the screen for the Recent apps menu
Touch and hold the Word or Powerpoint icon in the bottom strip
Drag the app icon to one side of the display
Two Word or Powerpoint app instances will be open side-by-side

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.