Split Screen on iPhone 6 Plus: How To
To turn on split screen on an iPhone 6 Plus, you don’t need a special setting—just rotate the phone to landscape and open two apps that support it. The iPhone 6 Plus is one of the few iPhones that supports the original Split View and Slide Over multitasking features, introduced with iOS 9 in 2015.
Background: Why the iPhone 6 Plus Is Special
When Apple released iOS 9, it brought multitasking features to iPads, but the iPhone 6 Plus also got a limited version. The 6 Plus has a larger 5.5-inch screen, which was big enough for Apple to enable Slide Over and Split View in landscape mode. These features let you run two apps side by side, something no other iPhone at the time could do. The iPhone 6s Plus and later models also support it, but the 6 Plus was the first.
What You Need Before You Start
- An iPhone 6 Plus (or 6s Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus) running iOS 9 or later. If you have a newer iPhone, split screen works differently (see the comparison section below).
- The apps you want to use must support multitasking. Apple’s own apps (Safari, Mail, Messages, Calendar) mostly do, but many third-party apps don’t.
- Your phone must be in landscape orientation (held sideways). Split screen does not work in portrait mode on the 6 Plus.
How to Turn On Split Screen (Step-by-Step)
- Open the first app you want to use (e.g., Safari).
- Rotate your phone to landscape. The screen should rotate automatically—if it doesn’t, check that Rotation Lock is off (swipe up from the bottom to open Control Center and tap the lock icon).
- Swipe from the right edge of the screen toward the center. A narrow panel will slide in—this is Slide Over.
- Choose the second app from the list. It will appear in the panel.
- To switch to Split View (where both apps share the screen equally), drag the thin handle at the left edge of the slide-over panel further to the left. The panel will snap to half the screen.
- To adjust the split, drag the handle left or right. You can have the second app take up one-third or two-thirds of the screen.
To close the split screen, drag the handle all the way to the right until the second app disappears, or simply rotate your phone back to portrait.
Common Problems and Fixes
Problem: The slide-over panel doesn’t appear. Make sure your phone is in landscape and that the app you’re in supports multitasking. If you’re in an app that doesn’t, the gesture won’t work. Also, check that you’re not in an app that is already using the full screen, like a video player in full-screen mode.
Problem: The second app doesn’t open. Not all apps support Slide Over or Split View. If the app isn’t in the list, it can’t be used in split screen. Try a different app.
Problem: The screen rotates back to portrait. Some apps force portrait orientation. If you rotate the phone but the app stays upright, that app doesn’t support landscape, so split screen won’t work.
How It Compares to iPad and Newer iPhones
On the iPad, Split View and Slide Over are far more flexible: you can run two apps at any size, drag and drop content between them, and use up to four apps at once. On the iPhone 6 Plus, the feature is limited to landscape and only two apps at a time. Newer iPhones (iPhone 11 and later) don’t have split screen at all—Apple removed it after the Plus models. Instead, they offer Picture-in-Picture for video and a limited drag-and-drop between apps, but not true side-by-side multitasking. So if you’re on a newer iPhone, you can’t get split screen without jailbreaking.
Is There a Way to Force Split Screen on Any App?
No. The feature is controlled by the app developer. If an app doesn’t declare support for multitasking, iOS won’t let it appear in the slide-over panel. There’s no user setting to override this without jailbreaking, which is not recommended for security and stability reasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does the iPhone 6 Plus support split screen in portrait mode?
A: No. Split View and Slide Over only work in landscape on the 6 Plus. In portrait, you can only use one app at a time.
Q: Can I use split screen with any two apps?
A: Only apps that support multitasking. Apple’s built-in apps like Safari, Mail, and Messages work. Many third-party apps, especially games and video players, do not.
Q: How do I know if an app supports split screen?
A: Try the swipe-from-right gesture. If the slide-over panel appears, the app supports it. If nothing happens, it doesn’t. There’s no list in settings.
Q: Does split screen work on iPhone 6 (not Plus)?
A: No. Only the 6 Plus and later Plus models (6s Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus) have this feature. The regular 6 has a smaller screen and doesn’t support it.
Q: Can I use split screen while watching a video?
A: In some apps, yes. For example, you can have a video playing in Safari and use another app in the other half. But if the video app forces full-screen playback, it won’t work.
Q: Will split screen drain my battery faster?
A: Running two apps at once uses more CPU and memory, so yes, it can reduce battery life. Closing the split screen when you’re done helps.
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