iOS 8 Hacked to Reveal Working Split-Screen Multitasking

A feature rumored to be part of iOS 8, split-screen multitasking was unfortunately axed at the last moment before the WWDC showcase last week. That’s not to say Apple doesn’t plan to release it at some point, but so far they seem to have abandoned plans to deliver it with the initial release of iOS 8 this fall.

However, it’s there. First, developers found clear code references to the feature. Now, the talented Steve Troughton-Smith has hacked the software to get it to work (partially). He writes on Twitter, “UISimulatedApplicationResizeGestureEnabled (iOS 8 iPad split-screen multitasking debug) [...] this amount of code throughout the OS doesn't make it to production by accident. I imagine they're saving it for the iPad event.”

The demo video embedded in his Tweet (below) clearly shows that Apple is at least toying with the idea of bringing Surface Pro-style application management to the iPad. However, it doesn’t look like they’re putting in too many hours to have it ready for iOS 8’s fall debut. Best case scenario, the iPad’s much-needed split-screen multitasking will be deployed as part of the first major update to iOS 8 (namely, iOS 8.1) or a subsequent update like iOS 8.2 / iOS 8.3, or even next-year’s iOS 9, which would constitute a worst-case scenario.

iOS 8 SDK Simulator hack gives away Apple's plans to introduce split-screen multitasking to iPad
Image credits to Developer Steve Troughton-Smith

UISimulatedApplicationResizeGestureEnabled (iOS 8 iPad split-screen multitasking debug) (video) http://t.co/gqi4qSD35r
— Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) 12 Juni 2014

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