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Android 14 might add a handy feature for split-screen mode
- Android 14 might let you save app pairs for easier split-screen viewing.
- The feature is akin to what Samsung and Microsoft offer already.
- We could see Google take advantage of saved app pairs on the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet.
Android 14 Beta 2 just landed a few days back, and it looks like Google is preparing a cool new feature for split-screen mode. Spotted by Mishaal Rahman, the new feature could allow users to save app pairs for easier split-screen viewing.
Currently, you can launch two apps side-by-side, and the OS internally creates an app pair so you can relaunch that same set of apps from the recent apps section. With Android 14, Google might allow users to add a shortcut to the app set on the home screen.
Android 14 prepares to let you save an ‘app pair’ that launches side-by-side in split-screen mode!In Beta 2, a new launcher flag has been added that, when enabled, surfaces a “save app pair” menu item in the context menu of split-screened apps in the recents overview. pic.twitter.com/lNwg6crlwZ— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) May 17, 2023
That means even if you don’t have the split apps in your recently used apps menu, you won’t have to go through the extra steps to reopen those apps and select the split screen option. You should be able to simply open the saved app pair from the shortcut. The feature could be useful for folks who frequently fire up the same split-screen multitasking apps.
As Rahman notes, Samsung and Microsoft already offer this feature on their respective Android forks. In fact, Samsung lets users pair up to 10 apps to speed up the multiwindow experience. However, Google implementing the feature could mean that other OEMs may also be able to take advantage of it for their own launchers. It would also be a nice addition to the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. The large-screen devices seem like the perfect candidates for it.