With the arrival of iOS 11 we will be able to enjoy new versions of two features of Apple's operating system for mobile phones: the shared view and slide over. Now, both have been redesigned and are more powerful, but also more complex. Since they were introduced in iOS 9 they were conceived as a convenient way to view two same applications at the same time.
Now, they have become essential features, allowing us to drag images, documents, text and URLs between different applications, as well as working with up to three applications on the same screen at once.
Slide Over vs. Screen Sharing
Screen sharing basically consists of have two different apps (or two Safari windows) sharing the same screen, in equal parts, with a dividing line that can be moved to choose a fifty percent division or a seventy-thirty percent proportion. Unlike what happens in iOS 9 and iOS 10, this feature in iOS 11 allows the division seventy - thirty to be done interchangeably on either side of the screen. Until now, the minor part could only be located on the right side.
On the other hand, the Slide Over consists of place the window of an application floating above the rest of the open apps. This is closer to running a Mac in that it can be handled more like a window and covers everything behind it, but you can even move the window to make it disappear from the screen. This feature is more intended for quickly querying something in one open application while working with another. For example, while replying to a message, we can drag a document into the application. The Slide Over can become the shared screen if desired.
Different gestures
Depending on where you drag the second app, you will get different results. If you drag an application and drag it over another, we directly access the Silde Over function. To convert that into a shared screen, you just have to click on the upper tab at the top of the panel.
In the current Beta version, the Slide Over panel always appears on the right from the screen, even if you drag and drop the app on the left side. Also, you cannot swipe an app from the left of the screen to dismiss it. You can only do that with the app open on the right (and sometimes swipe back from the right side will bring that app back, as in iOS iOS 9 and 10).
To put the second application directly in shared screen mode, it must be dragged to the left or right corner, until the end. The main window will shrink a bit and a black bar will appear on the side of the screen. Then we must drop the app on it to open it in split screen mode. Unlike what happens with the Slide Over, this works in all directions, both with the app on the right and the one on the left.
Add a third app
If we have one of the new iPad Pro, a third window can also be added to the mix. Maybe we're blogging on one panel and reading various Safari references on another… and we want to add a photo. In this case, for example, we would put Ulysses and Safari in split screen and We'd drag Photos to the top. Here we must be careful that the photo app does not "drop" on any of the other two open panels, since in this case we would replace the open application with this third application.
It seems that Apple has finally given a push to these two very useful features for users. Hopefully they keep moving forward and refine them even more.