Android 12 "App Pairs" feature revealed: new split-screen multitasking capabilities

January 21 news According to foreign media 9to5Google reports, Google is developing a revamped multitasking feature that allows users to launch “App Pairs” in Android 12.

In Android 11, there is a split-screen feature that allows users to use two apps side by side. But the feature is a bit awkward to implement, so Google is exploring other ideas.

According to 9to5Google, the search giant is "overhauling the split-screen system in Android 12 with a new feature called 'App Pairs'". The current Android 11 system is to pin one app and then launch another app; in Android 12, App Pairs will group two apps and use them as one task.

"This should mean that you'll be able to choose two recently opened apps to become a pair," 9to5Google said, "and once paired, be able to easily switch to using a different single app and then switch back to the pair you created."

9to5Google created a mockup showing what Android 12’s App Pairs might look like.

Other companies have already introduced app pairing features, such as Samsung, which allows users to create custom shortcuts to two apps of their choice. It is not yet clear whether Android 12's App Pairs feature will also provide users with the same flexibility.

According to 9to5Google, Android 12's App Pairs system will have a user-adjustable dividing line, allowing users to quickly swap the positions of two apps by double-clicking the dividing line.

Last year, the first Android 11 developer preview was released in mid-February, which is about a month away. If Google sticks to a similar schedule, we could see Android 12 in a few weeks.