One of the biggest user-facing features of Android N is the ability to run more than one app on the screen at a time. Sure, some manufacturers like Samsung and LG have offered similar features for years, but from N onwards it'll be supported at the operating-system level, which means better app support, and (eventually) less custom code. When most people think about multi-window mode, they imagine the traditional split-screen view pioneered by Samsung and LG, and included in newer iPad models. However Android N actually has three distinct ways to run more than one app at once. Let's dive in.

Split-screen mode This is your standard multi-window mode, as you might have come to know on some Samsung, LG and Huawei phones. The screen is split between two different apps, either vertically or horizontally depending on the type of device and screen orientation. To activate it, long-press the Recent Apps key with an app already open. Verizon is offering the Pixel 4a for just $10/mo on new Unlimited lines There's a dividing line up top which lets you control how much space is split between each app (some apps may have a minimum height/width). Swipe the divider downwards to make the top app full-screen. Press the recent apps key to choose a recent app for the lower portion of the screen. Or press home to choose a secondary app from your home screen or app drawer. Freeform mode We haven't officially seen anything of Freeform mode — although some have managed to hack it into earlier Android N preview builds. Essentially, Freeform is a fully-fledged windowed app mode for Android, with floating resizable apps that can be closed or maximized just like on your PC, Mac or Chromebook. It's unclear how freeform might be activated in its finished form, though the early implementation activated by changing certain XML files in the earlier N preview lets you send apps to windowed mode by tapping an icon in the Recent Apps screen. According to Google's dev docs, "manufacturers of larger devices can choose to enable freeform mode" — so it's not enabled by default. And it's worth noting that no specific device types are mentioned — a "large device" could easily be a "phablet" type phone or a TV box. That said, in the current Android N beta, the feature is not yet enabled on larger tablets like the Pixel C. Picture-in-picture mode