Hell froze over, pigs flew, and Google added Split View to Gmail for iPad

Gmail iPad Split View (Image credit: Google)

What you need to know

Google has added support for Split View to Gmail on iPad.
No, we aren't living in a parallel universe.
Yes, it took five years to happen.

If you're reading this you probably just picked yourself up off the floor after reading that headline and are probably still in disbelief. But let me tell you, reader, that it's true. Gmail for iPad now supports Split View.

Five years after Apple added support for it.

When using an iPad, you're now able to multitask with Gmail and other iOS applications. You can use Gmail and Google Calendar at the same time with Split View to check your schedule before replying to an email to confirm a meeting time. Or, you can easily drag and drop pictures from Google Photos into an email without leaving Gmail.

Amazingly, this update isn't new and as 9to5Google points out, it's been around for around three weeks. Google didn't think it was worth mentioning in the release notes, though, and instead announced the change today. Because people haven't been crying out for Split View support for the last few years.

Oh, wait. They have.

Anyway, it's here now and as they say, it's better late than never. Right?

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.