Multiple windows: work with several PDFs at once on iPad and iPhone Duo

Reviewing a document rarely happens in isolation. You check a contract against last month's version, read a brief while you fill in a report, or keep the original open while you work on a copy. On a tablet or phone, that has usually meant closing one file to open the next.

Multiple windows changes that. In the iLovePDF Mobile App on iPad and iPhone Duo, you can open several PDFs at once, each in its own window, and keep two documents in view while you read, compare, and edit.

Here's what it does on each device, when it helps most, and how to start using it.

Key takeaways

• Multiple windows is available in the iLovePDF app for iOS on two devices: iPad and iPhone Duo.
• On both devices, you can open several iLovePDF windows and keep a different PDF in each one.
• On both devices, you can compare contracts, reports, and versions side by side, without switching between files.
• On iPad, you can also resize windows and arrange them next to other apps, such as Files.
• On iPhone Duo, two windows sit side by side on the inner display, each taking half the screen.
• Drag and drop between windows is not part of this update. To combine pages from two files, use Merge PDF.

Why this matters on iPad and iPhone Duo

For years, mobile apps showed one thing at a time: one app, one task, one document. That works for reading on the go. It works less well for reviewing a contract, checking a report, or marking up coursework.

Apple has changed this on both devices:

• iPad: with iPadOS 26, apps can run in windows that you resize, move, and arrange, much like on a computer. You can also open more than one window of the same app. Apple explains how in its guide to multitasking on iPad with iPadOS 26.
• iPhone Duo: Apple's first foldable iPhone has a 7.6-inch inner display that can show two apps, or two windows of the same app, side by side.

This is especially useful for PDFs. When you review one, you usually need something next to it: an earlier version, a source, or a set of instructions. Multiple windows lets you keep both in view, whether you're working on an iPad or an iPhone Duo.

What Multiple windows does

On iPad and iPhone Duo

Each PDF gets its own window. Open a new iLovePDF window and load a different document in it. Each window keeps its own PDF, so you can move between them without losing your place.

Two documents stay in view. Put a contract next to its previous version, or a report next to the data behind it. You read both at once, which makes it easier to spot what changed.

On iPad

You choose the layout. Resize each window, move it, and arrange it next to other apps. A useful setup is iLovePDF next to Files, so you can find the next document while you review the current one.

On iPhone Duo

Unfold and compare. Two iLovePDF windows share the inner display, each taking half the screen. It's a practical way to compare two PDFs on a device that fits in your pocket.

How to use multiple windows

On iPad

1. Update the iLovePDF app to the latest version from the App Store.
2. Turn on windowed apps: go to Settings > Multitasking & Gestures and select Windowed Apps.
3. Open iLovePDF and open your first PDF.
4. Open a second iLovePDF window.
5. Open a different PDF in the new window.
6. Drag a window's corner to resize it, or use the window controls to place both windows side by side.

On iPhone Duo

1. Update the iLovePDF app to the latest version from the App Store.
2. Unfold your iPhone Duo and open iLovePDF.
3. Open your first PDF.
4. Open a second iLovePDF window next to it. 
5. Open a different PDF in the new window. Both documents now sit side by side on the inner display.

On both devices, closing one window leaves your other documents open.

When Multiple windows helps most

Contract reviews. Keep the signed agreement in one window and the new draft in the other. Read them clause by clause on your iPad at your desk, or on your iPhone Duo before a meeting.

Study and research. Open a reading or a lecture handout in one window and your notes or assignment in the other, so your source stays in view while you write.

Reports and expenses. Check a report against the figures behind it, or an expense summary against the receipts you scanned.

Forms and paperwork. Put the instructions in one window and the form in the other, and fill in each field with the guidance right next to it.

Translation reviews. Place the original next to its translation and read them line by line to check that nothing was left out.

FAQ

Which devices support Multiple windows?

iPad and iPhone Duo, in the iLovePDF app for iOS.

Does it work on other iPhone models?

No. It needs the larger screen and window support of iPad or iPhone Duo.

Is it available in the Android app?

No. This update is for the iOS app.

What's the difference between iPad and iPhone Duo?

On both, you can open several iLovePDF windows and work with two PDFs side by side. On iPad, you can also resize windows and arrange them however you like. On iPhone Duo, the two windows always split the inner display in half.

Do I need to change any settings?

On iPad, turn on Windowed Apps in Settings > Multitasking & Gestures. On iPhone Duo, just unfold the phone.

Can I drag pages or content from one window to another?

Not in this update. To bring pages from two PDFs into one file, use Merge PDF.

When you need to catch every change: Compare PDF

Reading two documents side by side works well when you know what to look for. When you need to be sure nothing changed between two versions, Compare PDF highlights the differences for you. [CONFIRM: Compare PDF URL and availability]

Multiple windows and other iLovePDF tools

• Merge PDF: use it when you want the pages of both documents in a single file.
• Compare PDF: use it when you need every difference between two versions marked for you.
• Split PDF: use it when you only need a few pages of a long document.

In short: Multiple windows is for working with documents side by side. These tools help you prepare, check, or combine them.

Why multitasking is now expected

Apple's Human Interface Guidelines on multitasking note that people expect apps to work with multitasking, and may think something is wrong when an app doesn't. With windowed apps on iPad and split view on iPhone Duo, that expectation now covers both devices.

It matters most in document work. Reviews, approvals, and research almost always involve more than one file. Multiple windows means the iLovePDF app fits the way people already work, on whichever device they have at hand.

Tips to get more out of Multiple windows

• Lighten large files first. If a PDF is slow to open, compress the PDF so it loads faster in a second window.
• Make scanned documents searchable. Run a scan through OCR PDF so you can search for the same clause in both windows.
• Switch to an editable format when you need to rewrite. Convert the PDF to Word if your review shows the document needs changes.
• Keep only the pages you need. Split the PDF so each window shows just the section you're reviewing.

Two documents, one view

Multiple windows gives every PDF its own window on iPad and iPhone Duo, so you can compare, review, and edit with both documents in view. For individuals, everyday reviews get quicker. For teams and enterprises, it brings a familiar desktop way of working to the devices people carry to meetings, classes, and client visits.

Year-end reviews, side by side. We hope it makes your next one a little lighter.

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