Apple's been aboard the multi-tasking train on iPad for a few years now, every since it added Split View in 2015, letting you use two apps at once on your tablet's screen.

That feature needed app developers to get on board, though, and that was something that had long held back one of the apps that would be of most use to many people in Split View - Gmail.

Google hadn't given Gmail the functionality for so long that we were beginning to lose hope that it would ever come, but lo - an update! The feature's rolled out for all Gmail users, and will be turned on by default. 

This means that activating it is very simple.

How to use Gmail in Split View on iPad:

  1. Open your Gmail app
  2. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see your Dock
  3. Touch and hold the icon of the app you want to multi-task with
  4. Drag the app to either the left or right of your screen and release your tap

That's it - you'll be working with enhanced productivity in no time. As Google points out in its blog post announcing the change, there are hosts of ways this could prove useful, whether it's to let you check a date in your calendar before inviting someone to an event, or browsing your photo library before deciding which to attach. 

Google says the feature should be live for all users, so you can pick up an updated version of the app anytime from now to see if it's working for you.