Split view
A split view shows several levels of an app at once: a primary pane, a secondary one and sometimes a third. It needs width, so it belongs to regular windows and collapses to one pane on a phone.
Why it matters
Selecting an item and seeing its content next to the list saves a tap and keeps people oriented. It needs room, and windows on iPad are resizable.
A design has to say what happens at every width, not only at the widest.
Split view on iOS and Android
Also called List-detail, Master-detail, Multi-pane layout. The same idea in each system, with the values Appetite UI gives it.
| Value | iOS | Android | Appetite UI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Split view | List-detail layout, by window size class | Size class modes |
| Panes | Two or three vertical panes on iPad | List and detail panes on medium and expanded windows | See below |
| Compact windows | Avoid: one pane at a time | One pane at a time | See below |
In Appetite UI
The kit has no split view component. It draws phone screens, and the Duo rail is the nearest it comes to a second pane.
Example
A mail app on iPad shows folders, the message list and the message. On iPhone in portrait it shows the list, and a tap pushes the message.
Common mistakes
- A split view in a compact window, where panes truncate.
- No highlight on the selected item in each pane.
- Designing only the widest width.
- Two ways to navigate to the same pane.
Questions
When should an app use a split view?
In a regular environment. Apple says to prefer a split view when there is horizontal room, and not in a compact one such as iPhone in portrait.
How many panes can a split view have on iPad?
Two vertical panes, like Mail, or three, like Keynote.
Sources
The pages the facts above rest on, each read October 30, 2026.