Hi everyone, I recently got my first iPhone (an iPhone 13). I’m totally new to iOS, and on Android, I always used the floating window feature on Google Maps. It was super helpful, especially when I was driving and wanted to have my music app open at the same time. Does anyone know if there’s a way to get the same or a similar feature on an iPhone? Or is there another navigation app on iOS that supports floating windows?
Unfortunately, they don’t have that feature. I really miss it—it was so useful.
Azriel said:
Unfortunately, they don’t have that feature. I really miss it—it was so useful.
All Apple does is add more emojis instead of practical stuff.
Azriel said:
Unfortunately, they don’t have that feature. I really miss it—it was so useful.
All Apple does is add more emojis instead of practical stuff.
They can’t even do that right… the new emojis are pretty lame.
@Sam
The emoji updates have been terrible since they changed the pistol to a water gun. Just embarrassing.
Azriel said:
Unfortunately, they don’t have that feature. I really miss it—it was so useful.
All Apple does is add more emojis instead of practical stuff.
Apple’s ‘intelligence’ at work. 
@Azriel
Yep, sucks big time.
If you use Google Maps or Waze, you can link them with Apple Music or Spotify to control your music while navigating.
The Dynamic Island is kind of similar, but it’s pretty limited in how much it can show.
Scout said:
The Dynamic Island is kind of similar, but it’s pretty limited in how much it can show.
It does give info similar to what the person who posted this is asking for, but not as flexible.
I just switched to iPhone too, and honestly, I’m not impressed so far.
Keir said:
I just switched to iPhone too, and honestly, I’m not impressed so far.
I felt the same when I switched to Samsung two years ago. I came back to iPhone, and I think it’s way better now.
I have both an iPhone 15 and a OnePlus 11, so I don’t favour either OS. I actually hate PiP—it’s just a tiny box that blocks my view and is too small to be useful.
Sawyer said:
I have both an iPhone 15 and a OnePlus 11, so I don’t favour either OS. I actually hate PiP—it’s just a tiny box that blocks my view and is too small to be useful.
I use PiP for:
- Calculator: Handy for doing financial calculations without switching apps.
- Notepad, ChatGPT, or Google: Great for taking notes or searching stuff while watching videos.
- Maps: Useful for trip planning while checking routes or adding notes.
I think it’s super useful in many cases.
@Fintan
It’s such a waste not to have split-screen on these huge phones. It would make so much sense.
Shan said:
@Fintan
It’s such a waste not to have split-screen on these huge phones. It would make so much sense.
Totally agree. But even on the iPad mini, Stage Manager isn’t supported because the screen is ‘too small.’ Apple probably won’t ever add floating windows to iPhones, no matter the size.
No, iOS doesn’t support split-screen or app-level PiP.
Zen said:
No, iOS doesn’t support split-screen or app-level PiP.
Actually, they’ve had PiP for years now. Not sure about Google Maps, but YouTube and some other apps support it.
PiP only works for video apps. It’s just the video that floats, not the whole app.
Zen said:
No, iOS doesn’t support split-screen or app-level PiP.
Actually, they’ve had PiP for years now. Not sure about Google Maps, but YouTube and some other apps support it.
Yeah, YouTube on iOS only lets the video float, not the whole app. And Google Maps definitely doesn’t support PiP on iOS.
@Zen
Who would even want the whole YouTube app in PiP? It’d be way too tiny to use. Maybe it works on bigger models like the Max versions, but I’ve never had one.