Safari + Notes Split View on iPad: The Complete Guide

To use Safari and Notes in Split View on iPad, open Safari, swipe up slightly to reveal the Dock, then drag the Notes app onto the screen until it snaps into a side-by-side view — both apps will then run simultaneously, each in their own panel.

That works, but doing it every time is tedious. If you regularly switch between browsing and writing, there's a much better way. This guide covers why the Safari + Notes combination is worth saving as a permanent shortcut, and how to set that up in under five minutes.

Why Safari and Notes Work So Well Together

The core appeal is simple: you're looking at something in Safari and you want to write about it, save it, or think through it — without losing your place. Switching back and forth between apps breaks that train of thought. Keeping them side by side doesn't.

Here are a few ways people actually use this combination:

• Research and note-taking. You're reading a long article, documentation page, or Wikipedia entry. Notes sits on one side so you can pull out key points, write questions, or draft a summary as you read — without the source disappearing.
• Planning trips or purchases. Open a hotel, product, or restaurant page in Safari and keep a running checklist or comparison list in Notes right next to it. No copy-pasting between apps, no switching tabs to check what you've already written.
• Light writing with reference material. If you draft in Notes and need to check facts, look up a date, or verify a quote, you can browse and write at the same time. It's especially useful for students writing essays or anyone doing background research.

The combination works because Safari handles consumption and Notes handles capture. They don't overlap in function, so having both visible at once almost always makes sense.

How to Set It Up with Splicon

If you haven't already, Download Splicon free from the App Store — it's what lets you create a custom Home Screen icon that launches Safari and Notes directly into Split View with one tap.

1. Open Splicon and find your apps. Search for Safari and Notes, then select them as a pair. Splicon shows you a preview of both app icons combined side by side.
2. Pick a split style and save the icon. Choose how you want the icon to look, then generate it and save it to your Photos library.
3. Build the shortcut in the Shortcuts app. Open Shortcuts, create a new shortcut, and add an "Open App" action configured for Split View with Safari and Notes. When prompted to choose an icon, select the Splicon image you just saved to Photos.
4. Add it to your Home Screen. Tap the share options for your new shortcut and choose "Add to Home Screen." Place it wherever makes sense — a research folder, your main page, wherever you'll reach for it.

After that, one tap drops you straight into both apps at once, exactly as you left them.

A Small Change That Adds Up

Split View itself isn't new, but the friction of setting it up manually every time is real. If you use Safari and Notes together even a few times a week, having a dedicated Home Screen shortcut with a recognizable icon changes how quickly you get into that mode. You stop thinking about the setup and start thinking about the work.

For anyone who reads online and writes regularly, this is one of the most practical iPad multitasking combinations available — and now it's one tap away.