diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/SplitAnimationController.kt b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/SplitAnimationController.kt
index a2d3859135..da26d5a77e 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/SplitAnimationController.kt
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/SplitAnimationController.kt
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import android.animation.ObjectAnimator
 import android.animation.ValueAnimator
 import android.app.ActivityManager.RunningTaskInfo
 import android.app.WindowConfiguration.WINDOWING_MODE_MULTI_WINDOW
+import android.content.Context
 import android.graphics.Bitmap
 import android.graphics.Rect
 import android.graphics.RectF
@@ -41,8 +42,10 @@ import androidx.annotation.VisibleForTesting
 import com.android.app.animation.Interpolators
 import com.android.launcher3.DeviceProfile
 import com.android.launcher3.Flags.enableOverviewIconMenu
+import com.android.launcher3.InsettableFrameLayout
 import com.android.launcher3.Launcher
 import com.android.launcher3.QuickstepTransitionManager
+import com.android.launcher3.R
 import com.android.launcher3.Utilities
 import com.android.launcher3.anim.PendingAnimation
 import com.android.launcher3.apppairs.AppPairIcon
@@ -268,6 +271,51 @@ class SplitAnimationController(val splitSelectStateController: SplitSelectStateC
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Creates and returns a view to fade in at .4 animation progress and adds it to the provided
+     * [pendingAnimation]. Assumes that animation will be the final split placeholder launch anim.
+     *
+     * [secondPlaceholderEndingBounds] refers to the second placeholder view that gets added on
+     * screen, not the logical second app.
+     * For landscape it's the left app and for portrait the top one.
+     */
+    fun addDividerPlaceholderViewToAnim(pendingAnimation: PendingAnimation,
+                                        launcher: StatefulActivity<*>,
+                                        secondPlaceholderEndingBounds: Rect,
+                                        context: Context) : View {
+        val mSplitDividerPlaceholderView = View(context)
+        val recentsView = launcher.getOverviewPanel<RecentsView<*, *>>()
+        val dp : com.android.launcher3.DeviceProfile = launcher.getDeviceProfile()
+        // Add it before/under the most recently added first floating taskView
+        val firstAddedSplitViewIndex: Int = launcher.getDragLayer().indexOfChild(
+                recentsView.splitSelectController.firstFloatingTaskView)
+        launcher.getDragLayer().addView(mSplitDividerPlaceholderView, firstAddedSplitViewIndex)
+        val lp = mSplitDividerPlaceholderView.layoutParams as InsettableFrameLayout.LayoutParams
+        lp.topMargin = 0
+
+        if (dp.isLeftRightSplit) {
+            lp.height = secondPlaceholderEndingBounds.height()
+            lp.width = launcher.resources
+                    .getDimensionPixelSize(R.dimen.split_divider_handle_region_height)
+            mSplitDividerPlaceholderView.translationX = secondPlaceholderEndingBounds.right - lp.width / 2f
+            mSplitDividerPlaceholderView.translationY = 0f
+        } else {
+            lp.height = launcher.resources
+                    .getDimensionPixelSize(R.dimen.split_divider_handle_region_height)
+            lp.width = secondPlaceholderEndingBounds.width()
+            mSplitDividerPlaceholderView.translationY = secondPlaceholderEndingBounds.top - lp.height / 2f
+            mSplitDividerPlaceholderView.translationX = 0f
+        }
+
+        mSplitDividerPlaceholderView.alpha = 0f
+        mSplitDividerPlaceholderView.setBackgroundColor(launcher.resources
+                .getColor(R.color.taskbar_background_dark))
+        val timings = AnimUtils.getDeviceSplitToConfirmTimings(dp.isTablet)
+        pendingAnimation.setViewAlpha(mSplitDividerPlaceholderView, 1f,
+                Interpolators.clampToProgress(timings.stagedRectScaleXInterpolator, 0.4f, 1f))
+        return mSplitDividerPlaceholderView
+    }
+
     /** Does not play any animation if user is not currently in split selection state. */
     fun playPlaceholderDismissAnim(launcher: StatefulActivity<*>, splitDismissEvent: EventEnum) {
         if (!splitSelectStateController.isSplitSelectActive) {
diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/SplitToWorkspaceController.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/SplitToWorkspaceController.java
index 16d707bb10..009f2d87ec 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/SplitToWorkspaceController.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/util/SplitToWorkspaceController.java
@@ -162,6 +162,10 @@ public class SplitToWorkspaceController {
                 new RectF(firstTaskStartingBounds), firstTaskEndingBounds,
                 false /* fadeWithThumbnail */, true /* isStagedTask */);
 
+        View mSplitDividerPlaceholderView = recentsView.getSplitSelectController()
+                .getSplitAnimationController().addDividerPlaceholderViewToAnim(pendingAnimation,
+                        mLauncher, secondTaskEndingBounds, view.getContext());
+
         FloatingTaskView secondFloatingTaskView = FloatingTaskView.getFloatingTaskView(mLauncher,
                 view, bitmap, icon, secondTaskStartingBounds);
         secondFloatingTaskView.setAlpha(1);
@@ -188,6 +192,7 @@ public class SplitToWorkspaceController {
             private void cleanUp() {
                 mLauncher.getDragLayer().removeView(firstFloatingTaskView);
                 mLauncher.getDragLayer().removeView(secondFloatingTaskView);
+                mLauncher.getDragLayer().removeView(mSplitDividerPlaceholderView);
                 mController.getSplitAnimationController().removeSplitInstructionsView(mLauncher);
                 mController.resetState();
             }
diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/FloatingTaskView.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/FloatingTaskView.java
index 18922a6fb3..5eebc3e285 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/FloatingTaskView.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/FloatingTaskView.java
@@ -299,7 +299,6 @@ public class FloatingTaskView extends FrameLayout {
 
         ValueAnimator transitionAnimator = ValueAnimator.ofFloat(0, 1);
         animation.add(transitionAnimator);
-        long animDuration = animation.getDuration();
         RectF floatingTaskViewBounds = new RectF();
 
         if (fadeWithThumbnail) {
diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/RecentsView.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/RecentsView.java
index 2e719cddbe..3ebe66e67c 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/RecentsView.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/RecentsView.java
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ import static com.android.quickstep.util.TaskGridNavHelper.DIRECTION_RIGHT;
 import static com.android.quickstep.util.TaskGridNavHelper.DIRECTION_TAB;
 import static com.android.quickstep.util.TaskGridNavHelper.DIRECTION_UP;
 import static com.android.quickstep.views.ClearAllButton.DISMISS_ALPHA;
-import static com.android.window.flags.Flags.enableDesktopWindowingMode;
 import static com.android.quickstep.views.OverviewActionsView.HIDDEN_ACTIONS_IN_MENU;
 import static com.android.quickstep.views.OverviewActionsView.HIDDEN_DESKTOP;
 import static com.android.quickstep.views.OverviewActionsView.HIDDEN_NON_ZERO_ROTATION;
@@ -69,6 +68,7 @@ import static com.android.quickstep.views.OverviewActionsView.HIDDEN_NO_RECENTS;
 import static com.android.quickstep.views.OverviewActionsView.HIDDEN_NO_TASKS;
 import static com.android.quickstep.views.OverviewActionsView.HIDDEN_SPLIT_SCREEN;
 import static com.android.quickstep.views.OverviewActionsView.HIDDEN_SPLIT_SELECT_ACTIVE;
+import static com.android.window.flags.Flags.enableDesktopWindowingMode;
 
 import android.animation.Animator;
 import android.animation.AnimatorListenerAdapter;
@@ -721,6 +721,7 @@ public abstract class RecentsView<ACTIVITY_TYPE extends StatefulActivity<STATE_T
     private int mSplitHiddenTaskViewIndex = -1;
     @Nullable
     private FloatingTaskView mSecondFloatingTaskView;
+    private View mSplitDividerPlaceholderView;
 
     /**
      * The task to be removed and immediately re-added. Should not be added to task pool.
@@ -4839,6 +4840,9 @@ public abstract class RecentsView<ACTIVITY_TYPE extends StatefulActivity<STATE_T
                 mSplitSelectStateController.getActiveSplitStagePosition(), firstTaskEndingBounds,
                 secondTaskEndingBounds);
 
+        mSplitDividerPlaceholderView = mSplitSelectStateController
+                .getSplitAnimationController().addDividerPlaceholderViewToAnim(pendingAnimation,
+                        mActivity, secondTaskEndingBounds, getContext());
         FloatingTaskView firstFloatingTaskView =
                 mSplitSelectStateController.getFirstFloatingTaskView();
         firstFloatingTaskView.getBoundsOnScreen(firstTaskStartingBounds);
@@ -4893,6 +4897,7 @@ public abstract class RecentsView<ACTIVITY_TYPE extends StatefulActivity<STATE_T
             safeRemoveDragLayerView(mSplitSelectStateController.getFirstFloatingTaskView());
             safeRemoveDragLayerView(mSecondFloatingTaskView);
             safeRemoveDragLayerView(mSplitSelectStateController.getSplitInstructionsView());
+            safeRemoveDragLayerView(mSplitDividerPlaceholderView);
             mSecondFloatingTaskView = null;
             mSplitSelectSource = null;
             mSplitSelectStateController.getSplitAnimationController()
diff --git a/res/color/taskbar_background_dark.xml b/res/color/taskbar_background_dark.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0727b8ae8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/res/color/taskbar_background_dark.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<!--
+  ~ Copyright (C) 2024 The Android Open Source Project
+  ~
+  ~ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+  ~ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+  ~ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+  ~
+  ~      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+  ~
+  ~ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+  ~ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+  ~ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+  ~ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+  ~ limitations under the License.
+  -->
+<!-- Should be the same as in packages/apps/Launcher3/res/color-night-v31/taskbar_background.xml -->
+<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+    <!--  Want to use @android:color/system_neutral1_500, but that causes build errors  -->
+    <item android:color="#76777D" android:lStar="6" />
+</selector>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/res/values/dimens.xml b/res/values/dimens.xml
index e9f8f3855d..632d0fda51 100644
--- a/res/values/dimens.xml
+++ b/res/values/dimens.xml
@@ -447,6 +447,8 @@
     <dimen name="split_instructions_bottom_margin_phone_landscape">24dp</dimen>
     <dimen name="split_instructions_bottom_margin_phone_portrait">60dp</dimen>
     <dimen name="split_instructions_start_margin_cancel">8dp</dimen>
+    <dimen name="split_divider_handle_region_width">96dp</dimen>
+    <dimen name="split_divider_handle_region_height">48dp</dimen>
 
     <dimen name="focus_outline_radius">16dp</dimen>
     <dimen name="focus_inner_outline_radius">14dp</dimen>