diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/ISplitScreen.aidl b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/ISplitScreen.aidl
index df1f5e67e4e2e..6ec514bd83313 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/ISplitScreen.aidl
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/ISplitScreen.aidl
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ interface ISplitScreen {
      * Blocking call that notifies and gets additional split-screen targets when entering
      * recents (for example: the dividerBar).
      * @param cancel is true if leaving recents back to split (eg. the gesture was cancelled).
+     * @param appTargets apps that will be re-parented to display area
      */
-    RemoteAnimationTarget[] onGoingToRecentsLegacy(boolean cancel) = 12;
+    RemoteAnimationTarget[] onGoingToRecentsLegacy(boolean cancel,
+                                                   in RemoteAnimationTarget[] appTargets) = 12;
 }
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/SplitScreenController.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/SplitScreenController.java
index 7804c777bc1b0..e2eb41ac1868d 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/SplitScreenController.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/SplitScreenController.java
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ import android.view.RemoteAnimationAdapter;
 import android.view.RemoteAnimationTarget;
 import android.view.SurfaceControl;
 import android.view.WindowManager;
+import android.view.SurfaceSession;
 import android.window.IRemoteTransition;
 import android.window.WindowContainerTransaction;
 
@@ -281,8 +282,24 @@ public class SplitScreenController implements DragAndDropPolicy.Starter,
         mSyncQueue.queue(transition, WindowManager.TRANSIT_OPEN, wct);
     }
 
-    RemoteAnimationTarget[] onGoingToRecentsLegacy(boolean cancel) {
+    RemoteAnimationTarget[] onGoingToRecentsLegacy(boolean cancel, RemoteAnimationTarget[] apps) {
         if (!isSplitScreenVisible()) return null;
+        final SurfaceControl.Builder builder = new SurfaceControl.Builder(new SurfaceSession())
+                .setContainerLayer()
+                .setName("RecentsAnimationSplitTasks")
+                .setHidden(false)
+                .setCallsite("SplitScreenController#onGoingtoRecentsLegacy");
+        mRootTDAOrganizer.attachToDisplayArea(DEFAULT_DISPLAY, builder);
+        SurfaceControl sc = builder.build();
+        SurfaceControl.Transaction transaction = new SurfaceControl.Transaction();
+        for (RemoteAnimationTarget appTarget : apps) {
+            // TODO(b/195958376) set the correct layer/z-order in transaction for the new surface
+            transaction.reparent(appTarget.leash, sc);
+            transaction.setPosition(appTarget.leash, appTarget.screenSpaceBounds.left,
+                    appTarget.screenSpaceBounds.top);
+        }
+        transaction.apply();
+        transaction.close();
         return new RemoteAnimationTarget[]{mStageCoordinator.getDividerBarLegacyTarget()};
     }
 
@@ -554,10 +571,11 @@ public class SplitScreenController implements DragAndDropPolicy.Starter,
         }
 
         @Override
-        public RemoteAnimationTarget[] onGoingToRecentsLegacy(boolean cancel) {
+        public RemoteAnimationTarget[] onGoingToRecentsLegacy(boolean cancel,
+                RemoteAnimationTarget[] apps) {
             final RemoteAnimationTarget[][] out = new RemoteAnimationTarget[][]{null};
             executeRemoteCallWithTaskPermission(mController, "onGoingToRecentsLegacy",
-                    (controller) -> out[0] = controller.onGoingToRecentsLegacy(cancel),
+                    (controller) -> out[0] = controller.onGoingToRecentsLegacy(cancel, apps),
                     true /* blocking */);
             return out[0];
         }
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinator.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinator.java
index 29e99175bed09..51a2be3222392 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinator.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinator.java
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ import com.android.wm.shell.common.SyncTransactionQueue;
 import com.android.wm.shell.common.TransactionPool;
 import com.android.wm.shell.common.split.SplitLayout;
 import com.android.wm.shell.common.split.SplitLayout.SplitPosition;
+import com.android.wm.shell.common.split.SplitWindowManager;
 import com.android.wm.shell.protolog.ShellProtoLogGroup;
 import com.android.wm.shell.transition.Transitions;
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/shared/src/com/android/systemui/shared/system/RemoteAnimationTargetCompat.java b/packages/SystemUI/shared/src/com/android/systemui/shared/system/RemoteAnimationTargetCompat.java
index 23a365a1acefb..2911ce0911b63 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/shared/src/com/android/systemui/shared/system/RemoteAnimationTargetCompat.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/shared/src/com/android/systemui/shared/system/RemoteAnimationTargetCompat.java
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ public class RemoteAnimationTargetCompat {
 
     private final SurfaceControl mStartLeash;
 
+    // Fields used only to unrap into RemoteAnimationTarget
+    private final WindowConfiguration windowConfiguration;
+    private final Rect startBounds;
+
     public RemoteAnimationTargetCompat(RemoteAnimationTarget app) {
         taskId = app.taskId;
         mode = app.mode;
@@ -94,6 +98,8 @@ public class RemoteAnimationTargetCompat {
 
         mStartLeash = app.startLeash;
         windowType = app.windowType;
+        windowConfiguration = app.windowConfiguration;
+        startBounds = app.startBounds;
     }
 
     private static int newModeToLegacyMode(int newMode) {
@@ -109,6 +115,14 @@ public class RemoteAnimationTargetCompat {
         }
     }
 
+    public RemoteAnimationTarget unwrap() {
+        return new RemoteAnimationTarget(
+                taskId, mode, leash.getSurfaceControl(), isTranslucent, clipRect, contentInsets,
+                prefixOrderIndex, position, localBounds, screenSpaceBounds, windowConfiguration,
+                isNotInRecents, mStartLeash, startBounds, taskInfo, allowEnterPip, windowType
+        );
+    }
+
 
     /**
      * Almost a copy of Transitions#setupStartState.
@@ -220,6 +234,10 @@ public class RemoteAnimationTargetCompat {
         mStartLeash = null;
         rotationChange = change.getEndRotation() - change.getStartRotation();
         windowType = INVALID_WINDOW_TYPE;
+
+        // TODO this probably isn't right but it's unused for now /shrug
+        windowConfiguration = new WindowConfiguration();
+        startBounds = change.getStartAbsBounds();
     }
 
     public static RemoteAnimationTargetCompat[] wrap(RemoteAnimationTarget[] apps) {