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How To Split Screen on Mac and Windows: Complete Guide (2026)

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How To Split Screen on Mac and Windows

Split screen lets you view two apps side by side, which is ideal for multitasking — comparing documents, following a tutorial while coding, or watching a video while taking notes. Here’s how to split screen on Mac (including macOS Sequoia’s new tiling) and Windows.

How To Split Screen on Mac

Method 1: Green Button (Split View)

The easiest way to enter Split View on macOS:

  1. Hover your cursor over the green full-screen button (top-left of any window)
  2. A dropdown menu appears with tiling options:
    • “Tile Window to Left of Screen”
    • “Tile Window to Right of Screen”
  3. Click one option — the window snaps to that half
  4. macOS shows your other open windows on the opposite side
  5. Click the window you want for the other half
  6. Both apps now run side by side in full-screen Split View

Adjust the Split:

  • Drag the divider between the two windows left or right to resize
  • Press Escape or click the green button again to exit Split View

Method 2: Keyboard Shortcuts (macOS Sequoia)

macOS Sequoia 15 introduced window tiling shortcuts:

Shortcut Action
Fn + Ctrl + Left Arrow Tile window to left half
Fn + Ctrl + Right Arrow Tile window to right half
Fn + Ctrl + Up Arrow Maximize window
Fn + Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow Tile to left third
Fn + Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow Tile to right third

Method 3: Drag to Edges (macOS Sequoia)

In macOS Sequoia and later:

  1. Drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen
  2. A tiling preview appears
  3. Release the window to snap it into place
  4. Drag another window to the opposite side
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Method 4: Mission Control

  1. Open two apps you want side by side
  2. Make one app full-screen (click the green button)
  3. Open Mission Control (swipe up with three fingers on trackpad, or press Ctrl + Up Arrow)
  4. Drag the second app’s window onto the full-screen app’s thumbnail at the top
  5. Both apps are now in Split View

How To Split Screen on Windows

Method 1: Snap Layouts (Windows 11)

  1. Hover over the maximize button (□) of any window
  2. A grid of layout options appears (2-up, 3-up, 4-up arrangements)
  3. Click the position where you want the current window
  4. Windows suggests other open apps for the remaining positions
  5. Click an app to fill the other slot

Method 2: Drag to Edges

  1. Drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen
  2. It snaps to that half
  3. Windows shows your other open windows on the opposite side
  4. Click one to fill the other half

Method 3: Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Windows + Left Arrow Snap window to left half
Windows + Right Arrow Snap window to right half
Windows + Up Arrow Maximize window
Windows + Down Arrow Minimize/restore window

For quarter-screen snapping:

  • Snap to one side first (Windows + Left), then press Windows + Up/Down to move it to a corner

Method 4: Snap Groups (Windows 11)

Windows 11 remembers your snap layouts. After arranging windows:

  • Hover over any grouped app in the taskbar
  • Windows shows the entire snap group
  • Click to restore all apps to their snapped positions

Tips for Better Split Screen Productivity

  • Use keyboard shortcuts for speed — they’re faster than dragging
  • Pair complementary apps: browser + notes, email + calendar, code editor + terminal
  • On Mac with multiple desktops: Use separate Spaces for different split screen setups (Ctrl + Up to access Mission Control, + button to add Spaces)
  • External monitors: Split screen works per display, so you can have different splits on each screen
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Troubleshooting

Mac Split View Not Working:

  • Make sure the app supports full-screen mode (not all apps do)
  • Go to System Settings → Desktop & Dock → ensure “Displays have separate Spaces” is checked
  • Try the keyboard shortcut method if the green button doesn’t show tiling options

Windows Snap Not Working:

  • Go to Settings → System → Multitasking → make sure “Snap windows” is turned on
  • Restart Explorer: Ctrl + Shift + Esc → find Windows Explorer → right-click → Restart

Tested on macOS Sequoia 15.3 (MacBook Air M3, iMac M4) and Windows 11 24H2 (Dell XPS 15, HP Spectre x360). Last updated March 2026 by the DevX editorial team.

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