Published 2020-11-15 by TechNet New England
Split screen lets you view two applications side by side on one screen. This is useful for comparing documents, referencing information while writing, or attending a meeting while working. ## Windows: Snap ### Using the Mouse 1. Drag a window by its title bar to the **left or right edge** of the screen. 2. The window snaps to fill half the screen. 3. Windows shows your other open windows on the opposite side. Click one to fill the other half. ### Using Keyboard Shortcuts **Win + Left Arrow:** Snap the active window to the left half. **Win + Right Arrow:** Snap the active window to the right half. **Win + Up Arrow:** Maximize the window. **Win + Down Arrow:** Minimize or restore the window. ### Snap Layouts (Windows 11) 1. Hover your mouse over the **maximize button** of any window (or press Win + Z). 2. A grid of layout options appears. 3. Choose a layout (50/50, 70/30, three-way split, etc.). 4. Click which zone you want the current window in. 5. Select other windows to fill the remaining zones. ## Mac: Split View ### Using the Green Button 1. Hover over the **green full-screen button** in the top-left corner of a window. 2. A menu appears: **Tile Window to Left of Screen** or **Tile Window to Right of Screen**. 3. Click one option. The window moves to that half. 4. Click another window to fill the other half. 5. You are now in Split View. Both windows take up the full screen with no Dock or menu bar visible. ### Exiting Split View Move your mouse to the top of the screen to reveal the window controls. Click the green button to exit. Or press **Escape** to take one window out of Split View. ### Using Mission Control 1. Open the first app in full screen (click the green button). 2. Open **Mission Control** (swipe up with three fingers, or press Control + Up Arrow). 3. Drag another window onto the full-screen app's thumbnail at the top. 4. They merge into a Split View space. ## Tips Split screen works best on displays 1080p or larger. On smaller screens, text may be too small. For more flexible window management on Mac, consider a third-party tool like Rectangle (free) which adds Windows-style snap shortcuts to macOS. On Windows, Snap Layouts with three or four zones are especially useful on ultrawide monitors.