Splitting the screen on your Mac or Windows computer is a great way to enhance productivity and use two apps simultaneously. There’s no need to switch back and forth between the apps. You can multitask efficiently and finish your work quicker than expected. But how can you split the screen? Here’s what you need to know.
Splitting the Screen on Mac
Macs come with an in-built tool called Split View. You can use this tool to divide your Mac screen into two halves and work with two applications simultaneously. To ensure this tool is working on your device, check Settings. Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Mission Control. Ensure the box next to the Displays Have Separate Spaces is ticked.
Starting from OS X El Capitan, all Mac operating systems support the Split View feature. Below is a guide to using Split View in different Mac operating systems.
- Catalina and Later
Open an application on your system > click and hold or position the trackpad/mouse cursor over the green button > click Tile Window to the Right of Screen or Tile Window to the Left of Screen to shift the window to the right or left > choose another application from the available options.
- Mojave or Earlier
If your Mac runs El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, or Mojave, the steps are slightly different from Split View. Open two windows or apps on your system > place the cursor on the green full-screen button and hold it > keep holding it and then drag it to the left or right of the screen > let go of the button and select the window on the other side to view the apps simultaneously.
When in full-screen or Split View mode, you can use Mission Control to switch between active windows and view them quickly. You can launch Mission Control by pressing F3 > hold down Control + Up arrow > swipe with three or four fingers on the trackpad > open LaunchPad and go to Mission Control > drag the app to the full-screen window, and Split View mode will be enabled.
There are also split screen alternatives for Mac systems. You can use a screen split app Mac like Mosaic. The app allows users to personalize the screen layout without a fuss. It is a straightforward window manager and allows users to work simultaneously on two windows or apps.
Splitting the Screen on Windows
Snap Assist is a Windows feature that allows users to split the screen and work on two apps or windows simultaneously. You can use Snap Assist in the following way:
- Select the window you wish to snap to one half of the screen and drag it to the edge.
- If there are other apps or windows open when you are splitting your chosen window, you will see several options that can fill the second half. Select one, and it will split into places opposite the first window. If you do not select any options and the grid disappears, you must drag the second window to the edge of the empty space.
- You can resize the two windows by hovering the cursor over the dividing line. Keep hovering until the line becomes two arrows. Then, click and hold it to adjust the windows.
Kindly note that Snap Assist may refuse to work or may act strangely. You don’t need to panic. Check the startup programs. Sometimes, these startup programs might interfere with Snap Assist, and the problem will be fixed if you disable these items.
If Snap Assist becomes troublesome, you can disable it by going to Settings > System > Multitasking > click the Toggle displayed under Snap Windows and toggle the feature off.
Besides, you can use Corner Snap if you need to split more than two windows. Drag and drop the first window and press and hold the Windows key. Then, press the Left or Right arrow key to split the active windows to the left or right.
Then, you have to press and hold the Windows key and press the Up or Down arrow key. The snapped window will move to the top or bottom corner of the screen. Now that the first active window is in a corner, you need to drag and drop the second window to another available corner. It doesn’t matter which corner you pick as long as it is convenient.
If you need to fill the other two corners, follow the steps mentioned.
Final Thoughts
Splitting your Windows or Mac screen can help you get a leg up on productivity and quickly finish your tasks. Thanks to this feature, you don’t need to work with a second display, but you can split the screen of your computer or laptop and eliminate all the hassle of switching back and forth between two or more apps and windows. Follow this guide to split the screen and enjoy working without hassle quickly.
