How to use Mac Split Screen View to maximize your productivity

If you have more than ten windows open at the moment, split screen view on Mac is for you. This essential Macbook the feature is easy to use and allows you to keep multiple windows open and running at the same time. It’s great for busy people who multitask or anyone who’s tired of clicking back and forth between two different tabs.

As the name suggests, split-screen view splits your screen vertically down the middle so you can place two windows side by side. There are many reasons why you might want to take advantage of this setting. For example, if you’re in a meeting, you can open Zoom on the left side of the screen and write a message in the Slack or Teams channel on the right side of the screen. It’s also great when you need to keep a reference document nearby, such as an Excel spreadsheet, while writing in a separate document. And when you’re done, you can easily close the split-screen view without losing your windows.

Here’s everything you need to know about setting up split-screen view on a Mac to save time and avoid losing tabs.

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How to enter “Split View” on Mac

1. Make sure that none of the windows you want to use are in full screen mode.

2. In one of the windows you want to use, place the cursor on the green button in the upper left corner. Instead of clicking to maximize the window, hover until you see a drop-down menu.

3. Choose A tiled window to the left of the screen or A tiled window on the right side of the screen. Your Mac will automatically enter split-screen mode.

4. From there, other open windows will appear on the opposite side of the screen. Click on the desired window in the rest of the screen and it will fill the remaining half.

5. If you want to adjust the size of the windows, use the slider in the center of the screen.

In split view, you’ll be able to view both windows at the same time. Multitasking!

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How to exit split screen on Mac

If you’re done using the split-screen layout, here’s how to exit it:

1. Move the cursor to the top of the screen until you see the sizing buttons in the upper left corner of each window.

2. Click the red button to close this window or the green button to exit the split screen.

3. Don’t panic! Your other window is still open—it’s just hidden in full-screen mode. To access it again, press the mission control button (F3) on the top row of your keyboard.

4. You should see two options at the top of the screen: Desktop and any window you had in split-screen mode. Click on the other window and use the green resize button in the upper left corner if you want to exit full screen mode.

If you’re one of those people (like me) who might need more than two windows open, you can always manually resize the windows to fit three or four on your screen at once. The experience just won’t be as visually clean as using tiled windows.

What is the keyboard shortcut for split screen on Mac?

Keyboard shortcuts on Mac are plentiful and convenient, including one for split screen. Start by using control + command + F to enter full screen mode. From there you can hit F3 to download Mission Control, then drag and drop the second app you want on your split screen next to the original window. It should show a preview of what the split screen will look like, along with a + (plus sign) next to it. Click back into the new arranged apps and you’ll be in split view.

If you want to get into Split View even faster, you can create your own keyboard shortcut. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > App Shortcuts. You can click on + button to add a command named “Place window to left of screen” using the desired shortcut. Once you enable the shortcut, your active window will rise to the left side of the screen and you can simply select a second window to add to your split screen.

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Why doesn’t my Mac do split screen?

First, make sure you are not currently in full screen mode. Split screen only works from a normal window view. If that’s not the problem, go to System Preferences > Desktop & Dock and scroll to the bottom to see if The displays have separate spaces activated. If not, enable it.

If you don’t see this option in the mission control menu, make sure you’ve updated to MacOS 10.11 or later. You can check your current version of the operating system by clicking the Apple icon in the upper left menu and then selecting About this Mac. If you are using an older version, you will need to update by clicking the Software update button on this screen.

Note that not all apps support split screens. If you’ve tried everything else and the app still doesn’t want to tile in split-screen mode, the app probably doesn’t offer split-screen mode.

How to split screens on Mac without full screen?

Macs official split-screen feature (called “Split View”) automatically splits two full-screen windows. If you don’t want a full-screen view (perhaps because you want to be able to quickly navigate between browser tabs), you can manually drag your windows to fit in the space you want. This option gives you a little more customization than Split View.

For more see the best new MacOS features that improve the Mac-iPhone connection and how to unlock your mac if you forgot your password.