How To Split Screen On Mac: Work Smarter Boost Productivity

How to Split Screen on Mac: Working on multiple tasks at once on your Mac doesn’t have to mean constantly switching between windows. MacOS offers a helpful feature called Split View that lets you work in two apps side by side. You can easily split your screen on Mac by hovering over the green traffic light button in the upper left corner of any window and selecting the left or right side option.

This simple productivity feature transforms your workflow by eliminating the need to resize windows manually. Many Mac users don’t realize how quick it is to set up Split View, thinking it’s more complicated than it actually is. Whether you’re comparing documents, taking notes while watching a video, or coding while referencing documentation, split screen functionality makes multitasking much more efficient.

For those who prefer keyboard shortcuts, MacOS also provides ways to access split screen through Mission Control. The split screen feature works across different Mac models and recent operating system versions, giving users flexibility in how they organize their digital workspace. Learn How to Screen record on Mac in this article.

Preparing Your Mac for Split Screen

How to Split Screen on Mac Checking Mac Compatibility

Split screen functionality, officially called Split View, works on most modern Macs. The feature was introduced with OS X El Capitan in 2015, so if your Mac runs this version or any newer macOS, you’re good to go.

To check your macOS version:

Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner
Select “About This Mac”
View the macOS version number

How to Split Screen on Mac, before diving into split screen mode, you need to ensure your Mac meets the necessary requirements and understand how the feature works with macOS spaces. These preliminary steps will help you use split screen smoothly and efficiently.

If you’re running an older version, consider updating to access split screen and other modern features. Most Macs from 2012 and newer can run recent macOS versions that support Split View.

For optimal split screen performance, having a larger display helps. While it works on any size screen, a 13-inch or larger display provides enough space to work comfortably with two apps side by side.

Understanding macOS Full Screen and Spaces

How to Split Screen on Mac, split View in macOS works through the Spaces feature, which helps organize your desktop. Each full-screen app or split screen pair exists in its own space.

The “Displays Have Separate Spaces” setting is crucial for split screen functionality. To verify this setting:

Go to System Preferences (or System Settings)
Select “Desktop & Dock”
Ensure the “Displays have separate spaces” option is checked

This setting allows each connected monitor to have independent spaces. When you activate full screen mode on an app, it creates a new space dedicated to that app. If you want to learn the easiest way to know How to Screenshot on Mac find out in this article.

You can navigate between spaces by swiping with three or four fingers on your trackpad. Alternatively, press Control + left/right arrow keys to move between spaces.

Activating Split View on Mac

How to Split Screen on Mac, split View lets you work with two apps side by side on your Mac without distractions. This feature increases productivity by eliminating the need to constantly switch between windows.

Using the Green Button for Split View

The green button method is the most common way to activate Split View on Mac. To begin, hover your cursor over the green maximize button in the top-left corner of any window. You’ll see a dropdown menu with several options.

Click and hold the green button to reveal options for tiling the window to the left or right side of your screen. Select either option, and your window will fill that half of the screen.

macOS will then display all other open windows on the opposite side. Click on another window to complete your Split View setup. Both apps will now appear side by side in full screen mode.

To exit Split View, simply move your cursor to the top of the screen until the menu bar appears, then click the green button again.

Working with Mission Control for Split Screen

How to Split Screen on Mac, Mission Control offers another powerful method to create split screen layouts. Press Control + Arrow Up or swipe up with three fingers on your trackpad to enter Mission Control, showing all open windows.

To create a tiled window arrangement, drag one window to the top of the screen until it becomes a thumbnail. Then drag it over another full-screen app or desktop space. Learn How to force quit on Mac in details.

The two windows will appear side by side. You can adjust the divider between them by clicking and dragging the center line.

For macOS Sonoma and newer versions, Mission Control includes enhanced Split View capabilities that make multitasking even more intuitive. Make sure “Displays have separate spaces” is checked in System Settings under Desktop & Dock for optimal functionality.

Managing Windows in Split Screen

Once your Mac is in Split View, you have several options to manage and control your windows for optimal productivity. The layout can be customized to suit your workflow needs.

Resizing Split Screen Windows

How to Split Screen on Mac, split screen windows don’t have to stay at a 50/50 split. You can easily adjust how much screen space each application gets. To resize windows, simply click and drag the vertical divider between the two apps. The divider will move, allowing you to give more space to one app and less to another.

For precise control, hover your cursor over the middle divider until it changes to a double arrow, then drag to adjust the width. This is particularly useful when you need more space for a document or spreadsheet while keeping reference material visible.

Some apps have minimum width requirements, so you may not be able to make a window extremely narrow.

Navigating Between Split Screen Apps

While in split screen mode, you can still interact with both applications simultaneously. To switch focus between the two windows, simply click anywhere in the window you want to use.

You can also use Mission Control to manage your split screen setup. To access Mission Control, either:

Swipe up with three fingers on your trackpad
Press the F3 key
Press Control + Up Arrow

From Mission Control, you can view all open applications and drag windows in or out of your split screen setup. This makes it easy to replace one of your split screen apps with another.

To exit split view completely, hover at the top of the screen until the window controls appear, then click the green full-screen button.

Utilizing Keyboard Shortcuts and Trackpad Gestures

How to Split Screen on Mac, your Mac offers several shortcuts to enhance your split screen experience:

Keyboard Shortcuts:

Control + Up Arrow: Access Mission Control to view all windows
Command + Tab: Switch between applications
Command + ~: Switch between windows of the same application

Trackpad Gestures:

Three-finger swipe up: Open Mission Control
Four-finger swipe left/right: Switch between full-screen spaces

You can also hold the Option key while clicking the green button on a window for direct split screen options. This provides a dropdown menu to tile the window to the left or right side.

For efficient multitasking, use drag and drop between your split screen apps to transfer text, images, and files without using copy and paste.

Advanced Split Screen Techniques and Tools

How to Split Screen on Mac, Mac’s default split screen feature works well for basic tasks, but power users often need more flexibility. Advanced techniques and third-party tools can significantly enhance your window management capabilities and productivity.

Incorporating Third-Party Apps for Enhanced Control

Third-party window management tools offer more options than Mac’s built-in features. Apps like Magnet and Rectangle allow users to tile window to left/right of screen with simple keyboard shortcuts.

These apps provide quarter-screen positioning options, which are perfect for arranging 3-4 app windows simultaneously. Users can create custom layouts that persist across multiple sessions.

A key advantage is the ability to arrange windows without entering full-screen mode. Hold the Option key while dragging a window to position it precisely where needed.

Most third-party tools offer snap zones that highlight where windows will position when dragged to screen edges. This makes organizing complex layouts much faster than manual positioning.

Organizing Workflows with Multiple Apps and Displays

How to Split Screen on Mac, advanced users often work with multiple displays to maximize productivity. MacBook users can connect external monitors and create separate split-screen workspaces on each display.

Helpful tip: Set up dedicated spaces for different workflows. For example, one space might contain code editor and terminal apps, while another has browser and notes apps.

The Mission Control feature helps manage these complex setups. Access it by pressing Control + Arrow Up to view all open applications and spaces at once.

When working with apps like Maps and Photos, users can exit split view by pressing the Escape key or clicking the green button again. This allows quick transitions between full-screen and split-screen modes.

For frequent layouts, create custom keyboard shortcuts in System Preferences. This eliminates the need to manually position windows each time a particular workflow is needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Split Screen on Mac, Mac’s Split View feature offers powerful multitasking capabilities with several options for customization across different scenarios and preferences. Users can quickly set up split screens using multiple methods depending on their specific needs.

The simplest way to enter Split View is by hovering your cursor over the green button in the top-left corner of any window. When you do this, a dropdown menu appears with options to position the window on the left or right side of the screen.

After selecting either “Left of Screen” or “Right of Screen,” the window will take up that half of the display. macOS then shows all other open windows on the opposite side for you to select a companion app.

Alternatively, users can access Split View through Mission Control. Press Control + Arrow Up to open Mission Control, then drag one window onto another to create a split view arrangement.

Safari works perfectly with Split View. Users can open multiple Safari windows and place them side by side using the standard Split View method.

To do this, the user hovers over the green button in one Safari window and selects left or right positioning. Then they can choose another Safari window (or any other app) to occupy the other half.

This setup is particularly useful for comparing information between websites or referencing information while writing or taking notes.

Mac supports Split View across multiple monitors, giving users even more multitasking flexibility. Each connected display can have its own Split View arrangement.

To set this up, users simply use the same Split View activation method on windows displayed on the secondary monitor. Hover over the green button and select the desired position.

For optimal multi-monitor productivity, users can create different Split View arrangements on each screen based on their workflow needs.

While macOS doesn’t natively support a four-way split, users can achieve this effect through workarounds. One method involves using window management apps like Magnet, Rectangle, or BetterSnapTool.

These third-party apps provide more granular window control, allowing users to snap windows to quarters of the screen or create custom arrangements.

Another approach is to combine Split View with manual window resizing. Users can place two apps in Split View on the top portion of the screen, then manually resize two additional windows to fit below them.

For users who prefer not to use full-screen mode, manual window arrangement is the primary native option. Windows can be manually resized and positioned side by side.

Third-party window management tools offer more convenient options. Apps like Rectangle or Magnet allow users to snap windows to halves or quarters of the screen without entering full-screen mode.

The Mission Control interface can also help organize windows efficiently without committing to Split View’s full-screen approach.

Mac offers several built-in features for efficient window management. Mission Control provides an overview of all open windows, allowing users to drag and arrange them as needed.

The Split View function helps users focus on two tasks simultaneously. Users can switch between different Split View arrangements by accessing Mission Control.

Application Exposé (swipe down with three fingers on the trackpad) shows all windows of the current application, making it easier to find and organize related windows.