How to do Split-Screen on Mac? 2 Windows Better than One!

MacBooks are Apple’s premium line of laptops focused on productivity and multitasking.

As such, various features are a part of Mac’s software, one of them being the split-screen view.

Split view or Split-screen on Mac screen allows you to simultaneously view two apps or two instances of the same app, like two browser tabs on the same screen, without the effort to toggle between tabs.

1. What is Split Screen Mode?

Normally, you would open an app window on full-screen mode, but with split-screen, as the name suggests, you can split your Mac’s screen into various areas and run multiple windows side by side.

Though Macs aren’t the only laptops that offer split-screen mode, it does help because MacBooks are productivity-based laptops.

For instance, let us assume you are copying some content from a PDF file onto a Word file.

MacBooks are Apple’s premium line of laptops focused on productivity and multitasking.

As such, various features are a part of Mac’s software, one of them being split-screen.

Split-screen on Mac allows you to simultaneously view two apps or two instances of the same app, like two browser tabs on the same screen, without the effort to toggle between tabs.

2. Split-Screen on Mac

Normally, you would open an app window on full-screen mode, but with split-screen, as the name suggests, you can split your Mac’s screen into various areas and run multiple windows side by side.

Though Macs aren’t the only laptops that offer split-screen mode, it does help because MacBooks are productivity-based laptops.

For instance, let us assume you are copying some content from a PDF file onto a Word file.

You can choose between the left or right side to place the Word file window and keep the PDF file window on the other side, thus keeping both windows side by side and copying from one while typing in another.

You can also reduce a window on one half of your Mac by another half and reuse the remaining half into something productive.

This will save you a lot of hassle of constantly switching between tabs.

Splitting screens gives the feeling of two screens while on the same one. However, one should know that not all apps support split-screen on Mac.

3. How to use split-screen on Mac?

1. Firstly, ensure that none of the windows you want to split the screen between is on full-screen mode.
2. Hover your mouse cursor in the top left corner of your window. You might notice three buttons, a red, a yellow, and a green button.
3. Hover your mouse over the green button, and select “Tile Window to left (or right) of Screen.”
4. On the second window, do the same and select the tiling option for the opposite side.
5. This will open two windows side by side on your Mac’s screen.
6. Using the slider available when you hover your mouse near the window’s border, you can adjust the window size and keep adding more windows toward the left or right side of the screen using the above steps.
7. This way, the display has separate spaces and can open multiple apps and windows.
8. You can adjust the percentage of display each window occupies by adjusting the middle slider.

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If you are using a software version older than macOS Catalina, then upon clicking the green button, the window will be minimized.

You can drag and drop it on the screen’s left (or right) side to enter split view mode. You can do this with other windows and adjust their sizes to enable split-screen on Mac.

4. How to exit the split-screen on Mac?

Entering the split-screen on Mac was not a difficult feat, and an even easier feat was to exit the split view.

1. Hover your cursor over the top left corner of the window, and look at the three options.
2. If you want to close one of the tabs, press the red button to close it.
3. However, press the green button to remove that window from the split-screen mode. This will bring you out of the split screen.
4. The window will now open in the mode it was in before entering the split screen.
5. Your other window is also open but is now hidden in full-screen mode. To access it, press the Mission control button on your keyboard (F3 keyboard shortcut).
6. You will have multiple options/tabs lost to the fullscreen mode, including the desktop and the window. Select the one you need.

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You can use three or four fingers to move between different full-screen windows without opening Mission Control every time.

These steps will allow you to exit the split-screen on Mac successfully.

5. How to use split-screen on Mac using keyboard shortcuts?

1. Press Cmd ⌘ + Ctrl ^ + F to exit the full-screen view on your full-screen window.
2. Open the Mission Control menu bar (you can use the F3 keyboard shortcut, which is the Mission Control key) and select another window you want to use a split-screen with.
3. Drag the second window over the main window, and click on this tile of apps. This will bring you into a split view.

6. Make your keyboard shortcuts to “Tile Window” using Mac split view.

If the steps mentioned before are a hassle every time, you can reduce the work by creating a shortcut for split view/split screen.

1. Go to System Preferences.
2. Navigate to Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> App Shortcuts. Click on the + icon to add a new app shortcut.
3. Make a shortcut to “Tile window to the left (or right)” using the app shortcut options.
4. You can also make another app shortcut to tile the window to the opposite side.
5. Voila! Next time you want to use split-screen on Mac, tile the windows to the left and right side using these shortcuts.

7. Hot Corners

Hot corners are similar to app shortcuts; the way they work is they will perform a specific function when you take your mouse to a corner of your display. They are like shortcut keys but use a mouse and display.

7.1  To enable them on software older than macOS Ventura,

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Navigate to Mission Control.
3. Find Hot corners at the bottom of the window and select it.
4. There would be a drop-down menu for each corner; select the one which is comfortable for you and select Mission Control (or any other option you might be looking for).
5. Hit “OK.”

7.2  On macOS Ventura,

1. Open System Settings.
2. Navigate to Desktop and Dock using the sidebar.
3. Select Hot Corners.
4. There would be a drop-down menu for each corner; select the one which is comfortable for you and select Mission Control (or any other option you might be looking for).
5. Hit “OK.”

8. Split-screen on Mac without using full-screen mode.

Whenever you use any of the options mentioned above to split-screen on Mac, it would always cover the entire screen, i.e., the split-screen on Mac would happen in fullscreen mode.

If you do not want this to happen, you can drag the windows from their border and give them a shape that is comfortable for you.

9. Troubleshoot for not being able to split-screen on Mac.

1. Exit full-screen mode for the window you want to add to the split view.
2. Open system settings (System Preferences).
3. Navigate to Mission Control and ensure that the option “Displays have Separate Spaces” is enabled.
4. Make sure you have macOS 10.11 or higher to see that option in the Mission Control menu.

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If your software is macOS Venture or later, then upon opening System Preferences, navigate to Desktop and Dock (using the sidebar).

Scroll down on the right side, and select “Displays have Separate Spaces” if it is not selected.

9.1  How to check the macOS version?

1. Hover your mouse on the top left of your screen and click the Apple logo.
2. Select “About This Mac.”
3. You can check your macOS version in the window that pops up.
4. If you are using an older version of macOS, you will have to update it.

9.2  How to update macOS?

1. Hover your mouse on the top left of your screen and click the Apple logo.
2. Select System settings (System Preferences).
3. Search for software update, or type it in the search bar.
4. Let your Mac check for any pending software updates.
5. Update the software to get the latest version of macOS.

Follow the same process to keep your Mac up-to-date.

10. Some tips and tricks for using the Mac trackpad.

1. Right-click on your trackpad by clicking it with two fingers.
2. Slide upwards on the trackpad using three or four fingers to enter mission control.
3. Slide sideways on the trackpad using three fingers to swipe between fullscreen windows.
4. Slide sideways on the trackpad using two fingers to go “Previous” or “Next.”

10.1  Apple’s Magic Mouse.

The gestures on the Magic Mouse would change as follows:

1. Use two fingers to double-click on the magic mouse to open the Mission Control menu bar.
2. Use two fingers and swipe left or right to switch between fullscreen windows.
3. Use a single finger to swipe left or right to go “Previous” or “Next.”

For more gestures, visit Apple’s official website.

11. Bottom Line

The split-screen on Mac enhances their power and makes them worthy contenders in the market, especially among productivity enthusiasts and multitasking geeks.

It eliminates the need to connect multiple displays and makes it simple to handle several tasks simultaneously.

Split-screen on Mac is one of the best ways to multitask on a MacBook, given you can have many windows open and work in a co-relation between them.

You can adjust the sizes of these windows to adjust as many of those as you feel comfortable.

Investing in a MacBook is one of the best decisions a student, a working professional, or anybody in between can make if they want to have some real work done and do it with the best features possible.

Did you find our blog helpful? Do comment to let us know your views and also share with your multitasker friends.

Want to know how to record your screen on a MacBook? Click here!