This Mac trick is for you if you have at least ten tabs open in your browser right now. With Mac’s split screen view, you may have more than one window open at the same time. You won’t have to worry about losing an essential tab or wasting time switching between windows with this configuration. It’s really important for those like myself who are always busy.

You may divide your screen in half vertically and put two distinct applications on either side. You could, for example, start a Zoom conference on the left and write notes in a Google Doc on the right. If you need to look at a PDF while drafting a report, you may do it without any trouble.

This is all you need to know about how to set up the Mac’s split screen view to boost your productivity. Check out what we know about MacOS Tahoe 26 and the best laptops of 2025 for additional information.

1. How to go into split view on a Mac Check to see whether neither of the windows you intend to utilize is in full-screen mode.

2. Move your mouse over the green button in the upper left corner of one of the windows you wish to utilize. Instead of clicking to make the window bigger, move your mouse over it until you get a drop-down option.

3. Choose Tile Window to the Left of the Screen or Tile Window to the Right of the Screen. Your Mac will instantly go into split-screen mode.

4. After that, more open windows will show up on the other side of the screen. Click on the window you want on the remainder of your screen, and it will fill the other half.

5. To change the size of the windows, move the slider in the middle of the screen.

You may see both windows at the same time in Split View. Go ahead and do more than one thing at once!

How to get out of split screen on a Mac

Here’s how to go out of split-screen mode if you’re done with it:

1. Move the mouse pointer to the top of the screen until you see the buttons for changing the size of each window in the upper left corner.

2. To shut that window, click the red button. To leave split screen, click the green button.

3. Don’t worry. Your second window is still open; it’s simply not visible since you’re in full-screen mode. Press the Mission Control button (F3) on the top row of your keyboard to get to it again.

4. At the top of the screen, you should see two choices: Desktop and the window you had open in split-screen mode. If you wish to leave full-screen mode, click on the other window and then click the green sizing icon in the upper left.

If you’re like me and require more than two windows open at once, you can always adjust them by hand so that three or four fit on your screen at once. Using tiled windows will make the experience seem cleaner, nevertheless.

What is the Mac keyboard shortcut for split screen?

There are a lot of useful keyboard shortcuts for Mac, including one for split screen. To enter full-screen mode, press control + command + F. You may then press F3 to open Mission Control and drag and drop the second program you wish to use in split screen next to the first window. Next to it, there should be a + (plus symbol) and a preview of what the split screen will look like. You may go back to the freshly tiled applications and see them in Split View.

You may make your own keyboard shortcut to go into Split View even quicker. Open System Preferences, then Keyboard, then Keyboard Shortcuts, and finally App Shortcuts. You may use your favorite shortcut to add a command called “Tile Window to Left of Screen” by clicking the Add button. After you turn on the shortcut, your current window will tile to the left side of the screen. You may then choose a second window to add to your split screen.

Why can’t my Mac perform split screen?

First, check to see whether you’re not in full screen mode right now. You can only use the split screen view from the usual window view. whether that’s not the problem, open System Preferences, go to Desktop & Dock, then scroll down to check whether Displays have distinct Spaces turned on. If it isn’t, turn it on.

You need to have MacOS 10.11 or later installed if you don’t see that option in the Mission Control menu. To find out what version of OS you have right now, click the Apple symbol in the upper left menu and then choose “About this Mac.” You need to upgrade if you’re using an older version. Just click the Software upgrade button on that screen.

Not all applications work with split screens, so keep that in mind. If you’ve done everything else and the program still won’t tile in split-screen mode, it probably doesn’t have that feature.

How do you split panels on a Mac without going full screen?

“Split View” is the official split-screen feature on Macs. It instantly divides two windows into full screen. You can manually adjust your windows to suit the area you want if you don’t want the full-screen view (maybe because you want to be able to swiftly switch between browser tabs). This choice lets you change things up a bit more than Split View.