Getting lost in a sea of open tabs is a common, irritating thing. If you have a Mac, you can take advantage of split screen view, a way to organize and customize your display to keep track of all your windows. Split screen view lets you keep two windows running side-by-side simultaneously. You can grab the most important tabs you’re working on and block out everything else. For example, you can have an Excel data file on the left side of your screen and not have to switch back to your report every time you need to double check a stat. Or, you can keep a chat box open while you’re attending a Zoom meeting or watching a video. No matter how you choose to use it, Mac split screen view saves you a lot of pointless clicking and searching. Split screen view helps you keep things moving without having to constantly search for the right tab.
Here’s how to set up Mac split screen view, swap out tabs and reset your display.
- Make sure neither window you want to use is in full-screen mode.
- In one of the windows you want to use, place your cursor over the green button in the top left. Instead of clicking to maximize the window, hover until you see a drop-down menu.
- Select Tile Window to Left of Screen or Tile Window to Right of Screen. Your Mac will automatically enter split-screen mode.
From there, other open windows will be displayed on the opposite side of the screen. Click the window you want on the rest of your screen, and it will fill the remaining half. 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 look at both windows simultaneously. Multitask away!
If you’re done using the split-screen layout, here’s how to get out of it:
- Move your cursor to the top of the screen until you see the sizing buttons at the top left of each window.
- Click the red button to close that window or the green button to exit split screen.
- 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.
- You should see two options at the top of the screen: Desktop and whatever window you had in split-screen mode. Click the other window, and use the green sizing button in the top left if you want to exit full-screen mode.