TL;DR
To split screen on a Mac:
- Open the first app you want to use.
- Hover over the green maximize button in the top-left corner.
- Select Tile Window to Left or Right of Screen from the dropdown.
- Choose another app from the other side of the screen to fill the remaining space.
Tried and Tested ✅: The methods and steps mentioned in this article have been tried and tested firsthand by Ojash Yadav on his MacBook Pro M3 and rechecked for errors on Hashir’s MacBook Air M2.
Constantly flipping between windows? Split Screen mode simplifies multitasking by displaying two apps together. Here’s how you can start using it.
How to Split Screen on a Mac
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Next, I’ll break down the simple steps to get you started with Split Screen.
1. With the Green Button
You must be familiar with the trio of colored buttons at the top-left corner of any open Mac window: red, yellow, and green.
While the red and yellow buttons are used for closing and minimizing windows, the green button offers more than just maximizing your window. Using this green button, you can effortlessly transition into a Split Screen mode on Mac and work on two apps side by side.
- Open the first app you want to use in Split Screen.
- Hover your cursor over the green button (the maximize button) at the top-left corner of the app window.
- A dropdown menu will appear. Choose Tile Window to Left of Screen or Tile Window to Right of Screen based on your preference.
- The app will now occupy half of your screen. On the other half, you’ll see your other open windows.
- Simply click another app window to have it fill the other half of your screen.
2. Via Mission Control
Manage your windows visually by using Mission Control to drag and pair apps in Split Screen mode. Here’s how to use Mission Control to Split Screen on a Mac:
- Open the apps you want to use in Split Screen.
- Swipe up with three or four fingers on your trackpad, or press the Control ^ + Up Arrow keys on your keyboard to activate Mission Control.
- You’ll see all your open windows and virtual desktops at the top of the screen.
- Drag one of the app windows to the virtual desktop area at the top. You can drop it on the left or right side of a new or existing desktop space.
- Once the first app is in place, drag the second app window to the opposite side of the same space.
Now, both apps will be in Split Screen mode, occupying half the screen each.
Warning: Not all apps support Split View. If you can’t get an app to work, it might not be compatible with Split Screen mode.
How to Adjust Split Screen View on Mac
Adjusting the Split Screen view helps you customize the space to fit your needs while multitasking. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial to adjust the Split Screen View on Mac:
- If you’re not already in Split Screen mode, you can enter it using the green button method via Mission Control or using a keyboard shortcut, as previously discussed.
- Once in Split Screen mode, you’ll notice a black vertical divider with a small gray notch in the middle. This separates the two apps.
- Click and drag the divider to the left or right to adjust the amount of screen space each app occupies.
You can make one app take up more space than the other based on your preference.
Remember, while in Split View, both apps are essentially in full-screen mode, so the usual window management controls (like the red close button or yellow minimize button) won’t be immediately visible. To access these controls, move your cursor to the top of the screen.
How to Exit Split Screen View on Mac
Here’s how you can do it:
- Move your cursor to the top of either app in Split Screen mode to reveal the window buttons.
- Click either app’s green button (the maximize/exit full-screen button).
- This will exit both apps from Split Screen mode. The app you clicked will return to its regular windowed mode while the other app remains in full-screen mode.
After exiting Split Screen mode, you can maximize or resize the windows. If you want both apps out of full-screen mode, you must exit each one individually.
Split Screen can reduce performance if too many apps or large files are running in the background, so it’s best to close unused apps to keep your Mac running smoothly.
Double Your Productivity With Split Screen View
Mastering the Split Screen feature on a Mac can greatly improve your multitasking, making your workflow more organized and efficient. Here are some more tips to enhance your productivity on Mac:
- Customizing your Mac Trackpad gestures can make daily tasks smoother and more efficient.
- Knowing keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste on Mac can really help save time.
- If you’re unable to right-click on a Mac, you may have to enable it first via System Settings.
