Whether you’re in your home office, or tackling a chunky research paper at uni, you’re going to need to juggle multiple tasks. And with Apple Macs, it’s super easy to do that with their nifty split screen feature. It divides your screen into a couple of separate windows, letting you tackle different bits of work at the same time.
So, here’s how to split screen in Mac. You’ll be working smarter not harder in no time at all.
How to split the screen on a MacBook and iMac
Splitting your screen on a Mac opens up a whole world of multitasking possibilities. With split screen, you can work on your essay in Word, while you research all the important info on the internet. Or maybe you’ll also be watching your favourite show at the same time instead. But you didn’t hear that from us…
Here’s how to split screen on Mac:
How to enter Split View on a Mac via full screen
1. Fire up the first app you want to use.
2. Click and hold the green full-screen button (the square symbol) that’s in the top-left corner of your window.
3. Drag the window to the right or left side of the screen until a translucent outline appears.
4. Let go of the button to snap the app to that side.
How to enter Split View on a Mac via Mission Control
Mission Control isn’t just for space exploration…
1. Open up the first app you want to use.
2. Swipe up on your trackpad with four fingers or press the Mission Control key (usually F3).
3. Drag the second app’s window to the top of the screen in Mission Control.
4. Release the window to turn on Split View.
How to exit split screen on Mac
Exiting split screen mode is just as easy:
1. Click and hold the green full-screen button in the top-left corner of your window.
2. Hit the ‘Exit Full Screen’ option to go back to the regular view.
What is the Mac split screen shortcut?
Like to use keyboard shortcuts to make things even faster? Mac has a speedy way of entering Split View:
1. Open the app you need.
2. Press and hold down the full-screen button (green square) while holding down the ‘Option’ key.
3. The screen will then split, and you can pick a second app to pair with it.
FAQ
Why is split screen not working on Mac?
If it’s not working properly, make sure that both the apps you’re using are actually compatible with the feature. Some of them might not support split screen. You’ll also need to check that the model of Mac you’ve got – and the macOS you’re running – support the feature too.
How to split screen on Mac without full screen
You can still use split screen without entering full-screen mode:
1. Boot up an app.
2. Resize the window so that it takes up half of the screen.
3. Open a second app and move its window to the other half.
How to do split screen on Mac with monitor
If you’re also using an external monitor with your Mac, the steps are pretty similar:
1. Open up the app you want to use.
2. Drag the window to one side of the monitor.
3. Open a second app and move the window to the other side.
How to split screen horizontally on Mac
Your standard split will be vertical by default. But you can set up a horizontal split if you adjust the size of the windows:
1. Open the first app.
2. Drag the top edge of the window down to the bottom half of your screen.
3. Open up the second app and do the same, but this time, put it in the top half of the screen.
Can I split my Mac screen into 3 and 4?
Unfortunately, macOS won’t let you split your screen into more than two parts. But you can still create a similar sort of effect if you resize your windows manually.
Still need a hand getting the most from your Mac? Or maybe you want a demo of how to split the screen on MacBook? Then head over to ShopLive. One of our in-store experts will be able to answer all of your burning questions. And you can do it all from your sofa too!
