What’s the key to boosting your productivity on a Mac? Well, it all comes down to your proficiency with time-saving hacks driven by automation and multitasking. When you want to carry out your tasks faster, the more swiftly you move from one app to another, the better it is. And that’s why we recommend you use the “Split View” feature on Mac, especially when you are working with multiple apps simultaneously. So let’s not waste any more time and check out how to split screen on a Mac computer or MacBook.
So, what are the requirements for using Split View on a Mac? Though it supports OS X El Capitan or later, the process to use split screen is different in macOS Catalina and higher, including the latest macOS Monterey. There are multiple ways to use the split screen feature on macOS devices, so check them all out.
- Use Split View on Mac Running macOS Catalina or Later
- Enter Split View on Mac Running Older macOS Versions
- Enable Split Screen on Mac Using Mission Control
- Access Other Apps in Split View on Mac
- Can’t Split Screen on a Mac? Here is the Fix!
- Tips to Get the Most Out of Split View on Mac
- How to Exit Split View on Mac
- Best Third-Party Split Screen Apps for Mac
Use Split View on Mac Running macOS Catalina or Later
- To get started, launch an app on your Mac. After that, leave the window of the first app open and launch another app that you want to use side by side on your Mac. For demonstration, I’m going to use the Apple Shortcuts and Apple Maps app.
Note: If the green button is grayed out, that means a particular app doesn’t support Split View on Mac.
- After selecting the second app, you will have successfully activated the split screen feature on Mac. You can hold and drag the black divider line to the left or right to adjust how much screen real-estate each app occupies on your device.
The process to activate Split View in macOS Mojave, macOS High Sierra, macOS Sierra, and OS X El Capitan is just as easy. But the process is slightly different on older macOS versions, so let’s take a look at how it works:
Now, click and hold the green full-screen button at the top left of the window. As you hold the full-screen button, the window will shrink, allowing you to drag it to the left or right side of your Mac screen.
Next, release the button. After that, click on an app window on the other side of the screen to start using both windows side by side. And that’s it, you can now successfully utilize split screen mode’s productivity powers.
Invoking Split View using Mission Control on a Mac feels ever so smooth as well. But it involves more steps than the methods described above. So, let’s take a look at how it works:
- Now, drag an app window over the app thumbnail that’s in full-screen view.
Mission Control and multitasking go hand in hand. You can use Mission Control to open other apps in split screen on a Mac. Here’s how you can do so:
- First, activate Mission Control. Simply swipe up with three/ four fingers on the trackpad or double-tap with two fingers on Magic Mouse.
If you are unable to use Split View on your Mac, make sure that you have enabled this feature. It’s hidden deep in the Mission Control settings, so follow the steps below:
Depending on your needs, you can adjust the window width and swap window position to work conveniently while using apps in split screen mode on Mac.
- Swap window positions: Simply hold and drag a window to the other side.
Now, you are done using two apps side-by-side and want to exit Split View on Mac, but how do you do that? Well, it is pretty simple and requires only a single click.
- Now, click on the green (full-screen) button in either window to exit Split Screen mode on Mac.
If you want more functionality and customizability, there are many well-designed third-party split-screen apps available on macOS. So, just in case you aren’t impressed with the built-in split-screen feature or wish to try out more powerful alternatives, check out these couple of notable options.
Magnet is one of the most feature-packed split screen apps for Mac and MacBook power users. It supports snapping to the left/ right/ top/ bottom halves to let you multitask with many apps more conveniently. With a simple drag to the edge of your Mac display, you can resize a window into half of the screen. This feels more seamless than the official method of clicking and holding on the full-screen button and choosing the option to enable Split View.
Install Magnet: $7.99
Moom is a complete split screen window manager for Mac devices. It offers five preset size/ location options to let you move and zoom windows on your Mac with the desired flexibility. Moreover, you can even define custom controls to manage windows in line with your workflow.
Install: $9.99
