If you are writing a research paper in Microsoft Word while simultaneously reading a source document in Safari, constantly clicking back and forth between two overlapping windows is an infuriating way to work. You need to see both documents at the exact same time.
For years, Windows users had a feature called “Snap” that easily arranged windows side-by-side. Apple eventually introduced a similar, native feature for macOS called “Split View.” Rather than manually dragging the edges of your windows until they roughly fit together, Split View automatically snaps two applications to fill your screen perfectly, with a neat dividing line down the middle.
This guide explains how to activate and manage Split View on your Mac.
How to Activate Split View
To use Split View, you must have at least two application windows open on your desktop, and neither of them can be in full-screen mode yet.
- Open the two applications you want to use (for example, Safari and Pages).
- Move your mouse to the top-left corner of one of the windows. You will see the standard three traffic light buttons (Red for close, Yellow for minimize, Green for maximize).
- Click and hold your mouse button down on the Green dot for about one second. Alternatively, simply hover your mouse pointer over the Green dot without clicking until a small menu drops down.
- From the drop-down menu, select either Tile Window to Left of Screen or Tile Window to Right of Screen.
- The window you selected will instantly slide over and fill exactly one half of your monitor.
- The other half of your screen will display a gray background featuring small thumbnail previews of all your other currently open applications. Click the thumbnail of the second application you want to use (e.g., Pages).
- That second application will instantly snap to fill the remaining half of the screen.
Adjusting the Split View
Once you are in Split View, the two applications are effectively locked into a dedicated desktop space.
You are not restricted to a perfect 50/50 split. If you are reading a wide website but only typing short notes, you can adjust the balance. Move your mouse to the thick black dividing line directly between the two applications. Click and drag the line to the left or right to give one application more screen real estate than the other.
To swap their positions, simply click the grey title bar at the very top of one application, drag it across the screen, and drop it on the other side. They will instantly trade places.
How to Exit Split View
Because Split View technically puts both apps into a shared full-screen mode, you might feel trapped when you want to check a third application.
To exit Split View, simply move your mouse pointer to the absolute top edge of the screen until the hidden macOS menu bar drops down. The red, yellow, and green traffic light buttons will reappear in the top-left corner of both applications. Click the Green dot on either window to break the split. That window will shrink back to its normal desktop size, while the other window will remain in full-screen mode on its own dedicated space.