How to Use macOS Split View to Run Two Apps Side by Side

When referencing a PDF document while writing an email, or comparing two different spreadsheets, constantly pressing Command+Tab to swap back and forth between overlapping windows is tedious and breaks your concentration. While Windows users have long enjoyed the “Snap” feature to easily tile windows, Mac users historically had to manually drag and resize their application windows to make them fit perfectly side-by-side.

Apple finally integrated a native window-tiling system into macOS called Split View. It automatically forces two applications to share the screen perfectly, completely hiding the desktop and the Dock to eliminate distractions.

How to Activate Split View

To use Split View, you must ensure that neither of the applications you want to use is currently in full-screen mode. They must both be standard, floating windows on your desktop.

1. Open the two applications you want to use (for example, Safari and Apple Notes).
2. Move your mouse pointer to the top-left corner of the Safari window, where you see the three colored window buttons (red, yellow, and green).
3. Hover your pointer directly over the green full-screen button. Do not click it; just hold your mouse still over it for one second.
4. A small drop-down menu will appear beneath the button.
5. Select either Tile Window to Left of Screen or Tile Window to Right of Screen.

Safari will immediately snap to the chosen side, perfectly filling exactly half of your monitor.

The other half of the screen will display a darkened overview of all your other open applications (similar to Mission Control). Simply click on the Apple Notes window in this overview, and it will instantly snap into place, filling the remaining half of the screen.

Adjusting the Window Sizes

You are not permanently locked into a perfect 50/50 split. Often, you want your web browser to take up more space while your notepad remains narrow.

1. Look at the exact center of the screen, where the two applications meet. You will see a thin, black vertical dividing line.
2. Move your mouse pointer directly over this line.
3. Click and drag the line to the left or right to dynamically resize both windows simultaneously.

If you want to swap their positions (moving Safari to the right and Notes to the left), simply click and hold the grey title bar at the very top of the Safari window, and drag it across the screen to the other side. The two apps will instantly trade places.

How to Exit Split View

Because Split View essentially locks the two apps into a dedicated full-screen “Space,” you cannot access your desktop or open other overlapping windows while it is active.

To escape Split View and return to your normal desktop workflow:

1. Move your mouse pointer all the way to the very top edge of the screen and hold it there for a second. This will force the hidden menu bar and the window controls to slide down into view.
2. Click the green full-screen button in the top-left corner of either application window.

That specific application will instantly shrink back down to a normal floating window on your desktop. The second application will remain in standard full-screen mode. You can return to it by swiping on your trackpad or opening Mission Control, and click its green button to return it to the desktop as well.