How to Split Screen in Windows 11: Snap Layouts and Shortcuts

Comparing two documents, copying figures from a spreadsheet into an email or following instructions while you work is much easier with two windows side by side. To split screen in Windows 11 you do not need extra software: the built-in snap features let you put two windows next to each other, or arrange three or four, with a drag, a hover or a keyboard shortcut. This guide covers every method, how to adjust the settings, and what to do when snapping will not work.

This is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Microsoft.

Method 1: drag to the edge

1. Grab the window by its title bar (the strip along the top).
2. Drag it to the left or right edge of the screen until an outline shows where it will go, then let go.
3. The window fills that half, and Snap Assist shows thumbnails of your other open windows in the empty half.
4. Select the window you want for the other side.

Dragging into a corner snaps the window to a quarter of the screen, which is useful on large monitors.

Method 2: keyboard shortcuts

Shortcuts are the fastest way once you know them, and they work even in apps that do not show the hover menu.

Shortcut	What it does
Windows + Left arrow	Snap the active window to the left half
Windows + Right arrow	Snap the active window to the right half
Windows + Up arrow	Maximize, or move a snapped window to a top quarter
Windows + Down arrow	Restore or minimize, or move a snapped window to a bottom quarter
Windows + Z	Open snap layouts for the active window
Windows + Shift + Left or Right arrow	Move the window to the other monitor

After snapping with the keyboard, Snap Assist appears in the empty space, just as when you drag. Press Tab or the arrow keys to choose a window and Enter to place it.

Method 3: snap layouts (two, three or four windows)

Microsoft’s snap layouts give you ready-made arrangements:

1. Hover the mouse over a window’s Maximize button (the square between Minimize and Close), or press Windows + Z.
2. A small panel shows several layouts, such as two halves, a large window with two small ones, or four quarters. The choices depend on the size and orientation of your screen, so a wide monitor offers more than a small laptop screen.
3. Select the zone where you want this window to go.
4. Snap Assist then helps fill the remaining zones with your other windows.

Windows 11 also has a snap bar: drag a window towards the top of the screen and a strip of layouts slides down; drop the window on a zone.

Resize and switch between snapped windows

When two windows are snapped side by side, a divider appears between them. Drag it left or right to give one window more room; the other adjusts automatically.

Windows remembers windows you snapped together as a snap group. Hover over one of those apps on the taskbar and you will see the group; select it to bring all of its windows back at once. This is handy when you switch to another app and then want your side-by-side setup back.

Change snap settings

Open Settings > System > Multitasking and expand Snap windows. Here you can:

• turn snapping off completely, or back on;
• choose whether snap layouts appear when you hover over the Maximize button;
• choose whether the snap bar appears when you drag a window to the top;
• choose whether Snap Assist suggests what to snap next;
• choose whether snapped windows resize together when you drag the divider.

If a particular behaviour annoys you, for example the snap bar appearing when you only meant to move a window, turn off that one option rather than all of snapping.

Split screen across two monitors

With a second monitor, each screen has its own edges, corners and layouts. Drag a window to the edge of either monitor, or press Windows + Shift + arrow to move it between screens and then Windows + arrow to snap it. If Windows does not see the second screen, our second monitor not detected guide helps. Text that looks too small or blurry on a large monitor is covered in fix a blurry display and make text bigger.

When snapping does not work

1. Check the setting. In Settings > System > Multitasking, make sure Snap windows is on.
2. The window cannot be resized. Some small dialog boxes and older programs have a fixed size and will not snap. Maximize them or move them by hand.
3. No hover menu in some apps. Apps that draw their own title bar may not show snap layouts when you hover over Maximize, as Microsoft notes for apps with custom title bars. Use Windows + Z, the arrow-key shortcuts or the edge drag instead.
4. Full-screen apps and games. Exit full screen first (often F11 or Esc).
5. Shortcuts do nothing. Make sure the Windows key works; some gaming keyboards have a lock that turns it off. See keyboard keys not working.
6. Taskbar or desktop not responding. Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc, right-click Windows Explorer, Restart), or follow taskbar frozen or missing.
7. Updates. Install pending updates in Settings > Windows Update and restart.

Split screen on a Mac and on tablets

On a Mac, recent versions of macOS let you tile windows by dragging them to the edge of the screen, or by hovering over the green button at the top left of a window and choosing a tiling option. Split View in full-screen mode also puts two apps side by side. On iPad, Split View and Stage Manager do the same job; menu names change between versions, so check Apple’s iPad user guide for your model.

Tips for small laptop screens

On a 13- or 14-inch laptop, two windows side by side can feel cramped. A few changes help:

• Use the two-thirds and one-third layout from snap layouts so the main document gets more space, if your screen offers it.
• Zoom out inside each app with Ctrl + minus, and back with Ctrl + plus; this only changes that window.
• Hide the ribbon or toolbars in Office apps while you work side by side.
• Turn on the taskbar’s Automatically hide the taskbar option in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors to gain a little height.

If everything on screen is too small or too large overall, change the display scale instead; our make text bigger guide shows how.

A practical workflow

A simple side-by-side setup saves a lot of switching: put a web page or PDF on the left and your document on the right, then use clipboard history (Windows + V) to copy several pieces and paste them in order. If you also need a picture of what you see, our screenshot guide shows how to capture just one window. More Windows guides are in the Windows section.