How to Split Screen on a Mac

Split screen on Windows vs. a Mac

Mac built-in vs. WinPlug Layout

Your Mac does the basics well: halves, quarters and side-by-side arrangements, from the green button, by dragging or with shortcuts. WinPlug works like Windows and goes further.

How do I split screen with the green button?

1. In the top-left corner of the first window, hold the pointer over the green button. A menu of tiles appears.
2. Choose a tile: the left half, the right half, or an arrangement such as Left & Right to put two windows side by side.
3. Do the same with the second window and choose the other half.

You’ll find the same choices in the menu bar: Window > Move & Resize.

How do I split screen by dragging a window?

On macOS Sequoia or later:

1. Drag the window by its title bar to the left or right edge of the screen.
2. An outline shows where it will go. Release, and the window fills that half.
3. Drag a window to the menu bar at the top to fill the whole screen.

Hold Option while dragging to tile faster. You can turn these options on or off in System Settings > Desktop & Dock, under Windows. The same section has Tiled windows have margins, if you’d rather have no gap between windows.

What’s the keyboard shortcut for split screen on a Mac?

On macOS Sequoia or later, click the window first, then:

• Fn+Control + ← or Fn+Control + →: left or right half.
• Fn+Control + ↑ or Fn+Control + ↓: top or bottom half.
• Fn+Control+F: fill the screen. Fn+Control+C: center.
• Fn+Control+Shift + ←: the two front windows side by side.
• Fn+Control+R: back to the previous size.

On some Mac keyboards, the Fn key shows a globe icon.

How do I use full-screen Split View?

Split View puts two apps side by side in full screen, in a desktop of their own. It works on older versions of macOS too.

1. Hold the pointer over the green button and choose Full Screen > Left of Screen (or Right of Screen).
2. On the other side, click the second window you want.
3. Drag the bar in the middle to give one side more room. Double-click it to go back to equal sizes.

To leave Split View, hold the pointer over the green button and choose Move Window to Desktop. To find the other app, press Control+Up Arrow to open Mission Control.

Can I use Win + ← on a Mac?

Yes, with WinPlug. No need to relearn your habits: keep your Win + ← and your Win + →.

With WinPlug, Win + ← and Win + → snap the front window to half the screen, like on Windows. Then WinPlug suggests another window to fill the other half: click one and you’re done. On a Mac keyboard, the Windows key is Command, so it’s Command + ←.

• Win + ↑ fills the screen without going full screen. From a half, it makes a quarter.
• Win + ↓ brings the window back to its size, or minimizes it.
• Press Win + ← again and the window moves to the next screen.
• Ctrl+Alt + ← or Ctrl+Alt + → gives a third; press again for two thirds.
• Win+Shift + ← sends the window to your other monitor.

WinPlug also remembers where your windows were. When you plug your monitor back in, each window goes back to its place. Snap windows like on Windows.

Other Windows habits WinPlug brings back

• Alt+Tab shows every open window with a thumbnail. See how to switch between windows on a Mac.
• Alt+F4 closes the window you’re in.
• Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V copy and paste, like on Windows.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for split screen on a Mac?

On macOS Sequoia or later, press Fn+Control+Left Arrow or Fn+Control+Right Arrow to tile the front window to one half. Fn+Control+Shift+Left Arrow arranges the two front windows side by side.

How do I split screen on a MacBook Air?

The same way as on any Mac: hold the pointer over the green button of a window and choose a tile, or drag the window to the left or right edge of the screen. The Fn key is at the bottom-left corner of the keyboard.

Can you split the screen into 4 on a Mac?

Yes. Hold the pointer over the green button and choose the Quarters arrangement, which puts windows in the four corners of the screen. macOS has no keyboard shortcut for a single quarter; with WinPlug, Win+Left Arrow then Win+Up Arrow gives the top-left quarter.

How do I exit split screen on a Mac?

For tiled windows, press Fn+Control+R to return a window to its previous size. For full-screen Split View, hold the pointer over the green button and choose Move Window to Desktop.

How do I move a window to my other monitor on a Mac?

Drag the window by its title bar to the other screen. With WinPlug, press Win+Shift+Left Arrow or Win+Shift+Right Arrow, like on Windows.

Sources

• macOS User Guide, “Tile windows on Mac”, support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchl9674d0b0/mac (checked October 2026).
• macOS User Guide, “Use apps in Split View on Mac”, support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchl4fbe2921/mac (checked October 2026).
• macOS User Guide, “Change Desktop & Dock settings on Mac”, support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mchlp1119/mac (checked October 2026).
• Apple Support, “Mac keyboard shortcuts”, support.apple.com/en-us/102650 (checked October 2026).