How to Use Split Screen on Mac: Put Two Apps Side by Side

To use split screen on a Mac, open two apps, hover over the green button in the first window’s upper-left corner, choose a left- or right-side placement under Full Screen, then click the second app. macOS opens the pair in Split View, a full-screen desktop space for working in two apps side by side. Menu wording can vary by macOS version.

Set up Split View with the green button

Start with the two apps you want to use, such as Safari and Notes. Make sure both are open; the second app should have a window ready to select.

1. Move the pointer over the green window button in the upper-left corner of the first app. Don’t click it yet.
2. Choose Full Screen > Left of Screen or Full Screen > Right of Screen. Some releases show a direct command such as Tile Window to Left of Screen.
3. When the first app moves into position, click the app you want on the other side. macOS creates a new desktop space with both apps in Split View.

The two apps share the display, with a vertical separator between them. In full-screen Split View, the menu bar and Dock may hide until you move the pointer to the top or bottom edge. For Apple’s current steps and controls, see Use apps in Split View on Mac.

Resize a pane or swap an app

To give one app more room, move the pointer over the center separator and drag it left or right. Double-click the separator to restore equal widths. You can also drag an app’s title bar to the opposite side to switch the panes.

To change just one side, click the app you want to replace, hover over its green button, choose Replace Tiled Window, then select another open window. This keeps the other app in place.

Open Split View from Mission Control

Mission Control is useful when one app is already full screen or when you prefer to work from the overview of open windows.

1. Press Control–Up Arrow to open Mission Control. Depending on your trackpad settings, you can also swipe up with three or four fingers.
2. In the Spaces bar at the top, drag an open window onto the thumbnail of a full-screen app.
3. Click the Split View thumbnail to open the pair.

Control–Up Arrow opens Mission Control; it does not immediately split two windows. Apple documents the green-button and Mission Control routes for creating Split View. See View open windows and spaces in Mission Control.

Use desktop tiling when you don’t want full screen

Split View gives two apps a dedicated full-screen space. Window tiling arranges windows on your regular desktop, so the Dock and menu bar remain part of the workspace. If your macOS version supports the feature, drag a window toward the left or right edge and release when the highlighted placement appears. You can also hover over the green button or use the app’s Window menu to choose a layout.

Use tiling when you want more flexible window arrangements or need to keep other desktop windows visible. Apple’s Tile windows on Mac guide lists the available layouts and ways to apply them. Tiling and Split View are related, but they do not behave the same way.

Use Split View with more than one display

Connect and position an external display, then open Apple menu > System Settings > Displays to arrange the screens. The Arrange control appears when a display is connected. To use Split View on a display other than the main one, Apple says Displays have separate Spaces must be enabled in System Settings > Desktop & Dock. Then start Split View on the display where you want the two apps.

See Apple’s Displays settings on Mac and Desktop & Dock settings for those options.

Exit Split View and fix common issues

Move the pointer to the top of either pane, hover over its green button, and choose Move Window to Desktop. That app returns to the desktop; the other app may remain full screen in its own space. Use Mission Control or the Control–Left/Right Arrow shortcuts to move between spaces.

• The second app is missing: Some apps do not support Split View. Try another app or use desktop tiling if it is available.
• The green-button menu looks different: macOS releases use different labels. Look for the left- or right-side placement under Full Screen, or use Mission Control.
• Split View won’t start on an external display: Check that Displays have separate Spaces is turned on in Desktop & Dock settings.

For exactly two focused apps, use Split View. For several windows or a desktop that stays visible, use tiling. That distinction makes it easier to pick the Mac window layout that fits the task.