How to split screen using Windows 11 snap layouts

Using Snap Layouts to Organize Windows

Snap Layouts lets you hover over the maximize button of any open window to choose a specific grid position. This arrangement stays active until you manually close or move the windows.

Hover Over the Maximize Button

To reveal the hidden split screen windows 11 grid templates, hold your mouse pointer over the maximize button in the top-right corner of any open app window without clicking. This triggers a small pop-up menu showing different layout options so you can quickly organize your desktop space.

1. Open the app window you want to place on your screen.
2. Move your mouse pointer over the square maximize icon in the upper-right corner of the window frame.
3. Wait a moment for a small pop-up menu showing various grid layouts to appear.

Select Your Desired Screen Position

Click the specific zone within the pop-up grid template to instantly snap your active app into that exact section of the display. This allows you to quickly arrange split screen windows 11 layouts without manually resizing borders.

1. Click the exact region in the layout menu—such as the left half or the top-right quadrant—where you want the app positioned.
2. Notice how the window snaps directly into that chosen area.
3. Look at the remaining open apps displayed on the other side of your screen in Snap Assist (a feature that displays your other open windows as thumbnails to fill the remaining screen space).

Fill the Remaining Screen Sections

Snap Assist automatically shows thumbnails of your other open apps in the remaining empty space on your display. Click any thumbnail to fill that section and complete your split screen windows 11 layout without manual adjustment.

1. Click one of the thumbnail images presented in the empty portion of your display.
2. Confirm that your apps now sit side-by-side or in your chosen grid configuration without overlapping.
3. Click and drag the dividing border between the snapped windows if you want to adjust the relative size of one app compared to the other.

Keyboard Shortcuts for Quick Window Snapping

If you prefer using your keyboard instead of the mouse, specific key combinations move and snap active windows instantly.

Snap Windows Using the Windows Logo Key

These keyboard shortcuts offer a fast way to achieve split screen windows 11 arrangements without touching the mouse.

1. Click the title bar of the window you want to move.
2. Press the Windows logo key + Left Arrow or Windows logo key + Right Arrow to snap the window to either half of the screen.
3. Press the Windows logo key + Up Arrow or Windows logo key + Down Arrow to snap the window into a top or bottom corner after it is already positioned on a screen half.

Customizing Snap Behavior in Settings

Fine-tune how Snap Layouts behave when you drag windows or resize them across multiple monitors.

Open Multitasking Settings

Open Settings (the central configuration app for Windows 11) to access the window management controls.

1. Press the Windows logo key + I on your keyboard to open Settings.

   

2. Click System in the left sidebar menu.
3. Click Multitasking in the main panel to view the snap controls.

   

Adjust Snap Options

Open the Multitasking settings page to change how split screen windows 11 behavior works on your computer. You can toggle specific checkboxes here to turn layout suggestions on or off, or change how windows resize when snapped.

1. Click the dropdown arrow next to Snap windows to expand the sub-options.

   

2. Check or uncheck options such as "Show snap layouts when I hover over a window's maximize button" or "When I snap a window, automatically size it to fill available space".
3. Close the Settings window once your preferences are selected.

What to do next

Now that your apps are organized with split screen layouts, you can set up virtual desktops to separate your work and personal tasks. You can also explore customizing your taskbar to pin your most frequently used split-screen application pairs.