How To Split Screen Windows 11

Enabling and Configuring Multitasking Settings

Enabling and configuring multitasking settings in Windows 11 lets you control how windows snap into place when you drag them to the edges of your screen. Open Settings ⚙️, select System, and click Multitasking to manage snap layouts and window behavior options.

1. Open Settings ⚙️.

   

2. Select System from the left-hand navigation pane.
3. Click Multitasking to open the window management preferences.

   

4. Click the drop-down arrow next to Snap windows to reveal additional checkboxes.

   

5. Check or uncheck options such as “Show snap layouts when I hover over a window’s maximize button” and “When I snap a window, suggest what I can snap next to it” based on your workflow preferences.

Method 1Using the Snap Layouts Hover Menu

Using the Snap Layouts hover menu in Windows 11 lets you view all available grid configurations for your screen size by hovering your mouse over the maximize button. This method shows visual templates so you can choose how two, three, or four windows share your display area.

1. Open the first application window you want to arrange.
2. Hover your mouse cursor over the maximize button located in the top-right corner of the window frame, just to the left of the close button.
3. Select a layout zone from the pop-up menu by clicking the specific section of the grid where you want your active window to sit.
4. Click another open application from the resulting Snap Assist grid to automatically fill the remaining section of your layout.

Method 2Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Snap Windows

Using keyboard shortcuts to snap windows in Windows 11 lets you move and dock applications instantly without touching your mouse. Press the Win alongside the left or right arrow keys to snap the active window to the corresponding half of your screen.

1. Click the title bar of the window you want to move.
2. Press the Win+← Arrow or Win+→ Arrow to snap the window to the corresponding half of your screen.
3. Press the Win+↑ Arrow or Win+↓ Arrow to position the window into a quadrant once it is already snapped to a side, or to maximize and restore the window size.
4. Select a secondary window from the automatic prompt that appears on the opposite side of your screen to complete your split-screen layout.

Method 3Drag and Drop to Screen Edges

Dragging and dropping to screen edges in Windows 11 locks open windows into half-screen or quarter-screen arrangements. Click and hold the title bar of your app window, then drag it completely against the far left or right edge of your monitor until a translucent outline appears.

1. Click and hold the title bar of the application window you want to move.
2. Drag the window completely against the far left edge or far right edge of your monitor until a translucent outline appears on that half of the screen.
3. Release your mouse button to snap the window into place.
4. Click any other open app thumbnail in the newly created open space on the opposite side to complete your dual-window view.

Creating Half-Screen Layouts

Creating half-screen layouts in Windows 11 divides your display evenly between two applications so you can view text documents and web pages comfortably side by side. Drag one window to the left border and another to the right border, or use the Windows key and arrow shortcuts on two separate open windows.

Creating Quarter-Screen Layouts

Creating quarter-screen layouts in Windows 11 divides your monitor into four equal quadrants to monitor four distinct applications at once. This configuration works best on large or ultra-wide displays by dragging any open window toward any of the four corners of your monitor until a triangular shaded region appears.

1. Click and drag any open window toward any of the four corners of your monitor until a triangular shaded region appears.
2. Release the mouse button to lock the window into that specific quarter of the display.
3. Repeat the process for up to three additional application windows by dragging them into the remaining empty corners of your screen.
4. Use the interactive divider lines between the windows to resize adjacent panes simultaneously if you need to give one application more workspace.

Advanced Split Screen Techniques for Power Users

Advanced split screen techniques in Windows 11 let you keep separate multi-window setups for different tasks by using virtual desktops alongside Snap Layouts. Press the Task View button on your taskbar or use the Windows Key + Tab shortcut to group related apps and switch between workspaces instantly.

If this didn't work

Fixing split screen issues in Windows 11 when windows refuse to snap involves running an integrity check on your system files using Command Prompt. Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the system file checker tool to repair damaged components responsible for window management.