One of the often underestimated features of recent versions of Windows is the ability to split your screen into 2 (or more) to display multiple windows. This feature allows you to pin multiple applications to the screen, whether in the corners or on the sides, to gain in productivity!
There are two ways to split your PC screen. The first is to drag and drop your application windows, and the second is to use keyboard shortcuts. We will explain how to use these two methods on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Split your screen in 2 with Windows 10
To use two apps or windows at the same time on your screen, first launch both of your apps. Then, select or bring to the front the first app.
Drag the application's title bar (the bar at the very top that contains the buttons to close the window, minimize it, etc.) to the edge of the screen on the side where you want to place the application. For example, if you want to display your application on the right side of the screen, drag it to the far right of your screen using your mouse.
Windows will then display in ghost mode the position that the window will take. Release the mouse click and your application will position itself on the chosen half of the screen.
On the second half of the screen, Windows will show you thumbnails of other applications open. You just have to choose the one you want to display on this second half of the screen so that it positions itself automatically.
It is then possible to adjust the width of the two windows by selecting the separation between the two and dragging it to the left or right as needed.
If you want to use four applications at once, drag the first application to one of the corners of your screen. Then drag the other apps to the other corners and Windows will place them there.
Shortcuts to easily position your windows on the screen
Shortcuts are sometimes more convenient than dragging windows to the edges of the screen.
So to split the screen using a keyboard shortcut, select the first app and then press Windows Key+Left Arrow to pin the app to the left of your screen, or press Windows Key+Right Arrow to pin the app to the right of your screen.
To pin apps to corners, press Windows+Left Arrow or Windows+Right Arrow. Then, use Windows+Up Arrow or Windows+Down Arrow depending on which corner you want to pin your app to.
To exit split screen mode, click the Maximize button in your application's title bar or simply move the window.
Split your screen into 2 or more with Windows 11
If you're on Windows 11, you can use the method described above for Windows 10 to split your screen. But it's also possible to use the built-in window snapping feature to quickly pin your apps to different corners of your screen.
To use it, first enable the feature by going to Settings > System > Multitasking. Then simply enable the “Dock windows” option.
When you want to split the screen, tap Windows+Z on your keyboard. In the upper right corner of your screen, you will be able to choose from several screen layouts. Click here on the layout where you want to pin your open apps.
Windows 11 will pin your current app to the selected layout. It will then ask you to choose other apps to fill the remaining spots in the chosen layout.
And there you have it, now you know everything there is to know about splitting your screen into 2 or more. Your productivity should skyrocket and you will be able to optimize your display to see multiple windows or applications at the same time!
