How To Split Screen Windows

How to use carve up screen in Windows x

Divide and conquer your workload

(Image: © Future)

The design of Windows x has its detractors. Those on the Mac side of the fence will quickly point out that while the Mac user feel feels like silently gliding over silky dunes on a distant planet basking in eternal springtime, Windows 10 is more like, well, using a computer.

Simply there's a solid expediency to Windows 10, and its Window-snapping and screen-splitting features take been then good that even macOS would stop upward implementing them years later.

Back in Windows 7, Microsoft pioneered window-snapping, which lets you quickly drag a window to the edge of your screen so that it takes upwardly exactly one-half of it. Now, years on, the characteristic has improved immeasurably, with split-screen possibilities bolstered by additional features like 4-way splitting and Microsoft's splendid PowerToys app.

Here we'll talk y'all through all the ways to split your screen in Windows 10.

Dissever Screen in Half

The most primal style to use split up-screen in Windows 10 is to drag an open up window to the left or right side of the screen. This volition automatically 'snap' that window to take upward exactly half of the screen.

If yous have other windows open up at the time, they will appear equally smaller thumbnails on the other one-half of the screen, at which betoken you can click the one you want to fill that one-half.

Alternatively, you lot can just become on with what you were doing in the snapped window and the remaining windows volition return to where they were before y'all started snapping.

One time you lot have two windows snapped to the left and right one-half of the screen, you lot tin can accommodate the amount each window takes up by dragging the dividing line in the middle. Instead of just one window overlapping the other, Windows will suit the size of both windows as y'all drag that line left and right.

You can go a step further and dissever your screen four ways too, though really you'll want a 1440p (2560 x 1440) resolution monitor to make the most of this. Whatsoever resolution beneath that, and you'll struggle to encounter much information in whatever of the windows.

To snap a window and so that information technology takes upwardly only a quarter of your screen, elevate it all the way to one of the corners of the screen (again, remaining windows will announced as thumbnails so you can click them to snap them to whatever space remains on your screen).

Divide-screen keyboard shortcuts

Snap window to left or right half: Win + left/correct arrow
Snap window to corner/quarter of screen: Win + left/right arrow then up/down arrow
Make window fullscreen: Win + up arrow until total screen
Expand ¼ window to ½ window: Win + up/down arrow

Split up screen when using two monitors

If you're using two monitors, so y'all'll find that when y'all drag a window over to the border of the screen it volition be pulled over to your 2d screen instead of snapping to the border of the first one. Of class, that'south fine if you want to snap your windows on the 2d screen anyhow, but what about snapping to the first screen with a dual-monitor setup?

The solution is to drag the window /slowly/ to the border of the first screen. When y'all come across the snap outline appear for that window, you can permit get of the mouse push button and it volition snap to the border or corner of the screen.

Alternatively, you tin use the keyboard shortcuts nether the previous heading to snap windows freely betwixt your two screens. So Win + right pointer will snap to the correct edge of your first screen, then just do the same over again to move it over to the left edge of the 2nd screen, and then on.

Go wild with PowerToys FancyZones

If you want to dig even deeper into Windows' snapping features, y'all tin practise and so with Microsoft PowerToys, which unlocks a load of extra customisability aimed at Windows 10 power users.

One of these PowerToys features is FancyZones, which lets you dissever windows in different ways - taking upwards thirds of your screen, horizontal splitting and so on.

In one case you've installed PowerToys, run information technology every bit administrator then click FancyZones in the left-paw pane and 'Launch layout editor'.

Here you lot tin choose how many windows you want to separate your screen into, the layout of those windows, the space betwixt them and then on. It really lets you refine the mode you split up your screen, though again you'll need a 1440p or college display to make the most of this if splitting more than two windows.

To use your custom FancyZones, merely agree the Shift central when dragging windows (you tin can change this shortcut and other window-snapping variables in the main FancyZones window).

We bear witness y'all how to apply Windows ten

Robert Zak is a freelance writer for Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more than. He writes in impress and digital publishing, specialising in video games. He has previous experience as editor and writer for tech sites/publications including AndroidPIT and ComputerActive! Magazine.