How To Divide One Screen Into Two In Windows 10

How to use split screen in Windows 10

Divide and conquer your workload

(Image: © Future)

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

But there's a solid expediency to Windows 10, and its Window-snapping and screen-splitting features accept been so good that fifty-fifty macOS would end up implementing them years later.

Back in Windows 7, Microsoft pioneered window-snapping, which lets you lot rapidly drag a window to the edge of your screen and so that information technology takes upward exactly one-half of information technology. Now, years on, the feature has improved immeasurably, with split-screen possibilities bolstered by additional features like iv-way splitting and Microsoft's excellent PowerToys app.

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

Dissever Screen in One-half

The most central manner to use carve up-screen in Windows 10 is to drag an open window to the left or right side of the screen. This will automatically 'snap' that window to accept up exactly one-half of the screen.

If yous have other windows open at the time, they will appear every bit smaller thumbnails on the other half of the screen, at which point you tin click the one you desire to fill that one-half.

Alternatively, you can just get on with what yous were doing in the snapped window and the remaining windows will return to where they were before you started snapping.

Once you take two windows snapped to the left and right half of the screen, you can adapt the amount each window takes up past dragging the dividing line in the center. Instead of just one window overlapping the other, Windows will adapt the size of both windows as yous drag that line left and right.

You lot can become a stride further and separate your screen four means too, though really you'll desire a 1440p (2560 x 1440) resolution monitor to make the most of this. Any resolution beneath that, and you'll struggle to see much information in any of the windows.

To snap a window so that it takes up but a quarter of your screen, drag information technology all the way to one of the corners of the screen (again, remaining windows volition announced every bit thumbnails and so you can click them to snap them to whatever space remains on your screen).

Split-screen keyboard shortcuts

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

Split screen when using two monitors

If you're using 2 monitors, then you'll find that when you drag a window over to the edge of the screen it will be pulled over to your second screen instead of snapping to the edge of the first i. Of form, that'due south fine if you want to snap your windows on the second screen anyhow, just what nigh snapping to the start screen with a dual-monitor setup?

The solution is to drag the window /slowly/ to the edge of the first screen. When yous run into the snap outline appear for that window, you can allow go of the mouse button and it will snap to the edge or corner of the screen.

Alternatively, you tin use the keyboard shortcuts under the previous heading to snap windows freely between your two screens. So Win + correct arrow will snap to the right edge of your first screen, and so just practise the same once more to motility it over to the left edge of the second screen, and and so on.

Go wild with PowerToys FancyZones

If you want to dig fifty-fifty deeper into Windows' snapping features, you tin can do so with Microsoft PowerToys, which unlocks a load of extra customisability aimed at Windows 10 power users.

Ane of these PowerToys features is FancyZones, which lets you lot split windows in different ways - taking up 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-hand pane and 'Launch layout editor'.

Here you tin choose how many windows you lot desire to separate your screen into, the layout of those windows, the infinite betwixt them and and so on. It really lets you refine the way you lot split your screen, though once more you lot'll need a 1440p or higher display to make the nearly of this if splitting more than than two windows.

To utilise your custom FancyZones, but hold the Shift central when dragging windows (you can change this shortcut and other window-snapping variables in the main FancyZones window).

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