Apr 17, 2020 Change apps from the split-screen view on your Mac the same way as you would with a full-screen app. Use any of the following methods to do so: Hover your mouse at the bottom of the screen to reveal the Dock. Click the app you want to use. Press Cmd + Tab to cycle through your open apps. When you release Cmd your Mac changes to that app. Open Mission Control to see every Space. Experience music, TV, and podcasts in three all-new Mac apps. Get all the news that matters from sources you trust, all in one place. 4 Track the market and customize your watchlist. Peruse the best book titles from your desktop. And find the latest apps and extensions for your Mac, right on your Mac.
One of the best ways to boost productivity on your Mac is to open two apps in split-screen view, so you can work on them side by side. Apple calls this split view, and it’s super easy to use.
Split view on your Mac fills the entire screen by hiding the Dock and the menu bar for distraction-free multitasking. You can use two apps at once—one for each eye!—and get your work done in half the time.
Contents
- 1 How do I see apps in split-screen on my Mac?
- 4 What to do if split-screen isn’t working
- 5 Use window snapping on your Mac instead of split-screen
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How do I see apps in split-screen on my Mac?
Apple gives you a couple of ways to enter split-screen view on your Mac, but you always need to start by opening the individual apps you want to use first.
It doesn’t matter if these are two different apps or two windows from the same app.
After opening the two app windows you want to use at the same time, follow the methods below to use them in split-screen on your Mac.
Option 1. Click and hold the green button
- The top-left corner of every Mac window has a red, yellow, and green button. Click and hold the green button to reveal a drop-down menu.
- From this menu, choose to Tile Window to Left of Screen to resize your window to the left side of your screen. You can also choose to Tile Window to Right of Screen if you prefer.
- You should see all the apps you can use in split-screen appear on the opposite side of the display. Click the other app you want to use to make if fill the other half of the screen.
Option 2. Drag apps together in Mission Control
- Open Mission Control on your Mac. You can do this using the Mission Control button on your keyboard, swiping up with four fingers on your trackpad, or by double-tapping with two fingers on a Magic Mouse.
- Drag and drop the first app window into its own Space at the top of Mission Control, it should go full-screen in that space.
- Now drag and drop the second app window onto the first to enable split-screen. If both apps are in full-screen already, drag one onto the other from the top of Mission Control.
How to see your other apps in split-screen?
Minimize All Apps Mac
Two apps in split-screen view appear in an entirely separate “Space” on your Mac. This is the same thing that happens when you enter full-screen mode. Split-screen even hides the menu bar and the Dock like full-screen mode does to reduce distractions.
Change apps from the split-screen view on your Mac the same way as you would with a full-screen app. Use any of the following methods to do so:
- Hover your mouse at the bottom of the screen to reveal the Dock. Click the app you want to use.
- Press Cmd + Tab to cycle through your open apps. When you release Cmd your Mac changes to that app.
- Open Mission Control to see every Space at the top of the screen. Click the app you want to use to open that Space.
- Swipe left or right with four fingers on the trackpad to switch between adjacent Spaces.
Split-screen on your Mac also lets you change the window width for each app to see the contents better. To do this, click and drag the divider in the middle of the screen. Different apps allow different window widths.
To flip your split-screen apps to the opposite sides, click and drag the toolbar at the top of an app window from left to right, or vice versa. As you drop it onto the opposite side of the screen your apps swap places with each other.
How to turn off split-screen?
Apple gives you a few ways to stop using split-screen on your Mac, depending on whether you want to close an app, go into full-screen, or shrink both windows.
To close a particular app, select it from your split-screen view then close the app as you normally would. You can click the red button in the top-left corner of the window, go to [App Name] > Quit [App] from the menu bar, or press Cmd + Q. When you do so, the remaining app changes to full-screen mode.
You can also switch a single app to full-screen mode without closing the other app. To do this, click the green button in the top-left corner of the window for the app you don’t want to use in full screen. This window returns to your Desktop while the other app changes to full-screen mode.
You can also shrink both apps to your desktop from Mission Control. Hover over the split-screen apps at the top of Mission Control to reveal a circular button with two inward-facing arrows. When you click this, both apps exit split-screen view and return to your Desktop.
What to do if split-screen isn’t working
Like all things, split-screen on a Mac isn’t perfect. It isn’t available for every app, you can’t always adjust the widths the way you want to, and there’s no way to interchange apps within the same split-screen view.
That said, split-screen is still an incredibly useful feature to use on your Mac. And if it isn’t working you should use the following steps to fix it.
Step 1. Update macOS
Apple introduced split-screen on the Mac with OS X El Capitan. If your Mac is running older software than that, you need to update it. You should update your Mac either way to fix software bugs that emerge over time.
Open the Apple menu and go to System Preferences > Software Update to download and install updates on your Mac.
Step 2. Enable separate spaces for Mission Control
Allow All Apps Mac
Go to System Preferences > Mission Control and check the box next to the Displays have separate Spaces option.
Although seemingly unrelated, this option often causes problems with split-screen on Mac. After checking the box, you need to log out of your Mac to enable the feature. Open the Apple menu to do so.
Step 3. Try different apps
Not every app works in split-screen view on a Mac. And some that do are only available at certain widths. If you can’t get split-screen to work, try using it with different apps instead.
Here are some native macOS apps that should work in split-screen:
- Calendar
- Maps
- Notes
- Numbers
- Pages
- Reminders
- Safari
If these apps work, maybe the other apps you were trying to use aren’t compatible with split-screen. Ask the app developers to find out.
Use window snapping on your Mac instead of split-screen
Free Apps For Mac
Split-screen isn’t the only multitasking option available on your Mac. You can also snap windows to different sides of the screen to view them side by side. Although not as sleek as split-screen, window snapping lets you reshape windows how you like without losing the Dock or menu bar.
To snap a window to the left or right side of your Mac screen, press Option while you click and hold the green button at the top-left of an app window. The drop-down window that appears should now give you the options to Move Window to different sides of the screen.
When you choose to move your window this way, macOS resizes it to fill the entire left or right side of the screen.
For more window snapping options, consider buying Magnet. This third-party app gives you extra options to snap Mac windows to the left, right, top, bottom, middle, or corners of your screen.
Magnet is one of several useful utility apps to install on your Mac. Other utilities let you improve the copy-paste abilities, search functions, touch gestures, and more.
Dan is a freelance writer based in South West England.
He spent two years supervising repairs as a Genius Admin for Apple Retail and uses that knowledge to keep our troubleshooting guides up to date.
Long before that, Dan turned to Apple products from a musical background. Having owned iPods for years, he bought a MacBook to learn sound recording and production. It was using those skills that he gained a first-class Bachelor of Science in Sound Technology.
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Featuring all-new, dedicated apps for music, TV, and podcasts. Smart new features in the apps you use every day. And Sidecar, which lets you use iPad as a second Mac display.
Easy to Use When it’s simple to
do
everything, you can do anything.
On a Mac, everything is designed to work just the way you expect it to — from operating it with simple, intuitive gestures to asking Siri to find a file to having your apps automatically update themselves. Whatever you set out to do on a Mac, there’s much less to learn and that much more to accomplish.
The Finder lets you easily browse and organize the files on your Mac — and those stored in iCloud Drive. View files by icons, in a list, or with Gallery View, which helps you quickly locate a file by how it looks. Drag and drop files into folders in the sidebar. And use the Preview pane to see all of your files’ metadata, quickly create .zip files, and share using the handy Share menu.
Dark Mode adds a dramatic look to your desktop and apps that puts the focus on your content. Dynamic Desktop makes your Mac even more beautiful with time-shifting desktop pictures that match the time of day wherever you are. And Stacks keeps your desktop free of clutter by automatically organizing your files, images, documents, PDFs, and more into tidy groups.
Spotlight helps you quickly and effortlessly find what you want, like documents on your Mac, movie showtimes, and flight departure and arrival times. Just type a few keystrokes in the Spotlight search field and autocomplete immediately shows you relevant results.1
A simple two-finger swipe from the right edge of your trackpad brings up Notification Center — the same one you use on iPhone — where you can see all the alerts that have come in recently. It’s also where you’ll find your Today view, which you can customize with helpful widgets or handy information pinned from Siri searches.
Siri helps you get things done just by using your voice. It also helps you get more things done at the same time. So you can finish your document while asking Siri to tell your coworker that it’s on the way. Looking for the presentation you worked on last week? Just ask Siri.2 And with Apple Music, Siri can be your personal DJ and recommend music based on your tastes, and tell you more about songs, albums, and artists.3
Continuity All your devices.
One seamless experience.
Your Mac works with your other Apple devices in ways no other computer can. If you get a call on your iPhone, you can take it on your Mac. And when friends text you — regardless of the phone they have — you can respond from your Mac, iPad, or iPhone, whichever is closest. When you copy text or an image from one device, you can paste it into another with standard copy and paste commands. And with Sidecar, you can extend your workspace by using your iPad as a second Mac display. You can even unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch. No password typing required.
Privacy and Security We believe your data belongs to you. Period.
Everything you do with your Mac is protected by strong privacy and security features. That’s because we build data security into everything we make, right from the start.
Privacy. You trust our products with your most personal information, and we believe that you should be in complete control of it. We respect your privacy by enacting strict policies that govern how all data is handled. And when you browse the web, Safari helps prevent data companies from tracking the sites you visit.
Security. We design Mac hardware and software with advanced technologies that work together to help you run apps safely, protect your data, and keep you safe on the web. The new Find My app helps you locate a missing Mac that’s lost or stolen — even if it’s offline or sleeping. And Gatekeeper makes it safer to download and install apps from the Mac App Store and the internet.
Built in Apps Apps as powerful and elegant as your Mac. Because they’re designed for it.
With every Mac, you get a collection of powerful apps. They’re the same apps you use on your iPhone or iPad, so they’ll feel instantly familiar. They all work with iCloud, so your schedule, contacts, and notes are always up to date everywhere. And because they’re native apps — not web apps in a browser — they take full advantage of the power of your Mac to deliver the fastest possible performance and more robust features.
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Podcasts
Stocks
App Store
Creativity. Enjoy your best photos and videos, showcased in an immersive, dynamic new look. Transform home videos into unforgettable movies or quickly share clips with your favorite people. Create music like the pros with a huge collection of sounds, instruments, amps, and a lineup of virtual session drummers and percussionists perfectly suited to play along with your song.
Productivity. Create beautiful documents with stunning simplicity. Visualize your data precisely and persuasively in spreadsheets with images, text, and shapes. Make stage-worthy presentations using powerful graphics tools and dazzling cinematic effects to bring your ideas to life. And collaborate with friends and coworkers in real time — whether they’re across town or across the globe.
Communication. Easily manage all of your email accounts in one simple, powerful app that works with email services like iCloud, Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, and Microsoft Exchange. Send unlimited messages to anyone on any Apple device, using the same Messages app on your Mac as you do on your iPhone. Make unlimited high-quality video and audio calls right from your Mac with FaceTime. And securely locate a missing Mac using the new Find My app on Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Mail
Messages
FaceTime
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Notes
Reminders
Calendar
Voice Memos
Contacts
Internet. Surf the web seamlessly with an updated start page that helps you quickly access your favorite and frequently visited sites. Use Apple Pay to make purchases on the web in Safari with Touch ID on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. Map out new destinations from your desktop, with gorgeous 3D city views like Flyover, point-to-point directions, and comprehensive transit directions. And instantly search your entire Mac or get results from the internet in just a few keystrokes.
Spotlight
iCloud All your stuff on your Mac.
And everywhere else you want it.
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Accessibility We make sure that everyone is able to use a Mac.
macOS comes standard with a wide range of assistive technologies that help people with disabilities experience what the Mac has to offer, providing many features you won’t find in other operating systems. Voice Control lets users control their Mac, iPad, and iPhone entirely with their voice. And features such as VoiceOver, Accessibility Keyboard, FaceTime,6 and Text to Speech help everyone get more out of Mac.
Technology Advanced to the core.
macOS features powerful core technologies engineered for the most important functions of your Mac. Thanks to Mac Catalyst, you can now enjoy your favorite iPad apps on your Mac. With SwiftUI, developers have a simple way to build better apps across all Apple platforms with less code. Create ML gives developers a faster and easier way to build machine learning into apps. And support for virtual and augmented reality lets developers create immersive worlds for you to step into.
Compatibility Need to work with Windows?
Mac does that, too.
With macOS, it’s easy to transfer your files, photos, and other data from a Windows PC to your Mac. Work with popular file types such as JPEG, MP3, and PDF, as well as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. And, of course, you can run Microsoft Office natively on a Mac. If you want, you can even run Windows on your Mac.7