How to use os x’s new split windows view

Matt Klein has nearly two decades of technical writing experience. He’s covered Windows, Android, macOS, Microsoft Office, and everything in between. He’s even written a book, The How-To Geek Guide to Windows 8. Read more.

Mac OS X 10.11, El Capitan ushers in a whole slew of new features, chief among them is split-view windows management. Yes, that’s right, OS X finally gives you the ability to split your Windows evenly on your screen, just like Windows.

Not that we’re complaining, the ability to manage windows such as on Windows, even if it’s not quite as robust, is a long welcome change that many converted Windows users often wonder about. There’s a special application you can purchase called Windows Tidy, which will let you achieve something similar to Windows-style snapping, but now with El Capitan, that feature is actually built right into the system.

So how then do you use it?

You will be able to split your OS X Finder windows by click-holding the green window button (normally used to resize windows to maximum) until half the screen turns translucent blue, indicating where you will be able to drop the window into place.

Note you can choose either the left or right edge, it’s totally up to you.

Once you place your window, in this case a Finder view, you will see your remaining windows (in Mission Control), which you can choose to split alongside it. At this point, if you don’t want to continue, you can click anywhere outside a window and it will return your windows to their original arrangement.

Here we have Messages and Chrome open. When we hover over Chrome as if to choose it, a blue border will glow around it.

Click the window you want and it will snap into place alongside the other.

If you want to resize the windows, grab the thick black line between them and drag them to the sizes you want. When you resize, the new, second window will appear foggy.

To escape from this arrangement, click on the green button again. Whatever window you click, will return focus to that window.

Note, if there isn’t another window to snap, a message will appear in the empty desktop space telling you there are “No Available Windows”.

The good news is that this feature exists in OS X now. The reality however, at least at this point, is that the whole execution is pretty rudimentary but shows great promise. Also, some applications might not work with this feature. It’s wholly a productivity booster, though the Windows method of just dragging windows to the screen edge is a lot more satisfying.

Additionally, when you snap a window, you’re required to choose another to snap next to it, which feels a little constricting. In Windows, you can still access the desktop space beneath the window, or snap another item alongside it.

Regardless, once we get used to the OS X method, we’re sure it will become almost second nature. If you have any questions or comments you would like to contribute to this article, please leave your feedback in our discussion forum.

By Henry T. Casey 07 October 2015

Windows users may have been able to lock two windows into a split screen mode for years, but that feature has now made it to the Mac with OS X El Capitan. The operating system update introduces support for this screen-tidying feature for up to two windows per display at a time. You can browse recipes online in Safari with a to-do list open in Notes to make a grocery list, or you can have Steam and Twitter open side by side to get tips for what to buy in the latest sale. Here’s how to divide your screen equally (or unequally) between two windows.

How To Use OS X El Capitan’s New Split Screen Mode

1. Click and hold the green button in the upper left corner of an app that shows two triangles pointing in opposite directions. Do not release the button. If the green dot reveals a + sign, that app does not support slit screen view.

2. While holding down on the button, drag the window to the half of the screen you want to place it in. That half of the screen will be tinted blue.

3. Click on the window you want to fill the rest of your screen.

4. To resize the windows, click and drag the black bar between the two windows to the left or right.

5. To break a window out of split screen view, move your cursor to the top of the window and click on the green dot again.

By Henry T. Casey 07 October 2015

Windows users may have been able to lock two windows into a split screen mode for years, but that feature has now made it to the Mac with OS X El Capitan. The operating system update introduces support for this screen-tidying feature for up to two windows per display at a time. You can browse recipes online in Safari with a to-do list open in Notes to make a grocery list, or you can have Steam and Twitter open side by side to get tips for what to buy in the latest sale. Here’s how to divide your screen equally (or unequally) between two windows.

How To Use OS X El Capitan’s New Split Screen Mode

1. Click and hold the green button in the upper left corner of an app that shows two triangles pointing in opposite directions. Do not release the button. If the green dot reveals a + sign, that app does not support slit screen view.

2. While holding down on the button, drag the window to the half of the screen you want to place it in. That half of the screen will be tinted blue.

3. Click on the window you want to fill the rest of your screen.

4. To resize the windows, click and drag the black bar between the two windows to the left or right.

5. To break a window out of split screen view, move your cursor to the top of the window and click on the green dot again.

Split a Windows image (.wim) file into a set of smaller (.swm) files.

Use this procedure when you’re installing Windows from media that can’t handle the Windows image file size, for example:

DVDs (A standard single-sided DVD stores 4.7GB).

USB keys formatted as FAT32. FAT32 is required to boot many modern (UEFI-based) PCs, but has a maximum file size of 4GB. (Workaround: Create a USB key with multiple partitions.)

Limitations:

• You can’t modify a set of split image (.swm) files.
• Applying split image (.swm) files is only supported when all of the .swm files are in the same folder. This means for DVD deployment, you’ll need to copy the files over to the destination PC before you can use Windows Setup or DISM /Apply-Image, as shown in this topic.

Split the file

Mount your Windows distribution ISO.

Split the Windows image:

C:\sources\install.wim is the name and the location of the image file that you want to split.

C:\sources\install.swm is the destination name and the location for the split .swm files. The first split .swm file is named install.swm file. The file names for the next files include numbers, for example, install2.swm file, install3.swm file, and so on.

4700 is the maximum size in MB for each of the split .swm files to be created.

USB deployment

Store all of the .swm files in the same folder on the USB key.

For Windows Setup instructions, see the Troubleshooting section from Install Windows from a USB flash drive.

DVD deployment

Copy the files to individual DVDs. For example, insert the first DVD and type:

Then insert the second DVD and type:

And so on until all .swm files are copied to DVDs.

From Windows PE, you can either deploy using Windows Setup or a script.

Configure and format your hard drive partitions, as shown in Capture and Apply Windows, System, and Recovery Partitions.

Copy the files to a single temporary folder. For example, insert the first DVD and type:

Then insert the second DVD and type:

And so on until all .swm files are copied.

Install using Windows Setup or a script.

Windows Setup: Insert a DVD with Windows Setup, and use it to install the split Windows image files.

Use a script

Apply your image using the DISM /Apply-Image /SWMFile option:

Set up your system and recovery partitions, as shown in Deploy Windows using a Script.

Viewing two apps side by side on a Mac just got a lot easier.

How best to juggle multiple windows is the bane of any multitasker’s existence. Apple added Spaces to OS X a few years ago, which lets you spread out your open windows across multiple virtual desktops.

Spaces help to keep your open windows from piling up on top of one another, but the feature is less useful when you are ping ponging between two apps. Enter Split View with OS X El Capitan that lets you go full screen with a pair of apps side by side.

There are two ways to enable Split View:

The first is to click and hold on the green fullscreen button in the upper-left corner of a window. The left half of your screen will become shaded in blue (if the left edge of the window is on the left side of your screen, which most of the time it is).

You can release your trackpad or mouse button to open the current window on the left half of your screen, or you can drag the window over to the right half of the screen, which will then become shaded in blue to open the app on the right half of the screen.

The other open, non-minimized apps that are compatible with Split View will show up on the other half of the screen as thumbnails; click on one of the thumbnails to open another app on the other half of Split View.

Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

You can also enable Split View via Mission Control. If you have an app already running in full-screen, you can then drag another Split View-compatible app to its desktop thumbnail at the top of the Mission Control screen to open both apps in Split View.

In addition, you can move the divider between the two apps adjust the space given to each; you don’t need to stick with default 50-50 split.

To exit out of Split View, click the green full-screen menu on one of the apps. The other app will remain hidden in fullscreen mode.

„Mac OS X 10.11“, „El Capitan“ prižiūri visus naujus bruožus, tarp jų pagrindinis yra „split-view“ langų valdymas. Taip, tai teisinga, OS X pagaliau suteikia galimybę padalinti jūsų Windows tolygiai ekrane, kaip ir Windows.

Ne tai, kad mes skundžiame, gebėjimas valdyti langus, pvz., „Windows“, net jei jis nėra toks tvirtas, yra ilgas laukiamas pakeitimas, kurį daugelis konvertuojamų „Windows“ naudotojų dažnai stebisi. Yra speciali programa, kurią galite įsigyti pavadinimu „Windows Tidy“, kuri leis jums pasiekti kažką panašaus į „Windows“ stiliaus užfiksavimą, bet dabar su „El Capitan“, ši funkcija yra iš tiesų sukurta tiesiai į sistemą.

Taigi, kaip tada jūs jį naudojate?

Jūs galėsite padalinti savo „OS X Finder“ langus paspaudę, laikydami žalią lango mygtuką (paprastai jis naudojamas maksimaliam langų dydžiui keisti), kol pusė ekrano tampa permatoma mėlyna, nurodant, kur galėsite nuleisti langą į vietą.

Atkreipkite dėmesį, kad galite pasirinkti kairįjį arba dešinįjį kraštą, tai priklauso nuo jūsų.

Įdėję langą, šiuo atveju „Finder“ vaizdą, pamatysite likusius langus („Mission Control“), kuriuos galite pasirinkti padalyti šalia. Šiuo metu, jei nenorite tęsti, galite spustelėti bet kur už lango ribų, o langai bus grąžinti į pradinį išdėstymą.

Čia yra pranešimų ir „Chrome“ atidaryti. Kai užvažiavome virš „Chrome“, nes jei jį pasirinktumėte, aplink jį švytės mėlyna riba.

Spustelėkite norimą langą ir jis užsifiksuos šalia kito.

Jei norite pakeisti langų dydį, patraukite storą juodą liniją tarp jų ir vilkite juos į norimus dydžius. Kai pakeisite dydį, pasirodys naujas, antras langas.

Norėdami išvengti šios tvarkos, dar kartą spustelėkite žalią mygtuką. Nepriklausomai nuo to, kurį langą spustelėsite, bus nukreiptas į tą langą.

Atkreipkite dėmesį, kad jei nėra kito lango, kad būtų užfiksuotas, pranešimas bus rodomas tuščioje darbalaukio erdvėje, kurioje sakoma, kad yra „Nėra prieinamų Windows“.

Geros naujienos yra tai, kad ši funkcija egzistuoja OS X dabar. Tačiau bent jau šiuo metu realybė yra ta, kad visas vykdymas yra gana pradinis, bet rodo didelį pažadą. Be to, kai kurios programos gali neveikti su šia funkcija. Tai visiškai produktyvumo didinimo priemonė, nors „Windows“ metodas tiesiog perkelti langus į ekrano kraštą yra daug labiau patenkintas.

Be to, kai atsidarysite langą, turite pasirinkti kitą, kad jį paspirtumėte šalia jo, kuris jaučiasi šiek tiek suvaržantis. „Windows“ sistemoje vis tiek galite pasiekti darbalaukio erdvę po langu, arba paspaudę kitą elementą.

Nepaisant to, kai pripratę prie OS X metodo, esame tikri, kad jis taps beveik antra. Jei turite kokių nors klausimų ar komentarų, kuriuos norėtumėte prisidėti prie šio straipsnio, palikite savo atsiliepimus mūsų diskusijų forume.

With OS X 10.11 El Capitan, Apple will introduce a number of user interface refinements to streamline the Mac experience, including a two-up app viewing mode called Split View and a more intuitive Mission Control for easy window management.

One of the more handy user interface additions built into OS X El Capitan lets users quickly split screen space between two running apps. Called Split View, the function is an enhancement to the familiar red, yellow and green OS X “traffic light” window control buttons.

As seen in the video below, applying a click-and-hold trackpad gesture on the green resizing button triggers Split View mode in compatible app windows. Users can opt to place a larger half-screen window to the left or right side of the display, with the area to be occupied shaded in blue.

El Capitan displays the maximized app alongside an Exposé view of all apps open on the desktop. Clicking on another app maximizes it to share the screen with the first. Windows can be resized via cursor control and minimized by clicking on the green traffic light button or hitting escape.

Among other operations, Split View is a perfect companion to the new Notes app, which lets users drag-and-drop rich data assets from other apps like Safari Web links, photos and more.

Apple also tweaked Mission Control with a few key features that make multi-window desktop management a bit more digestible. Swiping up with four fingers invokes the usual Mission Control panel, which now arranges open app windows relative to their positioning on the desktop. For example, when Safari and iTunes are positioned to the left and right of the desktop, they will be presented in the same respective locations in Mission Control.

Apple says the El Capitan capability makes it easier to spot apps you’re looking for, even when they’re stacked one atop the other.

In addition, single app windows can be transported to another desktop space by clicking and dragging them beyond the top of the screen, which activates Mission Control. Alternatively, apps can be maximized from the Mission Control interface into their own full-screen space.

Users can also set up Split View spaces directly from the Mission Control UI by dragging an app into the desktop spaces bar to invoke full-screen mode, then dropping second app onto the newly created space.

El Capitan carries over features from Yosemite, including quick spaces switching using trackpad and keyboard controls.

AppleInsider has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased through affiliate links. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content.

Comments (32)

thefly

Had the opportunity to work with split screen, works pretty good. The one “issue” I had was that the two applications were always next to each other, so that would take some getting used it. It’s a first world problem, to be sure, but a change in how you work.

fatkid98

Any chance Mission Control will show minimized apps?

This looks nice. My use my second monitor in portrait orientation. While I am in the minority who does this, it would be great for people like me to be able to do a top-bottom split. This is how I use many of my apps already, just not in ‘full screen’ mode.

The one “issue” I had was that the two applications were always next to each other

. That is the entire point.

I have to say, these changes to Mission Control are fantastic! It has tightened up/smoothed out quite a bit on my 27″ iMac (which was sorely needed), and these split-view full screen apps are a much better way to work. e.g. On my 27″ display I do not need Mail or Calendar full screen, but having them side by side in split-view on their own full screen space is great.

Putting two logical apps like that next to each other where you are often comparing content is very very helpful.

Catching up with Windows 8, Apple has finally included a way in Mac OS X to use two apps side by side in full screen view. In the 10.11 El Capitan update, it’s called Split View, and it works fairly well for the most part. It’s not quite as intuitive as it should be, but easy enough once you get the hang of it.

Below are some of the tricks to using Split View, as well as troubleshooting info if you can’t get it working.

The Mission Control Layout

Before we get into actually activating Split View mode, let’s quickly go over the new Mission Control layout, since it plays an integral part in the new multitasking feature.

When you enter Mission Control, all windows are now separated, which is a slight change from Yosemite where windows for the same app were cascaded behind each other. Additionally, there is a new spot up top for desktop spaces, which is where apps in full screen view reside, as well as ones in Split View mode.

If you don’t know how to access Mission Control, just use a three-finger swipe up on your MacBook’s trackpad. Alternatively, for computers without a trackpad, you can use the default keyboard shortcut Control + Up Arrow. You can also set a custom keyboard shortcut in System Preferences, as well as create hot corner access for it.

How to Initiate Split View, Method 1

The easiest way to start Split View mode is by hold-clicking on the green expand window button until you see the Split View option come up. From there, you just snap the window to the side of the screen you want and release. Then, you’ll see Mission Control, where you can select the second app you want.

How to Initiate Split View, Method 2

The second way is to enter full screen mode in the first app you want to use Split View with. You can do this either using the menu bar or using the keyboard shortcut, Control + Command + F. Then enter Mission Control and drag another app’s window to the top of the desktop spaces area. This is where all apps in full screen mode appear. Drop the app on top of the one you want and click on the new pair to enter Split View.

How to Initiate Split View, Method 3

The third way to enter Split View mode uses Mission Control entirely. Just drag any app you want up into the desktop space. This will make it use full screen mode. Then just drag another app on top of it like you did in the other method above.

How to Resize Windows in Split View Mode

Just click and drag on the black bar separator. It couldn’t be any easier than that. The app that’s not in the foreground will blur while you make the change.

How to Exit Split View Mode

Getting out of Split View mode is very easy—just use the Escape key. You could also exit full screen mode using the menu bar or Control + Command + F. However, these shortcuts don’t work in all apps. (Shown in video.)

To remove the other app from the desktop space in Mission Control, you have to be in the app and exit full screen mode using the menu bar or either Control + Command + F or the Escape key, depending on the app. (Shown in video.)

If neither of those ways work for you, you can just hover over the desktop space in Mission Control and click on the icon to separate the apps back to normal. (Not shown in video.)

Troubleshooting Split View Mode

Like all new software, Split View mode had a couple bugs in the Developer Preview and Public Beta versions, which should all be squashed in the official release in the Mac App Store. However, just in case, here are some of the issues we had previously, and what to do if you experience them.

Problem #1: The Green Button Doesn’t Work

The green button shortcut doesn’t work on all apps. Oddly enough, iTunes would not work for me, but Chrome and Safari would. Simply use one of the other methods to initiate Split View then.

Problem #2: Not All Apps Work

If you use one of the alternative methods to enter Split View mode, you can’t use two third-party apps together. That means you can’t use Chrome and Opera side by side. It also means you can’t use one Chrome window and another Chrome window side by side.

However, you can use third-party apps with stock Apple apps together, as long as the stock Apple app is chosen first. For instance, I can drop Chrome on top of iTunes but I can’t drop iTunes on top of Chrome.

And obviously, not all apps will work anyway. Those without full screen options will not work, and others might not, too, like Microsoft Outlook.

Problem #3: Not All Computers Work

While I was able to use Split View on a Mid-2010 MacBook Pro and newer iMac, some people have not gotten it to work. Make sure to try all of the methods outline above before giving up. Hopefully this gets fixed in the final version. Also, a user on iMore said he had to enable “Displays have separate spaces” in the Mission Control settings, so that might work for you.

Don’t Want to Upgrade to El Capitan Just Yet?

If you don’t have want to install Mac OS X 10.11 just yet, you can still work with two different apps or windows side by side. You just need to install a third-party app. More info here.

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I am planning to install an additional internal SSD in a laptop running windows 10. I have purchased an additional Win 10 Home OS for the second drive and want to set up dual booting.

Can this work with both drives running Windows 10 with seperate licences? My intention is to keep both sets of files apart and secure. One drive will contain home files and the other office work and I plan to boot into the second drive at home for the family files. Will the laptop treat the two drives as two computers and deny any access to the other drive? Do I need to keep from not giving a name tothe drive to hide it from disk mgmt or is it unnecessary? Is encryption of the drive itself also a possibility ?

Lastly, how do I really install the OS in the second drive considering that the main drive already has windows 10 installed in it ! Do I need to disconnect the main drive and use a usb to load the windows image to the second drive ? Any easier way than that?

Hoping you can sort me out! 🙂

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Megan, yes it can work with separate license. But since the PC already has a Digital or other License, I’d wait to see if it activates the other drive with that. If not then you can add the Product Key after install in Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Change Product Key.

Your files will remain separate in each drive just as if it was the only drive. You can restrict access from the other drive by turning off File Sharing:

Another way to do what you want is the create a second Admin User account on the same install at Settings > Accounts > Family & Other People > Other using your desired MS Account or making it a Local Account as shown here:
To set as Admin:
Your files will be separate but you’ll use the same apps as the other User on the PC. You can restrict the User account from access from the other User account:

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Millions helped via my tutorials and personally in forums for 12 years. Now an Independent Advisor.

I do not quit for those who are polite and cooperative.

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Hi Newb. I’m Greg, an installation specialist, 10 year Windows MVP, and Volunteer Moderator here to help you.

Megan, there are two ways to do this:

1) To keep each hard drive independently booting with it’s own boot files, unplug the other hard drive when you install to the second one. After install set the preferred one to boot first in BIOS/UEFI setup, trigger the other one using the BIOS Boot Menu key.

2) Have both drives plugged in during a booted Custom install to the second drive, which will place no boot files on the second drive but modify the ones on the primary drive to create a Windows Dual Boot Menu. But this will mean the second drive is dependent upon the first one to start.

You could also do step 1 and then afterwards add the second drive to a Windows Dual Boot menu using EasyBCD free tool. This way if you ever want to restore the second drive’s boot loader it will have the necessary System Reserved or EFI System partition onboard so this can be done without reinstalling. See more about this here:

To do the actual install on the second drive whichever you choose above, follow the illustrated steps in this link which compile the best possible Clean Install of Windows which will stay that way as long as you stick with the tools and methods given, has zero reported problems, and is better than any amount of money could buy:

To create bootable Windows 10 Installation Media (on another PC if necessary) install Media Creation Tool and follow the directions in the middle of the download page here:

Insert media, boot it by powering up PC while pressing the BIOS Boot Menu Key for your PC maker given in this chart:

If the media won’t boot you may need to enter BIOS/UEFI Setup (pressing key given in chart in link above) to turn off Fast Boot or Fast Startup first.

Choose the boot device as a UEFI device if offered, then on second screen choose Install Now, then Custom Install, then at the drive selection screen delete all partitions down to Unallocated Space to get it cleanest, select the Unallocated Space, click Next to let it create and format the needed partitions and start install – this makes it foolproof.

There is a step to rescue your files first using the booted media if you don’t have them backed up:

You will get and keep the best possible install to the exact extent you stick with the steps, tools and methods in the linked tutorial. It’s a better install than any amount of money could buy and a great learning experience that will make you the master of your PC because you will learn everything that works best and how to apply it with your own hands.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it’s resolved.

________________________________________________________
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Windows MVP 2010-20

Millions helped via my tutorials and personally in forums for 12 years. Now an Independent Advisor.

I do not quit for those who are polite and cooperative.