Windows 11 makes it easy to work with two or more windows side by side using Snap layouts — a built-in feature that lets you quickly arrange open apps without manually dragging and resizing. Here is how to split your screen in Windows 11.
The Quickest Method: Snap with the Mouse
- Hover your mouse over the maximise button (the square icon in the top-right corner of any window)
- A grid of snap layout options appears — choose your layout
- Click the section of the layout where you want the current window to go
- Windows will then show your other open apps — click one to fill the remaining space
The most common layout is the 50/50 split — two windows side by side, each taking half the screen. This works well for reference documents alongside your working document, or a browser alongside an application.
Snap with Keyboard Shortcuts
For faster working without reaching for the mouse:
- Win + Left arrow — snaps the active window to the left half
- Win + Right arrow — snaps the active window to the right half
- Win + Up arrow — maximises the window
- Win + Down arrow — minimises or restores the window
After snapping one window left or right, Windows automatically suggests other open apps to fill the opposite side. Press Enter or click one to snap it.
Four-Window Layout
Windows 11 supports up to four windows in a grid:
- Hover over the maximise button of the first window and select the four-quadrant layout
- Click the quadrant where you want the first window
- Select apps to fill each remaining quadrant
Keyboard shortcut method: use Win + Left/Right to snap to one side, then Win + Up/Down to snap to a corner quadrant.
Snap Groups — Switch Between Layouts
Windows 11 remembers your snap layouts as Snap Groups. When you hover over a taskbar icon for an app that’s part of a snap group, you’ll see a thumbnail of the group. Clicking it restores all windows in that layout at once — useful when switching between different tasks.
If Snap Layouts Aren’t Appearing
If hovering over the maximise button doesn’t show the layout grid:
- Go to Settings → System → Multitasking
- Make sure Snap windows is toggled on
- Expand the Snap windows settings and enable Show snap layouts when I hover over a window’s maximise button
Splitting Screen Across Two Monitors
If you have a second monitor, you can snap windows across both screens — simply drag a window to the other monitor and use snap layouts there. Each monitor maintains its own independent snap layout.
Adjusting the Split
Once two windows are snapped side by side, hover over the dividing line between them — your cursor changes to a resize arrow. Click and drag to adjust how much space each window gets.
