Splitting the screen in Windows lets you view and work in two or more apps simultaneously — arranged side by side, in corners, or in fully custom zone layouts.
Windows provides three methods: keyboard shortcuts for instant snapping, the Snap Windows hover interface, and FancyZones in Microsoft PowerToys for advanced layouts.
Quick Answer
Press Win + Right Arrow to snap the active window to the right half of the screen, then choose another open app to fill the left — the fastest split screen method.
How to Split Screen in Windows
Method 1: Keyboard Shortcuts (Snap Windows)
Windows keyboard shortcuts for Snap Windows split the screen in one keystroke — no mouse needed. The key combination is Win + Arrow in any direction.
| Shortcut | What It Does |
|---|---|
Win + Right Arrow |
Snaps the active window to the right half |
Win + Left Arrow |
Snaps the active window to the left half |
Win + Up Arrow |
Maximizes or snaps the window to the top half |
Win + Down Arrow |
Minimizes or snaps the window to the bottom half |
Win + Right + Up |
Snaps to the upper-right quarter |
Win + Right + Down |
Snaps to the lower-right quarter |
Win + Left + Up |
Snaps to the upper-left quarter |
Win + Left + Down |
Snaps to the lower-left quarter |
Note: If the keyboard shortcuts are not working, go to Settings ? System ? Multitasking and make sure the Snap Windows toggle is turned on.
Method 2: Snap Windows (Drag and Snap Assist)
Snap Windows lets you drag any window by its title bar to a screen edge to snap it into place — in Windows 11 you can also hover the maximize button to pick a layout.
Step 1: If Snap Windows is off, enable it via Settings ? System ? Multitasking — turn on the main toggle and enable the sub-options for best results.
Step 2: Drag any open window by its title bar to the left or right screen edge — a transparent snap zone appears to show where the window will land.
Step 3: Release the window onto the snap zone — Windows automatically shows your other open apps and asks you to pick one to fill the remaining space.
Windows 11 shortcut: Hover over any window’s maximize button to open the Snap Layouts picker — click a zone to instantly snap the window into that position.
Method 3: FancyZones (Microsoft PowerToys)
FancyZones is a window manager inside Microsoft PowerToys that lets you define custom screen zones and snap windows into them by holding Shift while dragging.
Step 1: Install Microsoft PowerToys from the Microsoft Store (free), open it from the Start Menu, navigate to FancyZones, and toggle it on.
Step 2: Press Win + Shift + ` (the tilde key, just below Escape) to open the FancyZones layout overlay on your current screen.
Step 3: Choose a preset layout or click Edit to customize zone sizes and positions, then hold Shift while dragging any window to snap it into a zone.
FancyZones supports multi-monitor setups, lets you exclude specific apps from zone snapping, and can override the default Snap Windows behavior when needed.
When to Use Each Method
Use keyboard shortcuts when you need to split the screen in one second — the fastest option for a quick two-window side-by-side arrangement without touching the mouse.
Use Snap Windows when you want Windows to guide you through filling the screen — the layout picker in Windows 11 makes three- and four-window arrangements easy.
Use FancyZones when you have a large or ultrawide monitor and need a precise, repeatable layout — ideal for power users who split into three or more custom zones daily.
Related Guides
These Windows guides cover productivity features and system tasks that complement split screen multitasking on Windows 10 and Windows 11.