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When you’re being productive, a single window may not be enough to complete your task. Most computers have keyboard shortcuts or touchpad gestures to switch between windows, but using too many windows can be confusing. Chromebooks include great multitasking features in the ChromeOS operating system. One feature is split screen mode, which puts two windows side by side to use two applications or windows simultaneously. These work well on all Chromebooks but look best on some of our favorite Chromebooks with larger screens. This guide walks you through how to use the split screen feature on your Chromebook.
How to use your Chromebook when you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection
An offline Chromebook can still use many of its cloud-based apps
How to activate a split screen with the Maximize button on your Chromebook
The Restore/Maximize button at the top of the window has a little-known trick to activate split screen mode.
- Open a Chrome browser window or an app.
- Click and hold the Maximize/Restore button in the upper-right corner of the window.
- Drag your mouse to the side of the screen where you want to snap the app or window. A white outline shows where the window will be snapped to when you’re in the correct position.
- Release the mouse.
Do the same for the other window or app on the other side of the screen, and you’re ready to multitask. You can do this with browser windows and Android apps. If you close one split window, the other one doesn’t automatically maximize.
How to set up a split screen by dragging and dropping on your Chromebook
Sometimes, the easiest way to use a split screen is by dragging and dropping your new window where you want it.
- Select a new Chrome tab or app.
- Move your cursor to the menu bar (the top of the window where a tab sits).
- Drag the window to the side of your screen you want it to be on. A preview shows where the window will snap to when you’re in the right place.
- Let go of the mouse when you’re on the side of the screen where you want the window to snap.
Dragging and dropping is an easy way to make sure your windows are exactly where you need them with a flick of the wrist.
How to fix a slow Chromebook with ChromeOS Diagnostics
Check out how each component of your Chromebook is doing
How to use keyboard shortcuts to activate the split screen
There’s a keyboard shortcut if you don’t want to use your mouse to activate the split screen.
- Launch Chrome or an app.
- Press Alt + [ to snap the window to the left side of your screen or Alt + ] to snap the window to the right. You can snap the second window on the other side and view two apps or tabs at the same time.
Snapping windows using the keyboard means you don’t have to lift the fingers from the keyboard to multitask.
How to use split screen on a Chromebook from the overview menu
Similar to Windows 10, Windows 11, and Mac, ChromeOS has a dedicated overview menu to glance over your opened apps and tabs. You can use it to resize an app window to half of the screen. Let’s see it in action.
- Press the show window button on your Chromebook keyboard. It looks like a rectangle with two vertical lines. You can also swipe up on the touchpad using the three-finger gesture to activate the overview mode.
- Drag the app preview window to the right or left side of the screen to activate a split view.
You can use this overview to select a layout with the desired window size of your windows or apps.
How to use split screen on a Chromebook in tablet mode
Some Chromebook manufacturers offer 2-in-1 devices with a touchscreen. If you have one and frequently use it in tablet mode, check the steps below to activate tablet mode on it.
- Swipe up and hold from the bottom to launch the overview menu.
- Tap an app window and move it to the left or right side of the screen.
- Select another app and view two apps side by side.
After activating the split screen feature in tablet mode, you can resize the app or tab window. Touch the divider bar between two apps and move it left or right to resize.
It may take time to become comfortable using ChromeOS gestures in tablet mode. After some time, you can comfortably launch the overview menu, switch between apps, and activate the split screen functionality.
Bonus: How to maximize a window on your Chromebook
When you finish multitasking, you may want to switch back to a single full screen window. There are a couple of ways to do this on a Chromebook. Let’s take a look at each of them.
How to maximize a ChromeOS window using the Maximize/Restore button
- Select the window you want to maximize.
- Click the Maximize/Restore button in the upper-right corner of the title bar.
- Tap to fill up your screen again.
How to maximize a window via drag and drop
- Make sure the screen you want to maximize is your active window.
- Drag the window to the upper-middle side of your screen.
- Release the mouse.
- Your window has been dragged and dropped to maximum size.
How to maximize a ChromeOS window with a keyboard shortcut
- Choose the window you want to maximize.
- Press the = and Alt keys at the same time.
- With the stroke of a key, you’ve maximized your desired window.
Multitask to your heart’s content
Juggling multiple windows on a single screen can be tedious, but ChromeOS’s multitasking features make it easier. Another easy way to multitask is to make your most used apps and websites easily accessible. That’s where the Chromebook’s shelf comes in, and it’s easy to pin your favorite apps and websites to it.
