Native Split View
macOS Split View is the oldest method. Hold the green traffic-light button, choose "Tile Window to Left/Right of Screen", then pick the second app. The two windows enter a full-screen Space.
The downside: you lose your desktop, the windows enter their own Space, and switching away exits the split. Useful for deep-focus sessions but clunky for quick side-by-side work.
Rectangle method
The fastest split-screen method on Mac is Rectangle App. Press ⌃⌥← on the first window and ⌃⌥→ on the second. Two-second side-by-side split, no full-screen Space, no mouse required.
This approach keeps windows on your normal desktop — you can still Command-Tab freely, drag other apps in, and interact with the Dock. It's a floating split, not a full-screen Split View Space.
Three-app split: Use Rectangle thirds — ⌃⌥D, F, G — to fit three apps side by side. Native Split View can't do this.
Stage Manager
Stage Manager groups windows into clusters you switch between with a click. It's less about splitting and more about organising related work into scenes. Combine it with Rectangle — snap windows within a Stage Manager group for the best of both approaches.
Frequently asked questions
How do I exit Split View on Mac?
Press Escape or the green traffic-light button to exit macOS Split View. If you used Rectangle shortcuts, windows aren't in Split View — press ⌃⌥⌫ (Restore) on each window to return it to its previous size.
Can I split screen into more than two windows on Mac?
Native Split View supports only two windows. Rectangle supports thirds, quarters, sixths (Pro), and custom fractions (Pro), so you can tile three or more windows simultaneously.
Does split screen work with all apps on Mac?
Most apps support window resizing and work with Rectangle shortcuts. Native Split View requires apps to explicitly support it; Rectangle has no such restriction.