How to snap windows side by side on a Mac
Three ways to put two windows side by side on a Mac: tiling in macOS 15 Sequoia, Split View on older versions, and keyboard shortcuts from a window manager.
Sanjeev Maharjan6 min read
To put two windows side by side on a Mac running macOS 15 Sequoia or later, drag one window to the left edge of the screen until a frame appears, let go, then drag the other window to the right edge. On macOS 13 and 14 there is no edge tiling: use full-screen Split View from the green button, or a window manager that gives each half its own keyboard shortcut.
The short version: macOS 15 tiles a window when you drag it to an edge. Older versions only have Split View, which takes over the whole screen. A window manager such as SnapForMac does it on macOS 13 and later with Control, Option and an arrow key, and that part of it is free.
On macOS 15 or later: drag to an edge
Apple added window tiling in macOS 15 Sequoia. It works on the desktop you are already on, so the menu bar and the Dock stay where they are.
- Drag the first window by its title bar to the left edge of the screen.
- When a frame shows the left half, let go. The window fills that half.
- Drag the second window to the right edge and let go in the same way.
There are two other ways in on the same versions of macOS. Move the pointer over the green button at the top left of a window and a small panel offers the halves. Or open the Window menu and look under Move & Resize, where each position is a command.
The switches for this are in System Settings, under Desktop & Dock. If dragging to an edge does nothing on macOS 15, look there first: tiling by dragging can be turned off.
On macOS 13 and 14: Split View
macOS 13 Ventura and macOS 14 Sonoma have no edge tiling. What they have is Split View, which puts two windows side by side in a full-screen space of their own.
- Move the pointer over the green button of the first window, or click and hold it.
- Choose Tile Window to Left of Screen or Tile Window to Right of Screen.
- The other side shows your remaining windows. Click the one you want beside it.
- Drag the bar between the two windows to give one of them more room.
Split View does the job, with three limits worth knowing. It holds two windows and no more. It is full screen, so the menu bar and the Dock are hidden until you move the pointer to them. And the pair lives in its own space, away from your other windows, so getting to a third app means leaving it.
With a window manager: one shortcut per half
A window manager is a small app that moves and resizes windows for you. It is the only way to get edge snapping on macOS 13 and 14, and on any version it adds keyboard shortcuts that work the same in every app.
In SnapForMac the two you need are these:
| Where the window goes | Default shortcut |
|---|---|
| Left half | Control + Option + Left Arrow |
| Right half | Control + Option + Right Arrow |
| Back to the size and place it had before | Control + Option + Delete |
Click the first window and press the left shortcut. Click the second and press the right one. You can also drag a window to a side of the screen: a preview shows where it will land before you let go, and dragging a snapped window away gives it its old size back. Halves, quarters, maximise, centre, restore and dragging to snap are free in SnapForMac, with no time limit. The full list of keys is in the guide to Mac keyboard shortcuts for moving and resizing windows.
SnapForMac is not the only choice. Rectangle is a free, open-source window manager with shortcuts for halves and quarters and snapping by dragging to an edge. Either one needs the Accessibility permission before it can move a window.
Two windows in one step: pairs
Snapping two windows takes two actions. SnapForMac Pro has a shortcut that does both at once: Pair (Control + Option + P) puts the window in front on the left half and the one behind it on the right half.
After that the two act as a pair:
- Swap sides (Control + Option + S) makes the two windows change places.
- Drag the edge between them and, when you let go, the other window takes the rest of the width.
- Click back into one window of the pair from another app and its partner comes forward with it.
A window that you drag away, or snap somewhere else, leaves the pair. Pairs are part of SnapForMac Pro, which starts at $14.99, paid once. What is free and what is not is set out on the pricing page.
Which way to choose
| Your situation | What to use |
|---|---|
| macOS 15 or later, two windows now and then | The built-in tiling: drag to an edge |
| macOS 13 or 14, and you like a full screen with no distractions | Split View |
| macOS 13 or 14, and you want to keep the Dock and your other windows in reach | A window manager |
| You would rather not reach for the mouse | A window manager's shortcuts, or the Window menu's own on macOS 15 |
| You compare the same two windows many times a day | Pairs in SnapForMac Pro |
If you are weighing up the built-in tiling against an extra app, the guide on macOS Sequoia tiling or a window manager goes through what each one covers. For three windows, see how to split a Mac screen into three windows.
When a window will not go where you put it
- It is full screen or minimised. Leave full screen first. A window in full screen, a minimised window and a dialog cannot be snapped.
- It has a fixed size. Some windows cannot be resized. SnapForMac moves such a window into the half and centres it there at the size it has.
- Two things react to the same drag. On macOS 15, the system's tiling and a window manager can both answer a drag to an edge. Switch the system one off under System Settings, Desktop & Dock, or stop dragging and use shortcuts.
- The window manager does nothing at all. Check that it is switched on under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Accessibility.
SnapForMac runs on macOS 13 Ventura or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. The download page has the requirements and the install steps.
Questions people ask
Can I put two windows side by side on a Mac without installing anything?
Yes. On macOS 15 Sequoia or later, drag each window to a side of the screen. On macOS 13 and 14, use Split View from the green button, which places two windows side by side in full screen.
Why does dragging a window to the edge do nothing on my Mac?
Edge tiling arrived in macOS 15 Sequoia, so macOS 13 and 14 do not have it. On macOS 15, check the tiling switches under System Settings, Desktop & Dock. On an older version you need Split View or a window manager.
Is there a keyboard shortcut to snap a window to the left or right half?
On macOS 15 the Window menu, under Move & Resize, shows a shortcut beside each tiling command. In SnapForMac the defaults are Control, Option and the Left or Right Arrow, and they work on macOS 13 and later.
How do I get a window back to the size it was?
In SnapForMac, press Control, Option and Delete: Restore puts the window back at the size and place it had before the first snap. Dragging a snapped window away also gives it its old size back.
Does snapping windows side by side cost anything in SnapForMac?
No. Halves by keyboard and by dragging to a side are free with no time limit. Pair, Swap sides and the linked edge between two paired windows are part of SnapForMac Pro, a one-time purchase.
Written by Sanjeev Maharjan
Sanjeev Maharjan builds SnapForMac, a window snapping app for the Mac. Found a mistake in this guide? Write to [email protected].
