How to Split Screen on Windows 11 (Snap Layouts)
Snap Layouts, edge dragging, and Win+arrow shortcuts split a Windows 11 screen in seconds, then Snap Assist and Snap Groups arrange the rest.
The quickest way to split your screen in Windows 11 is to drag a window to the left or right edge until it snaps to that half, then click a thumbnail to fill the other side. You can also press Win + Left or Win + Right, or hover the maximize button to open Snap Layouts and pick a grid. It is all built in, with nothing to install. How many grids you actually see depends on the display: a screen narrower than 1920 pixels — or a 1080p or 1440p screen set to higher scaling — shows four Snap Layouts, while a screen 1920 pixels or wider unlocks six, including the three-column arrangements.
Snap with a drag or the keyboard
Drag a window’s title bar against the left or right edge of the screen. When the translucent outline appears, let go and the window fills that half. Drag into a corner instead and it snaps to a quarter for four-up layouts. From the keyboard, press Win + Left or Win + Right to take a half, then tap Win + Up or Win + Down to push it into a corner.
Open Snap Layouts for grids
Hover your mouse over the maximize button in any window’s top-right corner and a small menu of layout options appears. Click the zone where you want the window to land. Press Win + Z to open the same menu from the keyboard, then type the number shown over a zone.
Let Snap Assist fill the rest
Once the first window is snapped, Snap Assist shows thumbnails of your other open apps in the empty space. Click one and it drops into place. To resize both windows at once, drag the divider between them, and one side grows as the other shrinks. Windows also saves the pair as a Snap Group, so hovering its taskbar icon restores the set. If you spread windows across displays, our guide on fixing a second monitor that isn’t detected helps you reclaim that room.
| Action | How to do it | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Snap to half | Drag to an edge or Win + Left/Right | Window fills 50% |
| Snap to quarter | Drag to a corner | Window fills 25% |
| Open Snap Layouts | Hover maximize button or Win + Z | Pick a grid zone |
| Resize both | Drag the center divider | Both windows adjust |
Turn snapping on if nothing snaps
If windows refuse to snap, open Settings > System > Multitasking and confirm the Snap windows toggle is on. Expand it to control the details, such as whether Snap Assist suggests thumbnails or whether Snap Layouts appear when you drag to the top of the screen. When a layout looks right, learn how to take a screenshot on Windows 11 to save or share it.
Snapping becomes muscle memory fast. Start with Win + Left and Win + Right, then open Snap Layouts for more than two windows.
Common questions
Why are there only four Snap Layouts on my screen?
Windows shows all six layouts, including the three-column options, only on displays 1920 pixels wide or more. Narrower screens, or a 1080p or 1440p display running at 125 to 200 percent scaling, drop to four because there is not enough room for the wider grids.
Why won’t Snap Layouts appear when I hover the maximize button?
The feature or its specific sub-toggle is off. Open Settings > System > Multitasking, turn on Snap windows, and enable “Show snap layouts when I hover over a window’s maximize button.”
How do I split the screen into three or four windows?
Drag a window into a corner to take a quarter, or hover the maximize button (or press Win + Z) and pick a three- or four-zone grid. The three-column layouts appear only on displays at least 1920 pixels wide.
How do I turn off Snap Assist suggestions?
In Settings > System > Multitasking, expand Snap windows and clear the boxes for showing what can snap beside a window and for suggesting snap layouts. The thumbnail prompts then stop appearing after you snap a window.