How to split the screen on a Mac without Split View
Short answer: you do not have to use Split View. macOS 15 and later can tile a window to half or a quarter of the screen by dragging it to a screen edge or using the Window menu, all without entering full screen. For thirds, four columns, or a layout chooser you pick from, you need a window manager — Okie Dockie, Rectangle or Magnet.
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What is wrong with Split View
Split View is the feature you get by holding the green traffic-light button. It works, and almost nobody uses it twice, because of what it does to the rest of your Mac:
- It moves both windows into their own full-screen Space, so your desktop, other windows and anything you had arranged are gone.
- The Dock and menu bar hide.
- You get exactly two windows. Not three.
- Leaving it is fiddly, and your previous arrangement does not come back.
It is designed for focusing on two things and nothing else. Most people wanting a "split screen" just want two windows side by side on a normal desktop.
The built-in way, on macOS 15 and later
macOS 15 Sequoia added ordinary window tiling, separate from Split View. Three ways to reach it:
- Drag a window to the left or right edge for a half; to a corner for a quarter.
- Window menu → Move & Resize.
- Hover the green button and pick a position from the menu.
Windows stay on your normal desktop. The Dock stays put. This is what most people wanted all along, and it went unnoticed because Split View had already put them off.
On macOS 14 and earlier there is no built-in equivalent, and a third-party tool is the only option.
Keyboard shortcuts
macOS 15 puts tiling shortcuts under Fn plus the arrow keys — Fn + ← for the left half, Fn + → for the right, Fn + ↑ to fill the screen. They are listed in the Window menu next to each command.
If you are coming from Windows, note that ⌘ + arrow does not do this, which is where most people conclude the Mac cannot tile at all.
When you need more than halves and quarters
Built-in tiling runs out quickly:
- No thirds. On a 27-inch or ultrawide display, halves waste a lot of room. Three columns is the layout those monitors were bought for.
- No layout chooser. You must remember which edge produces which shape; there is nothing to look at and pick from.
- No assist. Snapping one window gives you one window and an empty space beside it and you fetch each remaining window yourself.
Okie Dockie adds the Windows 11 interaction: drag a window towards the top of the screen, a chooser appears, pick a shape, and the remaining slots offer your other open windows to fill them. Halves, thirds, quarters, four columns, and one-left-two-stacked-right. It is part of the free version.
Which tool to use
| Built-in (macOS 15+) | Rectangle | Magnet | Okie Dockie | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | Paid | Free |
| Halves and quarters | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Thirds | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Layout chooser on drag | No | No | No | Yes |
| Fills the other slots for you | No | No | No | Yes |
| Works before macOS 15 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Rectangle is free, open source and built around keyboard shortcuts. Okie Dockie uses the drag-to-top chooser and also includes click-through window focus and Chrome profiles in your Dock.
Get every Chrome profile into your Dock
Okie Dockie builds a real Dock icon for each Chrome profile you use, badged with that profile's own picture. Click one and you land back in the window it already had open.
Everything except Chrome profile icons is free forever, and the profile icons come with a 7-day free trial that starts on its own — no sign-up, no card. macOS 13+, Apple Silicon and Intel.
Frequently asked questions
How do I split the screen on a Mac without going full screen?
On macOS 15 and later, drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen, or use Window → Move & Resize. The window tiles on your normal desktop with the Dock and menu bar still visible. Split View, which takes over a full-screen Space, is a separate feature.
How do I split a Mac screen into three?
macOS cannot do thirds natively. A window manager is needed — Okie Dockie offers three columns from a drag-to-top chooser, and Rectangle or Magnet can do thirds by keyboard.
Why does Cmd + arrow not snap windows on a Mac?
Because macOS uses Fn + arrow for its tiling commands, not Cmd. Cmd + arrow does other things depending on the app. This is the single most common reason people think macOS cannot tile windows.
How do I get out of Split View?
Press Escape, or move the pointer to the top of the screen and click the green button on either window. Your previous window arrangement does not come back, which is one reason to use ordinary tiling instead.
Is there a free way to tile windows on a Mac?
Yes. macOS 15 and later can do halves and quarters built in. Rectangle is free and open source. Okie Dockie’s snap layouts are free too — only its Chrome profile Dock icons are paid, and those have a 7-day free trial.
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