Split screen laptop and monitor Windows 10 shortcut

Wondering how to use split screen in Windows 10? You've come to the right place! If you've got a large computer monitor, then one of the biggest perks is being able to view multiple windows side by side, allowing you to quickly and easily look at different pieces of information without having to switch between tabs.

The design of Windows 10 has certainly had its detractors over the years. Those who use the best MacBooks and Macs are quick to point out that while the Mac user experience feels like silently gliding over silky dunes on a distant planet basking in eternal springtime, Windows 10 is more like, well, using a computer. 

But learning how to use Windows 10 has its advantages. For starters there's a solid expediency to this operating system, and its Window-snapping and screen-splitting features have been so good that even macOS would end up implementing them years later. It was way back in Windows 7 that Microsoft pioneered window-snapping, which lets you quickly drag a window to the edge of your screen so that it takes up exactly half of it.

Fast forward many years and we love how much this feature has continued to improve, with split-screen possibilities bolstered by additional features like four-way splitting and Microsoft’s excellent PowerToys app. If you've invested in the best computer, you'll find that learning how to use split screen in Windows 10 will allow you to multitask with ease.

To help you do just that, here's everything you need to know, including how to split your screen into four. Let's take a look...

The most fundamental way to use split screen in Windows 10 is to drag an open window to the left or right side of the screen. This will automatically ‘snap’ that window to take up exactly half of the screen.

Split screen laptop and monitor Windows 10 shortcut

(Image credit: Future)

If you have other windows open at the time, they will appear as smaller thumbnails on the other half of the screen, at which point you can click the one you want to fill that half. 

Alternatively, you can just get on with what you were doing in the snapped window and the remaining windows will return to where they were before you started snapping.

Split screen laptop and monitor Windows 10 shortcut

(Image credit: Future)

Once you have two windows snapped to the left and right half of the screen, you can adjust the amount each window takes up by dragging the dividing line in the middle. Instead of just one window overlapping the other, Windows will adapt the size of both windows as you drag that line left and right.

Split screen laptop and monitor Windows 10 shortcut

(Image credit: Future)

You can go a step further and use split screen in Windows 10 in four ways too, though really you’ll want a 1440p (2560 x 1440) resolution monitor to make the most of this. Any resolution below that, and you’ll struggle to see much information in any of the windows.

To snap a window so that it takes up only a quarter of your screen, drag it all the way to one of the corners of the screen (again, remaining windows will appear as thumbnails so you can click them to snap them to whatever space remains on your screen).

Split screen laptop and monitor Windows 10 shortcut

(Image credit: Future)

Split-screen keyboard shortcuts

  • Snap window to left or right half: Win + left/right arrow
  • Snap window to corner/quarter of screen: Win + left/right arrow then up/down arrow
  • Make window fullscreen: Win + up arrow until full screen
  • Expand ¼ window to ½ window: Win + up/down arrow

Split screen when using two monitors

If you’re using two monitors, then you’ll find that when you drag a window over to the edge of the screen it will be pulled over to your second screen instead of snapping to the edge of the first one. Of course, that’s fine if you want to snap your windows on the second screen anyway, but what about snapping to the first screen with a dual-monitor setup?

The solution is to drag the window /slowly/ to the edge of the first screen. When you see the snap outline appear for that window, you can let go of the mouse button and it will snap to the edge or corner of the screen.

Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcuts under the previous heading to snap windows freely between your two screens. So Win + right arrow will snap to the right edge of your first screen, then just do the same again to move it over to the left edge of the second screen, and so on.

Go wild with PowerToys FancyZones

If you want to dig even deeper into Windows’ snapping features, you can do so with Microsoft PowerToys, which unlocks a load of extra customisability aimed at Windows 10 power users.

One of these PowerToys features is FancyZones, which lets you split windows in different ways - taking up thirds of your screen, horizontal splitting and so on.

Split screen laptop and monitor Windows 10 shortcut

(Image credit: Future)

Once you’ve installed PowerToys, run it as administrator then click FancyZones in the left-hand pane and ‘Launch layout editor’.

Split screen laptop and monitor Windows 10 shortcut

(Image credit: Future)

Here you can choose how many windows you want to split your screen into, the layout of those windows, the space between them and so on. It really lets you refine the way you split your screen, though again you’ll need a 1440p or higher display to make the most of this if splitting more than two windows.

Split screen laptop and monitor Windows 10 shortcut

(Image credit: Future)

To use your custom FancyZones, just hold the Shift key when dragging windows (you can change this shortcut and other window-snapping variables in the main FancyZones window).

And there you have it - you now know every possible way to use split screen in Windows 10! 

Windows can use multiple displays in several ways, extending or duplicating your primary monitor. You can even turn off your primary monitor. Here’s how to change secondary display settings with a simple keyboard shortcut.

Using the Windows + P “Project” Menu

To quickly change how Windows 10 handles multiple displays, press Windows + P.

A dark-gray menu titled “Project” will pop up on the right part of your screen. (That’s “project” as in projector, not “project” as in a task people work on together.)

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From here, you can use the mouse or cursor keys and Enter to choose the option you’d like. Here’s what the options do:

  • PC screen only: This mode only shows video on the primary display, even if a second one is connected.
  • Duplicate: This mode duplicates the video output from the primary display onto a second display, which can be ideal for presentations.
  • Extend: This mode extends the desktop across as many displays as you have connected. It stitches them all into one large virtual desktop, and you can move windows between them.
  • Second screen only: This mode only shows video on the second display, while the primary display remains blank and unused.
Split screen laptop and monitor Windows 10 shortcut
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RELATED: How to Rearrange Windows with Keyboard Shortcuts on Windows 10

Examples of When to Use Each Project Option

With the options listed above in mind, let’s take a look at four common multiple display scenarios and examine how these options can help:

Scenario 1: PowerPoint Presentation

You have a laptop connected to a digital projector in a lecture hall, business meeting, or church, and you’d like to display the contents of your screen through the projector. In this case, you’d want to choose Duplicate mode from the Windows+P Project menu. Next, start up your presentation program as usual, and the audience will see exactly what you see on your computer screen.

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Scenario 2: Desktop Power User

You have two or more monitors to give you more screen real estate for productivity purposes, such as software development, video editing, stock trading, or music production. In this case, you’d want to use the Extend mode from the Windows+P Project menu, so you can see as much information as possible at once. You can even move windows between monitors with a keyboard shortcut.

Scenario 3: Laptop Monitor Replacement

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You have a work laptop that you’d like to use at home with a large monitor, but you don’t need the laptop’s built-in display. You can even configure the laptop to stay running with the lid closed, and use an external keyboard and a mouse. In this case, you’d want to pick Second screen only mode from the Windows + P Project menu.

Scenario 4: Family Movie Night

It’s movie night, and you have a new video projector that you’d like to use to watch a film from your PC. In this case, you can use Duplicate or Second screen only mode from the Windows + P Project menu. If the projector has a different native resolution than your display, then “Second screen only” may work better because Windows will adapt the output perfectly to the projector instead of trying to stretch your primary display’s resolution to fit.

RELATED: How to Move a Window to Another Monitor on Windows 10

More Multi-Display Tips

If you don’t have a spare monitor but have a PC with a built-in display, you can potentially use it as second monitor with a wireless technology called Miracast built into Windows 10. And, for more info on working productively with multiple-monitor setups, check out our in-depth guide to taking advantage of dual monitors. Have fun, and enjoy the view!

RELATED: How to Use Multiple Monitors to Be More Productive