Make the most of the available space on your desk. A complicated task, since each application opens in a different window size and they do not always coincide with each other. But with the windows 11 split screen, inherited from its previous version and with some improvement, you can keep your screen divided, dock windows and thus have up to four applications open at the same time simultaneously.
Whether you have a monitor or two, small, medium or large, with the split screen functions of Windows 11 you can better organize open windows when you need to view files or data from multiple windows at the same time. You can also send content from one window to another. And is that to alternate between windows with the shortcut Windows key and Tab it is also a good idea.
Another useful function of Windows 11 what can you combine with split screen Its the virtual desktops. You can create them in various ways, for example, with the Windows key and Tab shortcut. In each virtual desktop you will have several windows or applications to deal with them in different tasks of your day to day.
Dock windows in Windows 11
The function Couple comes from Windows 10 and is known in English as Snap. With this little feature you can have your Windows 11 split screen with the windows perfectly aligned. Between two and four windows, depending on the space and position of each one, following various patterns. Depending on what you are going to do, you should choose one or the other.
By default, you can dock windows simply by dragging them to the corners of the screen. The size of the window will be adapted to the available space. So you can arrange between two and four windows, depending on how you place them. And when you get tired, dragging a window will return to its random position.
From the keyboard it is also possible to dock windows. You choose a window, you press the Windows key and then you press an arrow key: left, right, up, down. The result will be the same: arrange between two and four windows in one invisible grid.
Dock windows with designs or layouts
Best of all in Windows 11 split screen is that you can choose where to put each window within a pattern or grid. Microsoft calls it design in Spanish and layouts in English, and you will find it when you place the mouse cursor over the Maximize icon, in the Right upper corner of the window. Another way to open that design window is with the combination Windows key + Z. Fast and easy.
In Windows 11, docking windows is very effective, since the available patterns are perfectly adapted to your needs. What’s more, you don’t have to occupy the spaces with windows, you can leave some free space. And if you get tired of a split screen pattern, you can change it from the same menu and reposition open windows.
It’s more. By allocating space to one window, the others will appear in thumbnail so you can drag them to the space of your choice. Microsoft calls it Attendee, in English Snap Assist. Allows you to place the remaining windows in the splitscreen available spaces.
Otherwise, you can slightly change the space that each window occupies by dragging and dropping the dividing lines, horizontal and vertical.
Another interesting detail is that when you organize windows with the function Couple, Are crated application groups. You will see these groups when you place the mouse cursor over the taskbar, in one of the application icons that is part of the group. This allows you to quickly change between single apps and those groups.
Task view, thumbnail windows
Now that we know how to take advantage of the space offered by the Windows 11 split screen, we can go a little further. For example, seeing what applications we have open at a glance. It will also help us switch between windows.
In Windows 11 we have two ways to see Task View. The classic, which consists of pressing the Windows key + Tab. Then, without releasing the Windows key, by pressing Tab you can switch between windows until you find the one you want to see in the foreground.
Another way to see the Task view it is from the taskbar. The new Windows 11 bar shows some icons in its center. Some already known, such as the Start menu or the Search engine. Others are new, like the widgets or the Task View. It’s the third icon from the left.
Virtual desks, more space on your screen
Another way to take advantage of your screen space is to create virtual desktops. They are available from Task view and they are similar to split screen. However, what it does is give you the feeling that you have two or more desks. On each desktop you can have different applications open so you can focus on specific tasks at each desk.
Just click on New desktop from the Task view and open the applications you need at all times. And if you right click on the thumbnails of the virtual desktops, you can give them a name. For example, “work” or “surf the web.” You can also choose a wallpaper for each desktop. This way it will be easier for you differentiate them from each other.