You can use split view with Google Chrome on a computer by using your operating system’s window management features, since Chrome itself does not have a built-in split-screen mode.
On Windows, open two Chrome windows. Then drag one window to the left or right edge of the screen until it snaps into place. Next, select the second Chrome window to fill the other side. You can also use the shortcut Windows key + Left/Right arrow to snap windows quickly.
On macOS, open two Chrome windows, then click and hold the green full-screen button in the top-left corner of one window. Choose Tile Window to Left of Screen or Tile Window to Right of Screen, then select the second Chrome window to fill the remaining space.
This allows you to view two webpages side by side, which is useful for comparing information, copying content, or multitasking.
You can also drag tabs out of a Chrome window to create a new window, then place each window on different sides of the screen.
You can display two websites simultaneously within a single Chrome window. One view is always active and the other is inactive in the split view. You can use split view to compare information, reference different sources, copy and paste content or multitask with different web pages open at once.
- Active view: This view is visually distinct with a thicker border. Items in the toolbar like back, forwards, home buttons or address bar apply to the active view only.
- All tab-specific features, like Translate, Print and Reading mode, work on the active view of split view but not on both.
- Inactive view: This view appears with a lighter border. You can scroll in the inactive view without making it active. If you click the inactive view, it'll become the active view.
- At the bottom right, you can find the website of the inactive view.
- Side panels:
- Side panels, like Bookmarks or History, remain open when you switch between views.
- Tab-specific side panels, like Reading mode, collapse when you switch between views.
- Split view icon: When split view is active, the split view icon indicates which is the active view.
- Left view is active:
- Right view is active:
- Left view is active:
- Managing views: You can close individual views, swap their positions or separate them.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- On an opened tab, you can:
- Open tabs in split view:
- Inactive tab:
- Right-click the inactive tab.
- Select New split view with current tab.
- Active tab:
- Right-click the active tab.
- Select Add tab to new split view.
- Drag-and-drop: Drag and drop the tab to the right or left.
- Inactive tab:
- Open links in split view:
- Right-click link:
- To open in the split view, right-click on the link that you want.
- Select Open link in split view.
- Right-click link:
- Drag-and-drop: Drag and drop the link to the right or left.
- Open tabs in split view:
Tip: To open split view in the active tab with a keyboard shortcut:
- Windows and Linux: Shift + Alt + N
- Mac: Cmd + Option + N
- Chromebook: Ctrl + Alt + N
From the toolbar
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- Go to a website.
- On the left of the address bar, select Split view
.
- The split view icon depends on your active view.
- You can either:
- Separate split view: This separates your tab views and returns as regular tabs.
- Close left or right view: This closes the selected view.
- Reverse position: This changes the active view from left to right or right to left.
From the menu
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- Open a tab or link in split view.
- To close the view, at the bottom right of either of the views, select Close
.
When split view is active, you can find its icon on the left of your address bar.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- Open a tab or link in split view.
- On the left of your address bar, right-click Split view
- The split view icon depends on your active view.
- Select Pin
.
Once the split view icon is pinned, you can open split view from the toolbar.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- Go to a website.
- On the left of the address bar, select Split view
.
- Choose the other tab to add to the split view.
By default, drag and drop of tabs are turned on. To manage this in the settings:
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, select More
Settings.
- On the left, select Appearance.
- Turn Allow split view drag and drop on left or right edge of window off.
- To allow drag and drop of tabs, turn Allow split view drag and drop on left or right edge of window on.
Related resources
Some newer versions of Chrome and certain devices may support tab grouping or side-by-side tab experiments, but these are limited and not always available.
In summary, while Chrome does not offer a native split view feature on computers, you can easily achieve multitasking by using your system’s split-screen tools to arrange multiple Chrome windows side by side.
