# Split Screen Mac Shortcut Keys

The split screen Mac shortcut is Fn-Control-arrow on macOS 15 and later. Full key list, what to do on macOS 14, and conflicts with other apps.

The split screen Mac shortcut on macOS 15 and later is Fn-Control-Shift-Left Arrow. The active window goes to the left half and the window behind it goes to the right. On a MacBook, Fn is the Globe key, so hold Globe and Control, then the arrow. Do not tap Globe on its own. A tap opens emoji or dictation.

On macOS 14 and earlier these keys do not exist. Use Split View from the green button instead.

## The keys

Apple splits the shortcuts into two families. Without Shift, only the front window moves. With Shift, a second window comes along.

| Shortcut | What you get |
|---|---|
| Fn-Control-Left Arrow | Active window, left half |
| Fn-Control-Right Arrow | Active window, right half |
| Fn-Control-Up Arrow | Active window, top half |
| Fn-Control-Down Arrow | Active window, bottom half |
| Fn-Control-Shift-Left Arrow | Active window left, second window right |
| Fn-Control-Shift-Right Arrow | Active window right, second window left |
| Fn-Control-Shift-Up Arrow | Active window on top, second window below |
| Fn-Control-Shift-Down Arrow | Active window below, second window on top |
| Fn-Control-F | Fill the desktop. The menu bar and Dock stay |
| Fn-Control-C | Centre the window |
| Fn-Control-R | Back to the size it had before |

Fn-Control-Option-Shift-Left Arrow is three windows: a half on the left and two quarters on the right. It is not a four-window split. Corners, and the four-window Quarters layout, have no shortcut. Use the green button or a drag. That layout is [4 way split screen on Mac](/guides/4-way-split-screen-mac).

The steps without the keyboard are in [how to split screen on a Mac](/guides/split-screen-mac).

<figure>
  <img src="/media/diagrams/macos-fn-control-shift-left.svg" alt="Diagram of Left and Right halves on the desktop after Fn-Control-Shift-Left Arrow, with the menu bar and Dock still visible. The layout name is Left &amp; Right." width="640" height="400" loading="lazy" className="!my-0" />
  <figcaption>Diagram of Left &amp; Right. Fn-Control-Shift-Left Arrow keeps the menu bar and Dock on the desktop.</figcaption>
</figure>

## macOS 14 and earlier

Sonoma, Ventura and older systems have no window tiling shortcuts. Fn-Control-Left Arrow will do nothing, or something else.

Hover the green button. On Sonoma, choose Tile Window to Left of Screen or Tile Window to Right of Screen, then click the second app. That is Split View: a full-screen pair, not a desktop split. Check the version in Apple menu → About This Mac. Sequoia is 15. Tahoe is 26. Golden Gate is 27. Sonoma is 14.

## If nothing happens

1. Leave full screen. Tiling acts on desktop windows.
2. Quit any other window manager. Rectangle, Magnet, AeroSpace, yabai, Amethyst and Ribbon will move the window again after macOS tiles it.
3. If a drag snaps twice, turn off either Apple's edge drag or the other app's. Apple's switches are in System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Windows. Those switches do not remove the keyboard shortcuts.
4. If the wrong partner jumps, click the window you want second, then the one you want in front, then press Fn-Control-Shift-Left Arrow.
5. Press Fn-Control-R to put the front window back.

## Ribbon's keys

These work only while [Ribbon](https://meetribbon.app) is running. They are not Apple's shortcut.

Command-Control-2 lays out two columns. Command-Control-3 lays out three. Command-Control-4 lays out four. Command-Control-\ puts the windows back on the strip. The full set is on the [shortcuts page](/guides/shortcuts).

![Ribbon's layout board, with two-column, three-column and four-window arrangements.](/media/screenshots/01-layouts.jpg)


## FAQs

### What is the Mac shortcut for two windows side by side?

Fn-Control-Shift-Left Arrow on macOS 15 or later. The active window goes left and the second window goes right. Fn-Control-Left Arrow moves only the active window.

### Is the Globe key the same as Fn?

On a MacBook, yes. The bottom-left key is Fn, printed with a globe. Hold it with Control and an arrow. Tapping it alone opens emoji or dictation.

### Why doesn't the shortcut work on my Mac?

macOS 14 and earlier do not have it. On a newer Mac, quit other window managers, leave full screen, and include Shift if you wanted two windows rather than one.

### Is there a shortcut for four windows?

No. Apple's Quarters layout has no keyboard shortcut. Left & Quarters (Fn-Control-Option-Shift-arrow) is three windows.