Snapping windows is a useful way to organize and view multiple windows side-by-side in Windows 10. When you snap a window, it resizes to take up exactly half the screen, either the left or right side. This allows you to easily compare or view two windows at the same time.
What is snapping windows?
Snapping is a window management feature in Windows 10 that allows you to quickly arrange and resize windows. When you snap a window, it resizes to take up exactly half of the screen space. This splits the screen into two vertical halves, with the snapped window taking up one side.
Some key things to know about snapping windows:
- Snapping resizes the window to occupy 50% of the screen width.
- You can snap a window to the left or right half of the screen.
- The other window(s) automatically resize to fit in the remaining space.
- It allows you to see two windows side-by-side for easy multitasking.
Snapping is useful for multitasking and comparing two windows or documents. For example, you may want to snap a web browser to one side and a document to the other side to reference information while writing.
How to snap a window to the left half of the screen
Snapping a window in Windows 10 is very easy to do:
- Open the window you want to snap.
- Click on the title bar of the window and drag it to the left edge of the screen.
- When the mouse pointer touches the left edge, release the mouse button.
- The window will resize to take up exactly the left half of the screen.
Alternatively, you can also snap a window to the left using just the keyboard:
- Open the window you want to snap.
- Press the Windows key + Left arrow key on your keyboard.
- The window will snap to the left half of the screen.
When you snap a window using either method, any other open windows will automatically resize to fit the remaining space on the right side of the screen.
Snapping multiple windows
You can snap up to two windows side-by-side at a time, one in each half.
If you have multiple windows open that you want to compare or view simultaneously, here is how to arrange them:
- Snap the first window to the left half.
- Now snap the second window to the right half.
The two windows will resize to fill each half of the screen in a side-by-side view.
The remaining window(s) will stack on top of each other on one side. You can continue snapping more windows to quickly arrange your open windows in different configurations.
Resizing snapped windows
When you snap a window, it automatically resizes to a 50/50 split. But you can still manually resize the snapped windows like normal:
- Hover over the border between the two windows until the resize cursor appears.
- Drag the border left or right to resize either window.
This allows you to customize the space allocation if the automatic 50/50 split isn’t quite what you want.
Un-snapping windows
Snapping is meant to be a temporary view. When you’re done with the side-by-side view, you can un-snap the windows:
- Drag the snapped window away from the screen edge and into the center.
- Alternatively, click the Maximize button to make the window return to full screen size.
The window will return to its normal size and position. Any other windows will also return to their previous states and sizes.
Snap window shortcuts
Here is a quick summary of the keyboard shortcuts you can use to snap windows:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Windows key + Left arrow | Snap window to left half |
| Windows key + Right arrow | Snap window to right half |
| Windows key + Up arrow | Maximize window |
| Windows key + Down arrow | Minimize window |
These shortcuts provide quick access to snapping and resizing windows for efficient multitasking.
Customizing snap layouts
In addition to basic side-by-side snapping, Windows 10 provides a few pre-configured snap layouts you can use:
- Two windows side-by-side: The most common layout, with one window on the left and one on the right.
- Four quadrants: Splits the screen into four sections, with a window in each quadrant.
- Three column layout: Divides the screen horizontally into thirds, with a window in each column.
To use a layout, click and drag a window to one of the preset zones at the edges of the screen until it snaps into place. The other windows will automatically adjust to the layout.
You can also create and save your own custom snap layouts using the Snap Assist feature.
- Arrange your windows in the desired layout by snapping them.
- Right click the taskbar and select “Show windows stacked”.
- Click the “New desktop” button that appears.
- Give your custom layout a name and it will be saved for future use.
This allows you to quickly switch between frequently used window arrangements.
Snap window tips
Here are some additional tips for snapping windows efficiently:
- Drag a window into a corner to snap it to half of the quadrant in that corner.
- Snap the Taskbar to resize it and make more room for snapped windows.
- Organize multiple monitors by snapping related apps or files to one screen.
- Not all apps support snapping fully. Some may not resize properly.
- Use the three-finger touchpad gesture to snap windows on touchscreen devices.
Conclusion
Snapping windows is a very useful Windows 10 feature for multitasking and organizing your workflow. By snapping windows to halves or quadrants of your screen, you can view and work with multiple files, apps, websites, and more simultaneously.
Snapping a window to precisely the left or right half is as simple as dragging it to the edge or using a keyboard shortcut. Combine snapping with custom layouts and multiple monitors to create an efficient productive environment.