How to Split Screens in Edge (and Other Browsers) for Multitasking

Whether you’re researching, studying, or trying to complete some other task, you could benefit significantly from opening two web pages in one window through screen splitting. Splitting your screen is all about having two web pages displayed in a browser. This tutorial shows how to activate Split Screen in Microsoft Edge and perform a similar function in other popular browsers.

Good to know: exasperated by the constant cookie consent pop-ups that appear every time you go online? Learn how to block them.

How to Use Split Screen in Microsoft Edge

The ability to split the screen is available natively in Microsoft Edge. This feature lets you open two web pages next to each other by splitting the screen in half. Additionally, the two web pages are conveniently merged into one tab to limit distractions and confusion.

1. Make the Split Screen button visible in Edge by going to “Settings -> Appearance” and scrolling down until you see the buttons section.
2. Here you get to choose the buttons you want to see on the top bar. Toggle on the “Split screen button” option.

3. If you couldn’t find the Split screen button on the settings page, you may need to update your browser by going to ““Settings -> Help and feedback -> About Microsoft Edge.” If there’s a pending update, make sure you install it.
4. If you still can’t see it, you can still use the feature by enabling a flag. Type the following in the browser’s address bar.

edge://flags/#edge-split-screen

5. Enable the “Microsoft Edge Split Screen” flag through the drop-down on the right.
6. Open the web page you want to use in split screen, then click the “Split Screen” button on the top bar.

7. The web page you already loaded will be displayed on the left, and the right side will be empty and ready to open a second webpage. Click the URL box at the top and type the URL you wish to open.

Tip: stop Windows links from opening in Edge and Bing by following our tutorial.

Microsoft Edge’s Split Screen Tweaks

1. Adjust the size of each side of the window by hovering the mouse over the separator between them and dragging it to the left or right.

2. Click the three-dot icon at the top right to manage options like opening the screen in a new tab or undoing the split screen and moving the two webpages back into two separate tabs.

3. You can also click the small split screen icon to choose whether you want to open every link you click on the opposite screen.

4. You can leave the split screen tab open, continue surfing the Internet, and get back to it later. The purple accent color differentiates the split screen tab.

Tip: to get any Firefox extension to work on Android, follow this guide.

How to Split the Screen in Firefox

Things are notably different with Firefox, as there’s no option to split the screen in half. Instead, open any link in a sidebar that occupies a quarter of the screen with the help of an add-on. This is helpful for people who need to read or check something in the sidebar while working on a main task in the browser.

1. Install the Side View add-on, which is safe to use and developed by Mozilla.

2. Anytime you want to see something in the sidebar, right-click it and select “Open in sidebar.” Do this for hyperlinks on pages, items in the bookmarks toolbar, and the context menu of the tabs themselves.

3. Firefox’s Side View options are pretty limited, as this add-on is very straight to the point. You can, however, move the sidebar to the right if you’d like and resize it a bit.

How to Split the Screen in Google Chrome

You can’t split your browser window in half when using Google Chrome. Instead, resize two windows – not tabs – and align them next to each other.

1. Launch Google Chrome.
2. Install the Dualless extension through the Chrome Web Store.

3. To start splitting your screen, open the first webpage you want and click on Dualless in the top bar. Click on the layout you prefer.

4. Dualless will create a new window and align it perfectly with the original one.

FYI: safeguard your personal data by enabling Strict Site Isolation in Chrome.

How to Split the Screen in Vivaldi

Vivaldi is a Chromium-based browser that packs numerous useful features that may even convince you to renounce Chrome. Things are elementary with Vivaldi when it comes to splitting the screen.

1. Launch the browser and click the “+” button to create a new sidebar.

2. Add the website name you want to open in the second panel in the “Add Web Panel” box. There are a few default options available, too, such as a Wikipedia sidebar that will take you to the site instantly.
3. Resize the sidebar (which acts as a different tab) by hovering your mouse pointer on the divide line until it becomes a two-arrow pointer. Drag the window left and right to arrange it into the position you want.

Tip: need to do a test in different versions of IE? Learn how to view websites with IE mode in Chrome.

Frequently Asked Questions

All screenshots by Mustafa Ashour.

Mustafa Ashour

Mustafa is a tech content writer who's a geek at heart. His passion lies in writing about technology, especially software-related topics. He's also interested in digital marketing, business development, and entrepreneurship. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance.