Split screening can be a great way to multitask on your Surface Pro. You can split the screen by using the taskbar, dragging the window to a specific spot on the screen, or using a keyboard shortcut.
When using a laptop or tablet, it can be annoying to have to click in and out of different tabs, programs, or apps. It wastes a lot of time, and is simply not a very intuitive experience. Instead, it is often a better idea to split your screen.
This way, you have everything you need on the screen at once and can easily jump from one app to another. But how can you go about split screening on a Surface Pro? Keep reading to find out.
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Key Takeaways
- Using the Task View icon on your taskbar is a clear and simple way to split your screen and get a clear view of all your open tasks.
- Dragging your mouse, pen, or finger on different apps can allow you to split your screen in half or even into quadrants.
- There are specific keyboard shortcuts that can allow you to split your screen and ensure the right task is in the right place.
Using the Taskbar
The first option to split the screen on your Surface Pro is by using the taskbar. On the left side of your taskbar, you will see the Task View icon. If you click the icon, it will bring up a clear view of all your open tasks.
Hover over one, right click it, and choose either Snap right or Snap left. When you choose one, that task will immediately snap to one side of your screen, leaving the other open for a different task.
Once you have snapped the selected task window to one side of your screen, you can simply click on one of the other open tasks to populate the other side.
Dragging Your Mouse, Pen, or Finger
Another choice is to simply move the app or program window to a certain part of the screen. Using your mouse, pen, or finger, you can drag your chosen window anywhere on the screen, by pressing and holding the top of the window, and moving it as you wish.
When you move the window towards the edge of your screen, you will get visual feedback on your screen that lightly outlines the position that the window will snap in. Simply release the window once you see that light outline and the window will snap into place.
In addition to splitting your screen in half by dragging a window to each side, you can also split it into quadrants by dragging the windows into the different corners of the screen.
If you are attempting to use split screen while in tablet mode, keep in mind that you need to be in landscape for it to work correctly.
Split Screen Using the Keyboard
You can also split the screen on your Surface Pro by using the keyboard. If you are in an active window, you can press the Windows key and then use the left and right arrows to move the window throughout the screen.
You can also use the up and down arrows to move where on the screen you would like this window to go. Then it is possible to select another window to fill the empty spaces on the screen.
You can cycle through the different apps by clicking through each of them, but you can also use the Alt and Tab keys to make this easier. Holding the Alt key and pressing the Tab key allows you to move from one tab to the next until you reach the desired window.
Once on the right app or window, you can use the Windows key trick from earlier to put it in the desired location on your screen.
Final Thoughts
Splitting your screen is a great way to make your workflow smoother, save time, and multitask much more effectively. Whether you use the taskbar, drag the window, or utilize a keyboard shortcut, we hope this guide has helped you learn how to split the screen on your Surface Pro.
What sorts of multitasking do you do that is made easier by split screening? Let us know in the comment section below!
