How to Use Split View in OS X El Capitan

[jayducharme]

I'm not seeing the usefulness of Split Screen in OS X. On the iPad, it could be incredibly useful. But when I'm working on a project on my Mac, I often have four apps open and swiftly jump between them with Expose. When I need to exchange files between apps, I just drag them next to each other. I guess it's good that OS X gives you so many different ways to manage your workflow. Split Screen is just one more.

 

[Parasprite]

I mean, making an app fullscreen on the Mac is very different from doing it in Windows, and it has huge benefits, mostly. So having that sort of implementation on the Mac is impossible.

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Windows apps tell the OS what to display in fullscreen mode, just like OS X apps. There is no technical reason why you couldn't implement a more Windows-like interface on OS X or vice versa.

 

[Zakzilla]

Ill start using this as soon as it works without the need of 'full screen'. I hate, -and see no reason for full screen apps on a (large, 27" inch) desktop personally... except movies maybe. So for now I'd say; Apple... You're implementing it wrong'

I use fullscreen apps (and split screen now) on a big screen all the time works well for me. I love quickly switching between workspaces

 

[4ndrw]

BetterSnapTool. Have been using that for years (well before El Capitan was released). Way better then split view as I have the benefit of expanding any app to half the screen and still having multiple apps in the other half. I can also expand windows to just a quarter of the screen and it can all be done by dragging to the edge.

Yup. I've been using BetterSnapTool for years also.

It's fantastic.

 

[definitive]

This is a poorly designed tool. I don't see a way to use it in windowed mode, instead it has to use full screen. When I exit the mode with one window, it sends the other one to a separate screen. What a hassle...
It's easier to just manually resize two windows to fit on the screen side by side.

 

[jerwin]

I've tried using split screen to transcribe a PDF image of a book into a scrivener page. Seemed to work well for that purpose. Normally, I like having an array of monitors with overlapping windows and whatnot, but in this case, I appreciated the lack of extraneous widgets.

 

[roland.g]

The only way in which Split View beats Better Snap Tool is that you can resize Split View on the fly between the two apps. Windows at BST both only do halves, quarters, etc. Implementation-wise, BST and Windows beat Split View.

This was one of the only features I really saw as a feature in El Cap. And as such I have upgraded my MBA but left my main machine, iMac, running Yosemite. This is in part because I also don't like how the Desktops and Full Screen Apps in Mission Control are reduced to names and you must move the cursor to that area to reveal the pictures. I wish there was a checkbox to go back to the old behavior on this. It makes sense on a screen challenged laptop but not on a desktop like a 27" iMac.

 

[Parasprite]

The only way in which Split View beats Better Snap Tool is that you can resize Split View on the fly between the two apps. Windows at BST both only do halves, quarters, etc. Implementation-wise, BST and Windows beat Split View.

Resize one window and resnap the other and it will take up the remaining space. It's not as streamlined as resizing them both at once like El Cap does, but the result is basically the same.

 

[Shirasaki]

i agreed that it is much better in Windows especially in Windows 10 where you can split the view up to 4 different apps and it give you suggestion on which to split.

however there is little bit which EX Capitan did better and that is the resizing of the window. you can't drag the divider between windows to adjust the spaces. it used to be possible in Windows 8 modern app but was removed in Windows 10.

on this aspect, i secretly wish that apple and microsoft copy each other.

Windows 7 can do what you say, but it is a little bit awkward. Because you need to drag window for each individual app separately, rather than dragging a slider to adjust both.
Windows 8 one is more designed for modern apps, not conventional desktop apps.

Hmm. I use it sometimes. But 1366*768 cannot do much about this feature.

This might be more useful when I have a Mac with 15" or much bigger screen, while screen resolution goes over 1080P.

 

[baryon]

As much as I hate saying this, its so much easier in Windows where you drag the window to the side of the screen and it snaps into place or you press windows and the arrow key where you want to go.
Its so much easier and I don't actually use this features as its a little longer to do

Yes! This Mac version sucks. It's so damn fiddly. Let's say I want to put Safari and Mail side by side, but they're not on the same space. So I "Click-Hold-Pause-Drag the Green button" (seriously wtf already) and move it to the left or right side, and it says "No Available Windows". And then you're stuck. You can't swipe up, left or right, you can't go into Mission Control. You're frozen in this "No Available Windows" half-split view thing. You have to CLICK to get out of this mess. I mean seriously. What?? There are plenty of available windows! They're just not on this space! Why does that prevent me from putting them side by side? Why can't it just offer a view of all open windows on the entire system? Also when it says "No Available Windows", at least let me go into Mission Control to go and get those windows.

Then you go into Mission Control and try to do it from there. You Swipe Up, Drag the current window Up and try to fiddle it between two Spaces thumbnails. It does nothing but you have to "believe in the force" or something, because when you let go it goes full screen. Then what? You still have to find the other window you want to put beside it. So now you're swiping left and right trying to find the stupid other window. Since now going into Mission Control doesn't let you see all your windows at once, you can only see the ones on the current space unless you move the mouse to the top, so it's much harder to figure out which space the window I'm looking for is on. Wow. I wonder what's next, this can't possibly get much worse! I'm sure Apple will find a way to make it suck even more.

Seriously this and Full Screen S-U-C-K-S so hard I can't see myself using it. It's faster to just switch spaces more frequently or put windows side by side the old fashioned way. Why don't they just make it good? How hard is that?

 

[Shirasaki]

Yes! This Mac version sucks. It's so damn fiddly. Let's say I want to put Safari and Mail side by side, but they're not on the same space. So I "Click-Hold-Pause-Drag the Green button" (seriously wtf already) and move it to the left or right side, and it says "No Available Windows". And then you're stuck. You can't swipe up, left or right, you can't go into Mission Control. You're frozen in this "No Available Windows" half-split view thing. You have to CLICK to get out of this mess. I mean seriously. What?? There are plenty of available windows! They're just not on this space! Why does that prevent me from putting them side by side? Why can't it just offer a view of all open windows on the entire system? Also when it says "No Available Windows", at least let me go into Mission Control to go and get those windows.

Then you go into Mission Control and try to do it from there. You Swipe Up, Drag the current window Up and try to fiddle it between two Spaces thumbnails. It does nothing but you have to "believe in the force" or something, because when you let go it goes full screen. Then what? You still have to find the other window you want to put beside it. So now you're swiping left and right trying to find the stupid other window. Since now going into Mission Control doesn't let you see all your windows at once, you can only see the ones on the current space unless you move the mouse to the top, so it's much harder to figure out which space the window I'm looking for is on. Wow. I wonder what's next, this can't possibly get much worse! I'm sure Apple will find a way to make it suck even more.

Seriously this and Full Screen S-U-C-K-S so hard I can't see myself using it. It's faster to just switch spaces more frequently or put windows side by side the old fashioned way. Why don't they just make it good? How hard is that?

I have tested it under Windows 10, and unfortunately, Windows 10 does not allow you to snap Windows not in current virtual desktop (space equivalent under Windows).

But Mac one is less intuitive and I agree with this.

 

[Keane16]

Better Snap Tool - completely destroys this lame El Capitan feature.

Thing is most "normal" users probably have no idea it exists. So offering this basic implementation is better than nothing.

You, I and many others can continue using Better Touch Tool happily.

 

[Fuchal]

Thing is most "normal" users probably have no idea it exists. So offering this basic implementation is better than nothing.

You, I and many others can continue using Better Touch Tool happily.

I use BetterSnapTool all the time. The one benefit El Cap's implementation has is if you want multiple sets of snapped apps... that's really easy to set up using Apple's method. But it can't beat the convenience of BST's.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

As much as I hate saying this, its so much easier in Windows where you drag the window to the side of the screen and it snaps into place or you press windows and the arrow key where you want to go.
Its so much easier and I don't actually use this features as its a little longer to do

Try bettertouchtool, which does the exact same thing as windows, plus you get to make custom trackpad gestures etc.

 

[zzLZHzz]

On other hand, I always dislike it would accidentally put snap. on some occasions, i just want to move the window and it snaps. I actually like this feature where you have to press button.

you can actually disable it auto snap but unfortunately disabling it for the mouse also disabled the keyboard shortcut for snapping.

Windows 7 can do what you say, but it is a little bit awkward. Because you need to drag window for each individual app separately, rather than dragging a slider to adjust both.
Windows 8 one is more designed for modern apps, not conventional desktop apps.

Hmm. I use it sometimes. But 1366*768 cannot do much about this feature.

This might be more useful when I have a Mac with 15" or much bigger screen, while screen resolution goes over 1080P.

i compared windows 8 one with el capitan because both only works for fullscreen mode.

i run Windows 10 on my rMBP at native resolution so that features helps a lot and so yes i love the way it snap into quarter

 

[Shirasaki]

you can actually disable it auto snap but unfortunately disabling it for the mouse also disabled the keyboard shortcut for snapping.




i compared windows 8 one with el capitan because both only works for fullscreen mode.

i run Windows 10 on my rMBP at native resolution so that features helps a lot and so yes i love the way it snap into quarter

Oh. Yeah. Under full screen mode, both are using similar way.

Yeah. Thanks to my recent 1080P screen Dell PC, I can snap four word windows to four corners. So that I can view all of them at the same time. That is impossible on a small 1366*768 screen.

 

[rhoydotp]

I'm not seeing the usefulness of Split Screen in OS X. On the iPad, it could be incredibly useful. But when I'm working on a project on my Mac, I often have four apps open and swiftly jump between them with Expose. When I need to exchange files between apps, I just drag them next to each other. I guess it's good that OS X gives you so many different ways to manage your workflow. Split Screen is just one more.

Agree with the multitude of selections, there's not one right way of doing things. I don't really see myself using this feature as usually just "tab" through the open apps or use Expose. Some people here also use multiple screens, which I also use at times. Though I can see that there seems to be lots of people using it. Good stuff!

 

[cheesyappleuser]

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Windows apps tell the OS what to display in fullscreen mode, just like OS X apps. There is no technical reason why you couldn't implement a more Windows-like interface on OS X or vice versa.

No. Because in Windows you have maximised window, not fullscreen. Try to switch from VirtualBox to your desktop in Windows and you'll see it's a pain because the app is maximised, and hiding everything else. On the Mac all you need is a swipe. So, making it just like in Windows (where it works via "restored" windows) is just not possible without a revamp of Mission Control.

 

[rhett7660]

Better Snap Tool - completely destroys this lame El Capitan feature.

Yep, and it's been available YEARS before El Cap.

I am assuming it is this one:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bettersnaptool/id417375580?mt=12

Correct?

 

[Spink10]

I am assuming it is this one:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bettersnaptool/id417375580?mt=12

Correct?

Yes

 

[rehlers]

Yup. I've been using BetterSnapTool for years also.

It's fantastic.

thanks to everyone for recommending this tool. I love it!

 

[SuperCachetes]

As much as I hate saying this, its so much easier in Windows where you drag the window to the side of the screen and it snaps into place or you press windows and the arrow key where you want to go.
Its so much easier and I don't actually use this features as its a little longer to do

Yes. This is one of the features Microsoft got right when it came out in Windows 7 or thereabouts. The Mac version is clunky in comparison.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the little app "Cinch" which does most of what the Windows version of the screen split concept does. It's one of those things I didn't feel I should have to pay for, but that I couldn't live without in OS X...

http://www.irradiatedsoftware.com/cinch/

 

[djnigelchung]

Better Snap Tool - completely destroys this lame El Capitan feature.

amen

 

[tomek.piatek]

I've been using Apple gear for a looooong time and this "feature" is old and mostly unnecessary. I can't believe it they made such a song and dance about it on stage. Why the hell would anyone need to do this? We've got windows that can be repositioned and resized anyway you want. Add to that a tool like Moom and you can do all that with a simple keyboard shortcut. I'm actually a little embarrassed for Apple for touting something this insignificant as "innovation".

 

[ignatius345]

I'm not seeing the usefulness of Split Screen in OS X. On the iPad, it could be incredibly useful. But when I'm working on a project on my Mac, I often have four apps open and swiftly jump between them with Expose. When I need to exchange files between apps, I just drag them next to each other. I guess it's good that OS X gives you so many different ways to manage your workflow. Split Screen is just one more.

I thought the same thing, but I'm finding it useful mainly on my 11" Air with its very small screen -- when windows are dragged into split-screen view, they tend to lose some extra toolbars, and sometimes content is scaled down to make it fit. I still command-tab between apps, but I find that some of them live together quite intuitively. I keep Messages next to Mail, for example -- and a notepad of things to do paired with Calendar.