How to snap windows on a Mac

Coming from Windows Snap? Here’s how to send Mac windows to halves, quarters, and custom sizes with a drag or a keyboard shortcut.

Snap windows with macOS tiling (Sequoia and later)

macOS 15 Sequoia added basic window tiling. Drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen to fill that half, or to a corner to fill a quarter.

Keyboard users can press fn + Control + Left Arrow or Right Arrow to tile the focused window to a half. You can turn these options on or off in System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Windows.

On macOS Ventura or Sonoma

macOS 13 and 14 don’t snap windows to the edges of the screen. Hovering over the green button offers Split View, but that puts both windows into full screen in their own Space, which hides the menu bar and Dock. To keep a normal desktop, use a window manager such as Tidy Screen.

Snap windows with Tidy Screen

1. Download Tidy Screen, drag it to Applications, and allow Accessibility access when asked.
2. Click the window you want to move.
3. Press Control + Option + Command + T, or click Tidy Screen in the menu bar, to open the grid.
4. Choose Left half, Right half, a quarter, or Maximize. Or drag across the grid to pick any size.

Tidy Screen works on macOS 13 and later, on Apple Silicon and Intel.

Snap with one keystroke, like Windows + Arrow

On Windows, Windows + Left Arrow snaps a window to the left half. In Tidy Screen, open Settings → Shortcuts, choose Add Global Shortcut beside a layout, and press the keys you want, such as Control + Option + Left Arrow. That shortcut then resizes the focused window in any app, without opening the grid. The keyboard shortcut guide covers conflicts and backups.

Snap to thirds and other sizes

The grid isn’t limited to halves and quarters. On the default 6 × 6 grid, select two columns for a third of the screen or four columns for two thirds. You can use up to 20 columns and rows, or tap Option while the grid is open to subdivide it. Save any selection as a layout to reuse it.

Want two apps next to each other? See how to split screen on a Mac.