In addition to the popular Aero Snap feature, Windows 10 supports a number of classic methods of arranging opened windows. These include the ability to cascade windows, show windows stacked and show windows side by side.
Advertisеment
When you are using the Show windows side by side option in Windows 10, all opened non-minimized windows will be shown next to each other. They will be tiled over the Desktop, so you can see all opened windows at once. In a multimonitor configuration, this option changes the layout of windows only on the screen they are visible on. Let's see how to use this feature.
To show windows side by side in Windows 10, do the following.
- Minimize any open windows that you don't want to re-arrange side by side. Minimized windows are ignored by this function.
- Right-click an empty area of the taskbar to open its context menu. Here is how it looks.
- In the third group of commands from top, you will see the option "Show windows side by side". Click it.
This is an example of the side-by-side window layout in Windows 10.
If you clicked this context menu item accidentally, there is a quick method to undo the layout. Right click the taskbar once again and select Undo Show all windows side by side from the context menu.
Besides the classic options, you can use a number of modern window management options in Windows 10. See the following articles.
- Disable snapping in Windows 10 but keep other extended window management options
- How to enable Aero Peek in Windows 10
- Hotkeys to manage Virtual Desktops in Windows 10 (Task View)
- Ultimate list of all Windows keyboard shortcuts with Win keys
A number of users in Microsoft's forums report that the Show windows side by side feature is broken for them in Windows 10 and does not work reliably. What is your experience? Does it work for you?
Support us
Winaero greatly relies on your support. You can help the site keep bringing you interesting and useful content and software by using these options:
If you like this article, please share it using the buttons below. It won't take a lot from you, but it will help us grow. Thanks for your support!
Advertisеment
Works fine in Win10 1703.
It worked fine on my old computer. On my new computer, it does not work AT ALL. Both the “stack windows” option and the “side-by-side” option STACK them on half of the screen. I have tried every setting, every suggestion, but it makes no difference. I am really regretting getting this new computer because that is a tool I use(d) A LOT. Now it makes many of my tasks take way longer than they should.
I am a translator, and this problems drives me crazy! Nothing has worked, the documents end up in the corner of my screen, I can’t drag them, and all I can do is open 2 lap tops, one with the original on the screenand the other with the translation. DISGRACEFUL!
choice is not there when I right click task bar.
Show windows side by side does not work in Windows 10. None of the troubleshooting ANYWHERE allows me to show two windows side by side and it fills my screen with ONE CLICK, without having to MANUALLY resize all windows to fill the screen. I DO NOT WANT STACKED when I select SIDE BY SIDE! When is this going to be fixed?????!!!!!!!!!! For this reason I have not upgrade to Windows 10 on my DT PC. STILL WAITING…. Maybe Google has side by side…? What a colossal waste of time at work.
27 July 2019 and still no solution for the broken side-by-side feature. What is wrong with Microsoft? This problem is all over the Internet and still nothing has been done. Absolute disgrace!
Windows 10 V.1903 B18362.295 installed on 6/7/19
Side-by-side does not work – does the same as stacked
tried all combinations of SNAP options, all fail to fix problem
WTF
Windows Side by Side doesnt work… its pathetic programming from microsoft..
its very much essential while working on multiple files.. stacking never helps during work..
25. December 2019 – Latest Build 18363.535
Still not working
Windows 1909
Can I use windows side by side normaly like old ?
Yeah, this didn’t help.
Using 2 windows, I pick side by side, it should fill the screen, split down the middle.
instead, it picks a third of the screen and stacks them.
It’s stupid.
This is an easy-to-follow to tutorial for a feature which, as of August 2020, still doesn’t work correctly in Windows 10 (as many have previously commented). Maybe Microsoft will get their aft together in the next OS?
I cant use the side by side option. Horrible and pathetic programming.
2/27/2022
side-by-side feature still does not work. Stacks two windows on top of each other in half of the screen. Shame on Microsoft!
Seems to work better on larger monitor…
I have similar problems with “Show windows side by side” when working on a 17″ laptop screen. But things seem to work better on my 27″ monitor where “Show windows side by side” does make use of the whole screen. With 8 programs open, it arranged them “side by side” correctly, and the results for “stacked” and “side by side” were different. But, when I tried it with a few more open programs, both the “stacked” and “side by side” choices yielded the same layout (maybe that’s inevitable with many programs open”).
Correction to my previous post…
On my 27″ monitor, “Side by side” worked correctly when I had seven programs (not eight) open on the screen. But, when I went up to eight open programs, “stacked” or “side by side” both yield the same results, which, again, may be inevitable because of limited screen real estate.
Windows 10, taskbar, right click, “Show windows side by side”
DOES.
NOT.
WORK.
While Micro$$$oft MANAGERS keep mandating that all the UI colors be changed to “pretty” pastel colors and while 50 other USELESS “features” are being worked on.
FIX.
THE.
BASICS.
FIRST.
YOU.
ARROGANT.
MANAGERS.
AT.
MICRO$$$OFT.