Microsoft Edge gets a new Split Screen layout

A few months ago, Microsoft introduced the Split Screen feature for Edge, allowing users to display two websites side-by-side in a single browser window. Split Screen is available for all users in the stable channel, and you can invoke it using a dedicated button on the toolbar or pressing Ctrl + Shift + 2. Soon, the feature will get a much-needed improvement in the form of a new vertical layout.

As spotted by an X (formerly Twitter) user, the latest Canary builds let you select one of two layouts: horizontal with webpages side-by-side and vertical with stacked tabs. You can also switch between them on the go by clicking a three-dot button and resize them by dragging a divider.

In addition to a new layout, Microsoft is working on another quality-of-life improvement for Split Screen. The "More option" menu will soon offer two options: open links in the secondary tab or the current one. To help users better understand the concept, there will be extra graphics explaining the behavior of each option.

Here are a few tips and tricks Microsoft suggests to help you make the best use of Split Screen:

Quickly navigate sites with drag and drop

Drag a link from your left screen to the right screen to quickly open, compare or switch sites in Split screen. Drag and drop is available even when Open link in current tab is selected.

Adjust your screen size

Change the size of your split screens with the slider in between the screens. Slide left or right until you reach your desired size.

Split your screen, not your attention

Take multitasking up a notch by experimenting with different split screen tasks to achieve your goals—compare prices across popular shopping sites or open a thesaurus while you write an essay. The combination pairs are endless!

If you want to try the updated Split Screen feature in Microsoft Edge Canary, head to the official Edge Insider website. Note that preview builds are often unstable and crash-prone, so the best way to test early new features is to run Canary alongside the stable release of your preferred browser (including Microsoft Edge).