Microsoft is testing a new feature for Edge that allows you to split tabs within a single browser. The split screen feature, first discovered by a Reddit user, is accessible via an experimental flag in Edge Canary.

Currently, the experimental flag is only available in the Canary version of Edge for Windows, Linux, and Mac.

How Will Edge's Split Screen Feature Work?

Users can view multiple apps simultaneously thanks to the split screen feature, which eliminates the need to maximize or minimize individual tabs.

Opening a new tab in the Split window

When you enable Split Screen, a new icon appears to the right of the address bar. By clicking it, you can split the active tab into two and view the web pages side by side. When you do this across multiple tabs, you effectively double the number of pages you can see without increasing the number of tabs.

You can also right-click and open a link in a "split window." This divides the active tab into two and loads the link in the other half of the screen. This will help you organize your browser tabs when reading posts with links or doing web research with many open tabs.

How to Enable the New Split Screen Feature in Edge

Split screen is one of Microsoft Edge's flags for improved browsing experience. You can enable the new feature via the flag that's available in the latest version of Edge Canary. Here's how to enable and preview the Split Screen feature in Edge.

  1. Install the latest build of Edge Canary if you don't already have it.
  2. In the Edge address bar, type edge:/flags. This will display a list of all experimental features available in the most recent Edge Canary version.
  3. Enter split in the Search flags bar to bring up the split screen option.
  4. Click the drop-down menu on the right and choose Enabled. You will be prompted to restart Edge for the changes to take effect. Select Restart.
    Split Screen Experimental Flag in Edge Canary
  5. After the browser restarts, click on the new Split Window icon to the right of the address bar.
  6. If you have two or more open tabs, the left window will show your current active tab, and the right window will show your other active tabs.
  7. Click on the second tab that you want to be active. It will appear on the right split screen.
    Appearance Settings in Edge Canary

You can disable the feature by going to Settings > Appearance and toggling the Split screen button option off.

Split Screen in Edge: A Convenient Browser Feature

Windows and macOS already have the split-view option that lets users view windows from different open applications. This feature is useful, but splitting a browser tab screen to view two web pages simultaneously is much more efficient and convenient.

Although Microsoft has not specified when the new split screen feature will be available, you can access it via the experimental flag in Edge Canary. This feature, paired with other novel Edge features, can improve your browsing in many ways.