How to put two Finder windows side by side on a Mac

Open two folders next to each other to drag files between them. The shortcuts for halves, the menu that arranges both at once, and a dual pane alternative.

Guide · Updated 22 October 2026

How do I open a second Finder window?

With Finder in front, press ⌘ N. To open a folder in a new window, hold ⌘ and double click it, or right click and choose Open in New Window.

How do I tile two Finder windows side by side?

  • Click the first window and press fn ⌃ ←. Click the second and press fn ⌃ →. (macOS 15 and later.)
  • Or drag a window to the left edge of the screen until an outline appears, and the other to the right edge.
  • Or choose Window, Move & Resize in the menu bar and pick the left and right arrangement, which places the two front windows at once. Keyboard settings call it Arrange Left and Right.

Does Finder have a dual pane view?

No. Finder has no two pane mode like some file managers. Two tiled windows behave almost the same: drag files across, and use ⌘ C then ⌥ ⌘ V to move them by keyboard. Tabs are another option: drag files onto a tab to drop them into that folder.

Why does Finder open folders in tabs instead of windows?

Open folders in tabs instead of new windows is on in Finder Settings, General. Turn it off, or hold ⌘ while opening to get the other one. To split a tab into its own window, drag it out of the tab bar.

With ClutterFreeMac, two Finder windows sit side by side on the strip on their own, and the Screens layout keeps exactly two windows per screen. See it in the demo. More on halves: how to split screen on a Mac.

Questions

How do I open two Finder windows side by side?

Press Command N for a second window, then fn Control Left Arrow and fn Control Right Arrow on each one, on macOS 15 and later.

Does Mac Finder have a dual pane view?

No. Two tiled Finder windows work almost the same way.

How do I open a folder in a new Finder window?

Command double click it, or right click and choose Open in New Window.

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