How to tile windows on your Mac

I know this may be controversial, but Windows does have one feature that Mac’s are sorely missing — organizing and tiling windows. Multitasking and trying to use multiple apps at the same time on a Mac sucks and it’s one of my biggest gripes with Apple. Nevertheless, there are some third-party options that can help you manage your myriad of application windows.

How to tile windows on your Mac

When someone argues that Mac already has a system for organizing windows in Exposé and Spaces, I really want to smack them in the face.

While Exposé and Spaces helps Mac users sift through cluttered windows, it does not help with multitasking or easily viewing two windows at the same time. You can manually resize windows so that they fit side-by-side, but that can be a time-consuming and inefficient process. Luckily for you, I have found a bunch of applications that really do allow you to tile windows and improve multitasking. Some offer free trials, some are paid, but they all do the job, so the choice is yours. Make sure to check out each program’s website and find which option is best for you.

How to tile windows on your Mac using Spectacle

I downloaded Spectacle to test out how well a free program would work. Luckily, I was not disappointed. For best performance and support, users should have OS X 10.9 or newer. For more information, check out Spectacle’s GitHub page.

1. Download and install the free application
   
2. Allow Spectacle to “control your windows” by enabled the option in System Preferences
   
3. If you have a locked Admin. Account, you will need to unlock it by selecting the Lock icon and entering your password.
   
4. Once unlocked, click the box next to Spectacle to enable it.
   
5. Launch Spectacle, and review the shortcuts. You can also change these hotkeys by tapping on the one you wish to change, and entering a new hotkey command.
   
6. Enjoy tiled windows on your Mac!
   

Spectacle also offers keyboard shortcuts that allows you to not only tile, but organize and resize windows, which makes it even more convenient to use it. Here’s a list courtesy OSXDaily:

Spectacle Keyboard Shortcuts:

• Center / Cmd + Alt + C
• Fullscreen / Cmd + Alt + F

• Left Half / Cmd + Alt + ←
• Right Half / Cmd + Alt + →
• Top Half / Cmd + Alt + ↑
• Bottom Half / Cmd + Alt + ↓

• Upper Left Corner / Cmd + Ctrl + ←
• Lower Left Corner / Cmd + Shift + Ctrl + ←
• Upper Right Corner / Cmd + Ctrl + →
• Lower Right Corner / Cmd + Shift + Ctrl + →

• Left Display / Cmd + Alt + Ctrl + ←
• Right Display / Cmd + Alt + Ctrl + →
• Top Display / Cmd + Alt + Ctrl + ↑
• Bottom Display / Cmd + Alt + Ctrl + ↓

It’s a shame that Apple doesn’t implement a feature like this in all of its computers, but perhaps it will appear in the next OS X version. Let us know which option works best for you in the comments section.

How to Create a Desktop Tile on the Windows 10 Start Screen

The Desktop Tile present in Windows 8.1 Start Screen is missing from Windows 10 Start Screen.

How to bring it back?

Replies (6) 

The Desktop Tile present in Windows 8.1 Start Screen is missing from Windows 10 Start Screen.

How to bring it back?

open the action center by swiping on the right side of your screen and select table mode icon at the bottom.

18 people found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

After using Windows 10 for a while I have realised that this question is wrong.

The Start Screen is the Start Menu and to go to Desktop we have to make the Start Menu go away.

The way to do it is to click the Start Button or Press Windows Key.

This discussion should now be closed.

Thanks for participating.

Have a Nice Day. . . . .

6 people found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Changing to the Tablet mode is not the answer. It leads to other problems.

There are 4 ways to get to the Desktop without having a tile for it on the start screen.

1. Click the space on the extreme far right on the taskbar. That takes you to the Desktop.
2. Press Win-D and the Desktop will appear, no matter where you are.
3. Press Win-M and the Desktop will appear as well.
4. When on the Start screen, click the Start button again. It will take you to the Desktop or the website that is open.

If you really miss that Desktop Tile, create one using the TileCreator App. Instructions for how to do this are on Windows Central website here. http://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10-custom-start-tiles-tilecreator

You must know the path to the desktop to set up a Desktop tile. I believe Redit provided this, can’t remember, but this is what it is. C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /C «C:\Users\[YOUR USER NAME]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Shows Desktop.lnk». Look in your C: drive Users folder to see what name you are using. Then insert it, without the brackets ([. ]).

In the config file for TileCreator put this in front of the path, on the same line. Desktop: Like this.

Desktop:C:\Windows\System. . . . .

Find an appropriate image to use for the tile on your computer, or screen capture one that you like. Mine is a handgun, Glock or 45. It can be anything you wish.

After you have set up your config file for TileCreator, run TileCreator, put in the title and the key word (Desktop), and select your desktop image, then click Pin. Find the tile on your Start screen list of apps, and pin it to Start. Done.

Now you will have 5 ways to get to the Desktop. Too bad MS did not provide a simple way to create new tiles for the Start Screen, but the FileCreator seems to work just fine.

I missed my Desktop tile, and went searching for the solution. Thanks to those that provided the solution. This is the great part about the Internet. Love it.

11 people found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful?

Sorry this didn’t help.

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

Changing to the Tablet mode is not the answer. It leads to other problems.

There are 4 ways to get to the Desktop without having a tile for it on the start screen.

1. Click the space on the extreme far right on the taskbar. That takes you to the Desktop.
2. Press Win-D and the Desktop will appear, no matter where you are.
3. Press Win-M and the Desktop will appear as well.
4. When on the Start screen, click the Start button again. It will take you to the Desktop or the website that is open.

If you really miss that Desktop Tile, create one using the TileCreator App. Instructions for how to do this are on Windows Central website here. http://www.windowscentral.com/windows-10-custom-start-tiles-tilecreator

You must know the path to the desktop to set up a Desktop tile. I believe Redit provided this, can’t remember, but this is what it is. C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /C «C:\Users\[YOUR USER NAME]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Shows Desktop.lnk». Look in your C: drive Users folder to see what name you are using. Then insert it, without the brackets ([. ]).

In the config file for TileCreator put this in front of the path, on the same line. Desktop: Like this.

Desktop:C:\Windows\System. . . . .

Find an appropriate image to use for the tile on your computer, or screen capture one that you like. Mine is a handgun, Glock or 45. It can be anything you wish.

After you have set up your config file for TileCreator, run TileCreator, put in the title and the key word (Desktop), and select your desktop image, then click Pin. Find the tile on your Start screen list of apps, and pin it to Start. Done.

Now you will have 5 ways to get to the Desktop. Too bad MS did not provide a simple way to create new tiles for the Start Screen, but the FileCreator seems to work just fine.

I missed my Desktop tile, and went searching for the solution. Thanks to those that provided the solution. This is the great part about the Internet. Love it.

Cool one, but what about it changing the desktop background as we change it is Personalization?

How to Use Tile Window Multitasking in macOS Big Sur & Catalina

macOS Big Sur and Catalina introduced a handy way to tile windows for multitasking, improving upon the split screen multitasking features that were available in previous MacOS releases. These new simple tiling window multitasking options are available from any window, and now you can easily choose to tile a window to the left or right side of the screen, or jump immediately into full screen mode.

This isn’t an entirely new feature in and of itself (Window Snapping and Split View have been around a while), but now it’s arguably easier to use than ever before, and it behaves similar to the Split View feature on iPad. The new Tiling feature is windowed multitasking without you needing to manually position everything, and it’s a great way to make use of any display, small or large.

Apple’s decision to use the same Split View name from iPad is no accident and it does exactly the same thing. By clicking one button you can move a window to the left or right side of the screen. And if you’d prefer you can even have that window fill the screen completely, too.

How to Tile Windows in macOS Big Sur / Catalina

With macOS 10.15 Catalina or later installed, have the app that you want to use on-screen and ready to go.

Hover over the green button in the top-left of the window. You can also click and hold if you’d prefer.

Choose where you want the app window to go. The options include:

• “Enter Full Screen”
• “Tile Window to Left of Screen”
• “Tile Window to Right of Screen”

You can then simply click another window or app if you want to have two appear side-by-side.

Using & Adjusting Tiled Windows in Split View in MacOS Catalina

Once you have apps and windows running in Split View you can interact with them like you usually would. You can also move them around too, see the menu bar, and exit at any time:

• Click and drag a window to the other side of the screen to swap positions.
• Drag the vertical line between the windows to adjust their widths.
• See the Menu Bar by moving the mouse pointer to the top of the screen
• Exit out of tiling / split view by clicking the green button in either window

This particular Tile Windows feature of Split View is available to macOS 10.15 Catalina and later, whereas earlier versions of MacOS still have Split Screen app options but they behave a bit differently and aren’t quite as easy to jump into. Similarly, you can use Window Snapping on Mac going back to many prior versions of system software, it’s just not quite as point-and-click as this new Tiling Windows feature.

If you haven’t yet already updated to macOS Catalina be sure to check our guides on what you should consider first, how to prepare, and how to update a Mac to Catalina. And then keep your eyes peeled for the hot new features – like the awesome Sidecar! – that we’re sure you’ll enjoy. As always, we’ll have an ongoing collection of great Mac tips and tricks to share along the way.

Do you use the new Tile Window features for split screening apps in MacOS? Did you use the prior split view method as well? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

How to create custom Windows 10 Start menu tiles

Microsoft allows app developers, game makers, and website owners to create custom tiles when you pin one of their products to the Start menu. Sadly, the way some of these tiles look is just plain ugly. But what if you could get more control over the appearance?

WinTileR is a cheap app for Windows 10 that allows you to customize the way your tiles look and function on the OS. It costs just $0.99 and comes with a free trial to help you decide whether or not to pick it up. Here’s how it works.

WinTileR app and plugin

After grabbing WinTileR from the store, it will prompt you to download an .exe plugin that helps the tiles communicate with programs on your computer. You’ll still be able to create tiles without this, but they won’t be able to launch programs as expected. Once you have installed the plug-in, select «Done.»

How to create a custom tile

To get started creating your own tiles, follow these steps:

In WinTileR, select Programs to set up a new tile.

Select Select File and browse for the app you want to create a tile for.

Click the tile boxes on the right to add the tile images you want.

• You can customize additional options, such as setting a background color, the name of the tile, and conditions for displaying the name of the tile on the left.

Once you are satisfied and have added images for each tile size, select Pin to Start menu.

You should see your shiny new tile appear on the Start menu, complete with executable functionality from installing the plugin. From WinTileR’s main menu, you can also perform the same tile creation for websites, folders, and music. Sadly, WinTileR’s Steam integration feature for creating tiles for your PC games seems to be broken as of writing. I’ve found it quite hard to find custom Windows 8.1 or Windows 10-style tiles on the internet, since many apps that previously worked for creating custom tiles have fell into disrepair with subsequent Windows updates.

Your thoughts?

Do you create custom Windows 10 Start menu tiles? What do you use? Share your thoughts in the comments.

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

The Dell XPS 15 is our choice for best 15-inch laptop

For a lot of people, a 15-inch laptop is a perfect size that offers enough screen for multitasking, and in a lot of cases, some extra performance from powerful hardware. We’ve rounded up the best of the best at this size.

Halo: MCC’s live service elements make it better, not worse

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is more popular than ever, but some fans don’t agree with the live service approach 343 Industries has taken with it. Here’s why those elements are, at the end of the day, great for the game and for Halo overall.

Microsoft’s Surface Duo is not ‘failing up’

Microsoft announced this week that it was expanding Surface Duo availability to nine new commercial markets. While Surface Duo is undoubtedly a work in progress, this is not a sign of a disaster. It’s also doesn’t mean that Surface Duo is selling a ton either. Instead, the reason for the expansion is a lot more straightforward.

These are the best PC sticks when you’re on the move

Instant computer — just add a screen. That’s the general idea behind the ultra-portable PC, but it can be hard to know which one you want. Relax, we have you covered!