Chrome OS may not be as powerful and feature-packed as Windows or macOS, but it has certainly come a long way from its early days — when it was no more than a glorified web browser running on a laptop. It has gotten better over time with new features and improvements. Now, it's preparing to add a nifty way to arrange split windows.
According to a new commit spotted on the Chromium Gerrit, Google is working on adding a new option for the split view that will let users snap windows into thirds. Chrome OS has long offered the ability to open two apps or browser windows side by side in equally-sized windows. But this upcoming Partial Split feature will add a new configuration that will let you open windows into two-thirds or one-third.
The feature will be hidden behind a new flag called Partial Split, and its description states:
“Enables the option to snap two windows into 2/3 and 1/3 for split view.”
You'll still be restricted to opening two apps. When you enter the Partial Split mode, one window will take up 2/3 of the screen while the other will use a narrower layout and take up 1/3 of the space. Here's a mockup of what the Partial Split feature may look like once it goes live.
The Partial Split layout can be useful for many scenarios. For example, you can have your social media feed or To-Do list app open in a narrow layout with Google Chrome or your work app open in a larger window.
The Partial Split feature flag isn't live in any channel of Chrome OS. It will likely first arrive in the Canary build before making its way to more people. And while Google is at it, it should also consider adding the ability to open more than two apps in a split view, similar to Windows 11.
Source: Chrome Story
Via: Chrome Unboxed