There may be times when working in Google Docs where you want to view multiple pages side by side with a split view.
Having two pages side by side might make it easier for you to work and make edits on your file.
Unfortunately, there is not a built-in way to do this in Google Docs at this time like there is in Microsoft Word.
However, there are a couple of methods we can still use to do this.
In this tutorial, I will show you how to view two pages side by side in Google Docs.
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View Two Pages Side by Side with Multiple Windows
One option that we have for viewing two pages next to each other is to create two windows of our Google Doc and manually resize them so that they fit next to each other.
Here is how this is done:
1. Open up your Google Doc and highlight the URL. Press CTRL + C on your keyboard to copy or right-click and select Copy
2. Open a new window. You can either right-click and press CTRL + N or press the three-dot menu in the top right corner and select New window from the drop-down menu
3. In the new window paste the URL that you copied. You can either press CTRL+V on your keyboard or right-click and select Paste
4. Now navigate up to the top right corner of one of your windows and select the Restore Down button
5. Click on the edge of one of your windows and drag inwards to resize it. Resize the window to about half of your screen and position it on the left side
6. Then take your second window and repeat the same, resizing it to fit the right half of your screen. When you are done you will have your two pages side by side
Side by Side View Keyboard Shortcut
There is a more efficient way to create a side-by-side view with two windows using a keyboard shortcut.
This method is very similar to the previous method but using the keyboard we can do this much faster.
Here are the steps to do this:
1. Similar to the previous method, you will need to copy the URL of your Google Doc and open it in a new window so that you have the same file open on two different windows
2. Select one of your windows and press the Windows key + Left arrow on your keyboard. This will move that window to the left side of your screen
3. Select the other window and press the Windows key + right arrow on your keyboard. This will move that window to the right side of your screen. You will now have created a side by side view using your keyboard
Resizing with Chrome Extensions
There are also several Chrome extensions that you can use that will give you more layout options for viewing two windows side by side. This can make it more efficient to create your split-screen view.
If you want to try using a chrome extension to give you more layout options, here are a couple of ones you might want to try:
- Tab Resize Chrome Extension
- Tab Scissors Chrome Extension
If you want to use the Chrome extension method you will have to open the Chrome Webstore and search for the extension you need. From there you can install it and follow the guides to use it to create your layout.
Closing Thoughts
Although viewing multiple pages side by side is not a built-in feature of Google Docs it can still easily be done with the methods I have shown in this post.
Which method works best for you will depend on several things such as the size of your screen, the kind of computer you are using, and personal preference.
If you have two monitors you can also simply open a Google Doc window on each monitor, which is a great option because then you don’t need to resize your window and have a full view of each.
But again this depends on the computer you are using.
More Google Docs Tutorials:
How to Change Page Orientation
How to Add a New Page