To edit documents or to review them easily, you need multiple page-viewing options. Google Docs does not have an in-built solution for this. Resizing two tabs manually is the most known workaround, but we have better solutions for you.
5 methods to view two pages side by side in Google Docs
- By manual resizing
- By resizing using the minimize button
- Using keyboard shortcuts
- Using the Tab Resize Chrome extension
- Using Tab Scissors Chrome extension
Method 1: By manual resizing
You manually resize according to your preferred size in this method.
Step 1: Open the doc.
Open a window and go to the doc that you want to view side by side.
Step 2: Open a new window and go to your doc.
In the top-right corner of your window, tap on the three dots. Select New window to open a new window. Alternatively, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N. Now, go to your doc through the new window.
Step 3: Minimize both the docs.
Go to each doc’s window and tap on the minimize button in the center. This would minimize both the windows, allowing you to resize.
You’d get two windows side by side or on top of each other.
Step 4: Resize the windows manually.
When you hover over the corners or borders of the window, you can see the arrow change to a double-headed one.
You can drag the window and resize it as per your preference.
Method 2: By resizing using the minimize button
If you have the latest Windows 11 update, you can use this method. It is similar to the previous method, except that it is not by manual resizing.
Step 1: Open the doc in two separate windows.
This is similar to the first two steps of the previous method. Open the doc you want to view. Create a new window and open the doc again in the new window.
Step 2: Choose a layout.
On one of the docs, hover over the minimize button. You can see different layouts. Press the one suiting your preferences. Choosing the first one here. You can tap on any of the partitions. The active window will move into that partition, allowing you to choose the rest.
Step 3: Choose partitions.
Once you select a layout and the active window is moved there, you need to select the rest. All your open windows will automatically be shown and you have to pick one.
On the left, you can see two windows to choose from. Similarly, all your active windows will show up.
As you can see, Windows has resized the windows according to your preferred layout.
Method 3: Using keyboard shortcuts
Step 1: Open the doc in two separate windows.
This is similar to the first two steps of the first method. Open the doc you want to view. Create a new window and open the doc again in the new window.
Step 2: Press the keyboard shortcuts.
Open the first doc. Press Windows + Right arrow to move the doc to the right side of your screen. Press Windows + Left arrow to move the doc to the left side of your screen.
In this instance, we move the doc to the right. In doing so, we see the other active windows to choose from on the left side.
Step 3: Pick a window.
Pick a window from the active ones. You can view the doc side by side now.
Method 4: Using the Tab Resize Chrome extension
We can also use a Chrome extension called Tab Resize – split screen layouts. Google Docs does not support easy tab resizing and a split screen. You have to open the documents in two tabs and resize them manually to view them side by side. The Chrome extension makes it an easier process.
Step 1: Navigating to Google Chrome extensions.
Open a new tab on Google Chrome. Copy and paste the following link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions.
This will direct you to the Chrome Webstore.
Alternatively, right-click on the top right three dots icon on your Google Chrome tab. Click on Settings.
On the Settings tab that opens up, you will be able to see Extensions. Click on it.
Another way to navigate to the extensions page is by clicking on the Chrome option on your finder tab on a Mac. Click on Preferences. This will take you to the Settings tab.
Step 2: Adding the correct extension.
Search for Tab Resize – split screen layouts.
Click on Add to Chrome. Now click on the Add extension.
You will be able to see an icon on the top right side of the tab. Click on the Pin icon which will make the extension visible on any tab that you open.
Now click the pinned icon. Click I understand.
Now click on Lets go!
You are all set to put this extension into action now.
Step 3: Using multiple layout options provided in the extension.
Open the two documents or more that you need to open in the split view. This extension supports up to four documents at one time.
Navigate to the tab with the doc file that’s to the left of all other doc files that you need open. Now click on the extension icon that is pinned to the menu bar.
You will see multiple options. If you click on the 2×1 grid you get the following result.
If you click on the 1×2 grid you get the following result.
The above method covers a pain point that the two-page view option is not available as a default in Google Docs. You cannot view two pages of one document with the view options available in Google Docs. The above method can help you if you open two tabs of the same document and then open it in the 2×1 or 1×2 grid.
Method 5: Using Tab Scissors Chrome extension
This method is similar to the previous method but we’re using another extension.
Step 1: Go to the extension and add it to Chrome.
Click here to go to the Tab Scissors Chrome extension. Tap on the blue Add to Chrome button.
You can see a pop-up. Click on Add extension.
Wait for some time to see another pop-up. If you’ve successfully added the extension to Chrome, you can see a message as below.
Step 2: Open the two docs.
Unlike the other methods, open the two docs in the same window.
Step 3: Select Tab Scissors extension from Chrome.
Pick a tab and go to that tab. On the top-right corner of your screen, click on the Extensions icon.
Find Tab Scissors and click on it,
This would open that particular tab in a new window and resize it to half of its original size.
Conclusion
We hope the above methods were able to help you work efficiently on Google Docs. If you have any other method that works, do let us know in the comments.
You should update this post to mention some solutions only work in MSOffice