Q: Split Screen Not Working

Split View only works with apps that are split view enabled.

Try starting in safe mode then normal mode…

OS X El Capitan: Start up in safe mode

Displays Have Separate Spaces, checked, ok.

Are you in Full Screen Mode, going to split screen only works if you are in normal screen mode.

You can try to reset the SMC

Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

If that doesn't work, I'm out of ideas short of reinstalling OSX 10.11.

What size is the screen on your Mac?

Based on what I have read, it seems that 13" and smaller screens are limited in the feature due to the applications window width.

Spilt View is limited by the minimum width of an application's window when in standard view. If two app takes up more than the full width of the your display when you resize each application window to their minimum width, then they will not be able to be shared in Split View.

Here is a a couple of other ways to get into split screen. Note, not all apps work in split screen.

Do any of these get you into split view?

1. Put both of the two apps that you want on in split screen into full screen mode. Go to mission control and drag one full screen desktop of the other one and they will make one split screen space.

2. Have the 2 apps you want in standard view to use in split screen in any desktop space. Go to one of them and drag it up to the top of your display, past the menu bar and it will open mission control and drop the app window into an empty area on the desktops row at the top of mission control. The app makes its own full screen desktop space. Now go to the other app and do the same, dragging it up to the top of your screen into mission control and drop it on top of the first full screen app. They are then placed in spilt screen.

actionmarker wrote:

 

Based on what I have read, it seems that 13" and smaller screens are limited in the feature due to the applications window width.

 

Spilt View is limited by the minimum width of an application's window when in standard view. If two app takes up more than the full width of the your display when you resize each application window to their minimum width, then they will not be able to be shared in Split View.

Actually that is not true. I have a 13" MacBook Air and a 12' MacBook and Split View works on both.

Just curious, is your display set to scaled mode? If so, can you try switching to Default for display?

Are you connected to an external monitor? If not, it's sounding like you need to reinstall OSX.