I have to thank Madras Geek for writing about Google Chrome Split Screen which inspired me to download the Chrome Extension and test it. This maybe one of the most efficient extensions for people who have 22″ or larger monitors and don’t use dual monitor systems.
The Split Screen Google Chrome extension basically takes your Chrome tab window and divides it in half horizontally or you can configure it to divide your Chrome tab horizontally (one website on top, the other on bottom). You can type a separate URL for the left and right half of the screens.
For those of you who use Hootsuite or other web based Twitter client, this allows you to browse websites while leaving your web based twitter client open in the same tab. This means you NEVER have to tab back and forth or click on other windows to see your twitter updates.
In this setup here I have my Dragon Blogger WordPress Admin on the left and my Hootsuite window open on the right all in the same tab.
You can change the URL of either view anytime and browse them independently.
One feature I would love for this extension to have is the ability to click a link in one frame and it open the URL in the 2nd frame instead of a new tab or window. (Of course this would make it similar to how the new Twitter Website works with two frames ironically.
Limitations of the Dual View Chrome Extension
- No SSL Sites
One limitation is you cannot open Secure websites in frames, so nothing with https:// in the URL will work, must be http only. You also have to manually type http://<sitename> including the http:// unlike the Google Chrome URL bar where you can just type the URL and Chrome will choose http:// or https:// based on the URL that resolves.
- No Twitter.com or Facebook.com
In addition to https:// not working you cannot open certain sites that don’t support framing either. This means you can’t directly open facebook.com or twitter.com inside the frames. I was able to open LinkedIn, Plurk, Digg, StumbleUpon and various other networks, but Facebook and Twitter homepage will not be framed inside the Dual View Chrome Extension. So you may find some sites that just won’t work.
Summary
The Split Screen Chrome Extension is actually very useful even with the limitations it currently has, and as a result I don’t have to have as many tabs open and can keep track of information on the same Chrome window with the two views.
-Dragon Blogger
I have been obsessed with computers, tech, gadgets and games since the early 1980’s having grown up on the Commodore 64 and Amiga computers.
By day I work in the IT Security Industry and have been in IT for over 20 years. On my spare time I am a Vlogger, Blogger, Streamer, Gadget Reviewer, affiliate marketer, influencer and entertainer. I am also an avid movie fan, TV Show fan, Anime fan, video game fan and fan of trying anything and everything new.