zen-browser/desktop

UI Scaling/Layout Glitch when switching between Windows 11 Workspaces with Split View active

Open

#12714 opened on Mar 10, 2026

View on GitHub
 (3 comments) (2 reactions) (1 assignee)JavaScript (42,031 stars) (1,498 forks)batch import
Bugcomponent: split-viewgood first issueplatform: linuxplatform: macOSplatform: windows

Description

Preliminary Checks

  • I have read and understood the important section above.
  • I have searched existing issues and avoided creating duplicates.
  • I am not filing an enhancement request.
  • I have checked that this issue cannot be reproduced on Mozilla Firefox.
  • I have checked that this issue can be reproduced once I removed all my Mods and Custom CSS.

What happened?

While using Zen Browser across multiple Windows 11 Workspaces, the Split View (vertical layout) breaks when switching from one workspace to another. The split tabs become unresponsive to most actions except for moving tab positions. Additionally, the layout forces itself into a horizontal orientation where the content appears heavily stretched and distorted.

Expected behavior

The browser should respect the aspect ratio of the content at all times. Whether switching between vertical or horizontal split modes, or moving between Windows Workspaces, the UI should scale correctly without stretching or distorting the web pages.

Actual behavior

The UI "freezes" interaction and incorrectly scales the content. The pages lose their original proportions and appear stretched (as seen in the provided image), making the browser unusable until the view is manually reset.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Open Zen Browser in Windows Workspace 1.
  2. Open another Zen window in Windows Workspace 2.
  3. In Workspace 2, set up a Vertical Split View with two GitHub repositories.
  4. Switch to Workspace 1 and perform any action.
  5. Switch back to Workspace 2.
  6. Observe that the Split View has shifted to a distorted horizontal layout with a broken aspect ratio.

Screenshots and videos

(Workspace 2):

(Workspace 1):

Version

1.19b

What platform are you seeing the problem on?

Windows - x64

What component is this issue related to?

Split View

Relevant log output if applicable

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascriptcsshtml
Domain
desktopfrontend
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
blocked
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
basic understanding of CSS layoutfamiliarity with browser split view concepts
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
40
Research direction
Investigate the split view component in the codebase, focusing on how workspace switching triggers layout recalculations. Check for event listeners on workspace changes and how they interact with the split view state. The screenshots show a distorted horizontal layout, so examine CSS properties like flexbox, aspect ratio, and any JavaScript that sets dimensions. Look at recent commits related to split view on Windows to identify potential regressions. Review the comments in the issue for any additional context.