Open separate windows in Slack

To multi-task and keep up with a few channels or direct messages (DMs) at once, open new windows in the Slack desktop app. You can have as many windows as you'd like, and drag and drop them to organize your screen.

Opening a channel in a new window from the sidebar in the Slack desktop app

Open a new window

Conversations

You can open any channel or DM in Slack in a separate window. 

  1. From   Home, press Cmd (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows/Linux).
  2. Click the name of a channel or DM to open it in a window.


Threads

Open a thread in a new window to continue to follow along with a conversation while you navigate to another channel or page in Slack.

  1. From your desktop, open a thread.
  2. Click the   window icon to open it in a window.


Activity and Later tabs

To keep Activity or Later open while you navigate between tabs and conversations, you can open it in a new window.

  1. From your desktop, hover over Activity or Later to reveal a preview of the tab.
  2. Click the   window icon to open it in a window.

Tip: You can also open a separate window by pressing (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) when clicking Activity or Later in your sidebar.


Canvases

A standalone canvas will automatically open in a new window. To open a channel or DM canvas in a separate window, use the steps below:

  1. Open the canvas. 
  2. Click the  three dots icon
  3. Select Open in new window.