Phage predation can accelerate the spread of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance during surface-associated microbial growth by reshaping spatial organization. Using two strains of *Escherichia coli*, the study shows that phage predation slows the spatial segregation of the strains during growth, increasing cell-cell contacts and conjugation-mediated plasmid transfer. The mechanism involves phage predation shifting the location of fastest growth from the biomass periphery to the interior, where cells are densely packed and aligned closer to parallel. This creates straighter interfaces between strains, which are less likely to merge, slowing spatial segregation and enhancing plasmid transfer. The findings have implications for phage therapy and reveal how microbial functions harmful to human and environmental health can proliferate without positive selection. Phage predation also influences microbial spatial self-organization, which in turn affects ecosystem dynamics. The study challenges the assumption that phage predation reduces plasmid transfer by reducing population sizes, showing instead that it can increase plasmid transfer by promoting spatial intermixing. The results highlight the complex interplay between phage predation, microbial spatial organization, and plasmid transfer, emphasizing the need to reconsider the consequences of phage predation on microbial evolution and ecosystem functioning. The study also demonstrates that phage predation can enhance microbial interactions, such as cross-feeding, by promoting closer spatial positioning of microorganisms. The findings have implications for understanding microbial adaptability in diverse environments, particularly in the context of antibiotic resistance spread.Phage predation can accelerate the spread of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance during surface-associated microbial growth by reshaping spatial organization. Using two strains of *Escherichia coli*, the study shows that phage predation slows the spatial segregation of the strains during growth, increasing cell-cell contacts and conjugation-mediated plasmid transfer. The mechanism involves phage predation shifting the location of fastest growth from the biomass periphery to the interior, where cells are densely packed and aligned closer to parallel. This creates straighter interfaces between strains, which are less likely to merge, slowing spatial segregation and enhancing plasmid transfer. The findings have implications for phage therapy and reveal how microbial functions harmful to human and environmental health can proliferate without positive selection. Phage predation also influences microbial spatial self-organization, which in turn affects ecosystem dynamics. The study challenges the assumption that phage predation reduces plasmid transfer by reducing population sizes, showing instead that it can increase plasmid transfer by promoting spatial intermixing. The results highlight the complex interplay between phage predation, microbial spatial organization, and plasmid transfer, emphasizing the need to reconsider the consequences of phage predation on microbial evolution and ecosystem functioning. The study also demonstrates that phage predation can enhance microbial interactions, such as cross-feeding, by promoting closer spatial positioning of microorganisms. The findings have implications for understanding microbial adaptability in diverse environments, particularly in the context of antibiotic resistance spread.