Windows on a Mac, sorted.
How to tile, snap, find and arrange windows on macOS. What the Mac does on its own first, then where a window manager helps.
Guides
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Too many windows open on your Mac? How to stop losing them
Windows pile up, the one you need is always underneath, and Mission Control only shows the mess. What macOS gives you, and a layout where nothing can hide.
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How to tile windows on a Mac, with and without an app
macOS Sequoia added window tiling: drag to an edge or use a shortcut. How to use it, its settings, where it stops, and when a full window manager is worth it.
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What is a scrolling window manager?
A scrolling window manager lays windows side by side on a strip wider than your screen. How it differs from overlapping and grid tiling, and who it suits.
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The best window managers for Mac, by how you work
Snapping, grid tiling, scrolling or Stage Manager: which kind of Mac window manager fits how you work, and the well known options in each group.
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Every Mac keyboard shortcut for managing windows
Switch, hide, minimise, tile and find windows on a Mac without the mouse. The built in shortcuts, in one table, plus the ones a window manager adds.
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Getting the most from an ultrawide monitor on a Mac
An ultrawide is too wide for one window and awkward to split in halves. How to arrange windows on a Mac with an ultrawide, from built in tiling to a strip.
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Window management on a small MacBook screen
On a 13 or 14 inch MacBook, split screen leaves everything cramped. Why a scrolling layout fits a laptop better, and the trackpad gesture that makes it fast.
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How to split screen on a Mac, three ways
Split View, the tiling built into macOS 15, and a layout that never needs splitting. Step by step, with the shortcuts, and where each one runs out.
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Split View not working on your Mac? The usual causes
The green button shows no tile option, or the second window refuses to join. The settings and app limits behind it, and what to do instead.
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How to snap windows on a Mac
macOS 15 added window snapping to edges and corners. How to use it with the mouse and the keyboard, its limits, and when an automatic layout suits better.
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How to switch between windows on a Mac
Command Tab switches apps, not windows. Every built in way to get to the window you want, and a layout where the next window is always in the same place.
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Mission Control on a Mac: everything it does
How to open Mission Control, the gestures and keys, Spaces, App Exposé, the settings worth changing, and what Mission Control cannot do for you.
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Spaces on a Mac: using multiple desktops well
How to add desktops, move windows between them, switch with keys and gestures, and the habits that make Spaces useful instead of another place to lose things.
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Hot Corners on a Mac: how to set them and what to use them for
Push the pointer into a corner of the screen to show the desktop, open Mission Control or lock the Mac. How to set them up without triggering them by accident.
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How to resize windows with the keyboard on a Mac
Resizing by dragging corners is slow. The keyboard shortcuts macOS has, the ones it lacks, and how to nudge widths and heights without touching the mouse.
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How to maximize a window on a Mac (without full screen)
The green button makes a window full screen in its own Space, which is not what most people want. Four ways to fill the screen and keep the menu bar and Dock.
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Full screen or maximised: which is better on a Mac?
Full screen gives an app its own Space and hides the menu bar. Maximised keeps everything in one place. What each is good at, and a third way.
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How to move a window to another monitor on a Mac
Dragging across screens works but is clumsy. The Window menu option, the keyboard way, and how to send a window to the next display with one shortcut.
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The best window layout for two monitors on a Mac
Two screens, twice the room for clutter. Layouts that work, the Mac settings that matter, and how to give each display its own row of windows.
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Why your Mac windows jump around after unplugging a monitor
Unplug an external display and every window crowds onto the laptop. Plug it back in and they stay there. Why it happens and how to get your layout back fast.
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A window is off screen on your Mac: how to get it back
A window opened partly or fully off the edge after you changed monitors. Five ways to bring it back, from the Window menu to Mission Control.
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How to put three windows side by side on a Mac
macOS tiles halves and quarters, not thirds. How to get three columns on one screen, which screens suit it, and how to keep a fourth window handy.
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Mac trackpad gestures for managing windows
Swipe up for Mission Control, sideways for Spaces, pinch for the desktop. Every window gesture on a Mac trackpad, the settings behind them, and one more.
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Three finger drag on a Mac, and how it fits with other gestures
Three finger drag moves windows without clicking, but it claims three finger swipes. How to turn it on, what it changes, and how to keep both.
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A Mac window setup for developers
Editor, terminal, browser, docs, chat. A window layout for coding on a Mac that keeps the loop of write, run and check one keystroke apart.
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Editor and browser side by side on a Mac, without the shuffle
Change code, look at the result. Ways to keep an editor and a browser next to each other on one Mac screen, and how to fit the dev tools in too.
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A Mac window setup for designers
The design tool wants the whole screen, and so do references, feedback and the browser. How to give the canvas room and keep the rest a swipe away.
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A Mac window setup for writers
Draft, notes, sources, and the temptation of everything else. A calm Mac layout for writing that keeps research close and distractions off screen.
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Mac multitasking for students: lectures, notes and papers
A lecture video, a notes app, a PDF and an assignment, on one laptop screen. Simple layouts for studying on a MacBook that keep each window large.
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Many chart windows on a Mac: a layout for traders
Charts, order windows, news and a watchlist all want to be visible. How to arrange many trading windows on a Mac so the right one is always a key away.
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A Mac window layout for deep work
Focus modes silence notifications, but the windows are still there. How to set up your screen so one task fills your view and everything else waits.
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How to cut the cost of context switching on a Mac
Every switch between tasks costs time to find the window and time to remember where you were. Ways to make switching on a Mac cheaper, or rarer.
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Tabs or windows on a Mac: when to use which
Fifty tabs in one window, or ten windows of five? When tabs help, when separate windows are better, and how to get tabs for any app's windows.
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How to group windows on a Mac
Keep related windows together so they move as one: Stage Manager groups, app tabs, Spaces, and stacked or tabbed columns that share one place on screen.
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Using a large iMac or Studio Display well
A 24 or 27 inch screen is big enough to waste. Layouts that use the space without turning it into a pile, from two columns to three plus a stack.
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Managing Mac windows without touching the mouse
Switch, move, resize and arrange windows on a Mac from the keyboard alone. The built in shortcuts, the gaps, and a full keyboard layer for windows.
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H J K L for your windows: vim style window management on a Mac
If your fingers live on H J K L, arrow keys for windows feel slow. How to drive windows on a Mac with vim style keys, no config file required.
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Raycast and window management on a Mac
Raycast has window commands of its own and runs script commands. How it fits with a window manager, and how to drive saved layouts from Raycast.
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How to automate window layouts on a Mac
Open your morning apps in the right places with one command. Shortcuts, Terminal and links that set up a whole window layout on a Mac automatically.
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How to save and restore window layouts on a Mac
macOS reopens windows after a restart but cannot save a layout you choose. How to keep named layouts for different kinds of work and bring them back.
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Too many browser windows on your Mac? Keep them in order
One window per project, five projects, and they all look the same. How to keep many Chrome or Safari windows apart and find the right one quickly.
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Why Mac window managers ask for the Accessibility permission
Every app that moves other apps' windows needs Accessibility access. What the permission allows, how to grant or remove it, and what to check before you do.
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Why a window manager might ask for Screen Recording
Screen Recording sounds alarming in a window manager. Why ClutterFreeMac offers it, what it does with the pictures, and what happens if you say no.
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What is a tiling window manager?
A tiling window manager arranges every window so none overlap. How tiling works, the main styles, why people love it, and what it is like on a Mac.
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Scrolling vs tiling window managers: which suits you?
Tiling splits one screen between all your windows. Scrolling gives each window its width and lets the row grow. How they differ, and who each one suits.
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An infinite desktop for your Mac: windows that scroll
What if your desktop were wider than your screen and you scrolled across it? How an infinite canvas for windows works on a Mac, and why it calms things down.
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A window layout for video calls and screen sharing on a Mac
Share one window, keep your notes beside it, and keep the call out of the way. How to lay out a Mac for meetings without showing more than you meant to.
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Mission Control, Stage Manager and Spaces: which to use?
Three built in ways to handle windows on a Mac, often confused. What each does, how they combine, and where a window manager fits with them.
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Using a vertical, portrait monitor with a Mac
A monitor turned on its side is great for code, documents and long feeds. How to rotate it on a Mac and lay out windows on a tall, narrow screen.
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Focus follows mouse on a Mac
On Linux, the window under the pointer can get focus without a click. macOS has no such setting. How to get focus follows mouse, and its opposite, on a Mac.
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How to dim inactive windows on a Mac
Fade everything except the window you are working in. Why it helps, what macOS offers on its own, and how to dim the windows you are not using.
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How to see which window is active on a Mac
With two similar windows side by side it is hard to tell which one you are typing into. Ways to make the active window obvious on a Mac.
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Floating windows: keeping some apps out of the layout
Calculator, colour pickers and video players do not belong in a tiled row. How floating works in a Mac window manager and how to choose which apps float.
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Minimise or hide? What each one does on a Mac
⌘ M minimises a window to the Dock, ⌘ H hides a whole app. What each one does, when to use which, and why neither stops windows piling up.
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How to show the desktop on a Mac
Every way to clear the windows off your Mac's screen and see the desktop: the keyboard, the trackpad, a hot corner, and clicking the wallpaper.
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How to close all windows on a Mac at once
Close every window of an app with one shortcut, quit apps in bulk, and stop old windows reopening each time you start up. The keys and settings that do it.
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Mac app opens at the wrong size or position? How to fix it
A window that opens tiny, huge, off screen or on the wrong display. Why macOS apps do it, the fixes that work, and how to make every window open in a set place.
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Set up a hyper key for window shortcuts on a Mac
Turn Caps Lock into a hyper key so window shortcuts never clash with app shortcuts. How it works, free ways to set it up, and a layout of keys that stays easy.
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Clamshell mode: using a MacBook closed with one monitor
What a MacBook needs to run with the lid closed on an external display, why windows jump when you close or open it, and how to keep your layout in place.
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What is a window manager, and does a Mac have one?
A window manager decides where windows go and how you move between them. What macOS has built in, what the add on kinds do, and how to choose.
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How to arrange windows on a Mac: every built in way
Every way macOS lets you arrange windows: dragging, tiling to edges, the green button, Split View, Stage Manager and Mission Control, and when an app does it better.
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How to keep a window always on top on a Mac
macOS has no always on top button, but there are ways: Picture in Picture, apps with a float setting, and Stickies. What works, and what to do instead.
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How to use Picture in Picture on a Mac
Pop a video out into a small window that floats over everything. How to do it in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and FaceTime, how to move and resize it, and its limits.
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How to centre a window on a Mac
macOS Sequoia added a Centre command with a shortcut. How to use it, what to do on older versions, and how to keep the window you work in centred all the time.
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What double clicking a window's title bar does on a Mac
Double clicking a title bar can fill the screen, zoom or minimise, depending on one setting. Where to change it, and what each option does.
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The green button on Mac windows: every option
Click it, hover over it, or ⌥ click it: the green button on every Mac window does more than full screen. What each option does and how to skip full screen.
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How to open a second window of the same app on a Mac
⌘ N opens a new window in most apps, but not all. Other ways in from the Dock and menus, apps that only allow one window, and keeping both windows in view.
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How to move a window to another desktop (Space) on a Mac
Three ways to move a window between Spaces on a Mac: Mission Control, dragging to the edge, and a keyboard trick most people never find.
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How to make an app always open on the same desktop on a Mac
Pin an app to one desktop, every desktop, or a specific display with the Dock's Assign To option. Where it is, what each choice does, and its limits.
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How to keep a window on every desktop on a Mac
Make an app follow you to every Space with Assign To All Desktops. How to set it, which apps it suits, and why it applies to the app rather than one window.
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How to stop your Mac changing the order of your desktops
If your desktops keep swapping places, one setting is to blame. Where to turn it off, and two related settings that make Spaces feel unpredictable.
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Why your Mac jumps to another desktop when you switch apps
⌘ Tab sends you flying to another Space because of one Mission Control setting. How to turn it off, and what changes when you do.
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Keyboard shortcuts to switch desktops on a Mac
⌃ ← and ⌃ → move between desktops; ⌃ and a number jumps straight to one, once turned on. Every shortcut and gesture for Spaces, and how to set them.
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How to turn off window tiling on macOS Sequoia and later
Windows snapping to edges when you only meant to move them? The four tiling settings in macOS Sequoia, what each one does, and how to keep the ones you like.
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How to hide the menu bar on a Mac for more room
Hide the menu bar to give windows the full height of the screen. Where the setting is on recent macOS, the choices it offers, and what you trade.
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How to auto hide the Dock on a Mac, and make it faster
⌥ ⌘ D hides the Dock until you need it. How to turn it on, the Terminal commands that make it appear instantly, and how to undo them.
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How to get more screen space on a MacBook
Fit more on a small screen: a denser display setting, hiding the Dock and menu bar, and a layout that lets windows run past the edge instead of shrinking.
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Why a window opens behind other windows on a Mac, and how to fix it
A new window or dialog that hides behind the one you are using. The usual causes on macOS, the quick ways to bring it forward, and how to stop losing it.
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How to exit Split View on a Mac
Leave Split View by bringing back the title bar and clicking the green button, or with a shortcut. What happens to each window, and how to swap them instead.
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How to merge all windows into one on a Mac
Window, Merge All Windows turns a pile of windows into tabs in one window in Safari, Finder, Terminal and more. How it works, and what to do in Chrome.
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Window too big for the screen on a Mac? How to fix it
A window taller or wider than the display, with its corner out of reach. The quick fixes on macOS, including Fill and Move & Resize, and why it happens.
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Can't move a window on your Mac? How to grab it
The title bar is under the menu bar, off screen, or the app has none. Ways to move a stubborn window, including a hidden setting to drag from anywhere.
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How to get a minimised window back on a Mac
Minimised windows live at the right end of the Dock, or inside the app's icon. Every way to bring one back, including from the keyboard.
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How to use an iPad as a second display for your Mac
Sidecar turns an iPad into a second screen for a Mac. How to start it, how to move windows to it, what it is good for, and how it compares with Universal Control.
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Universal Control vs Sidecar: which one do you want?
Both put an iPad next to your Mac. Sidecar makes it a second Mac screen; Universal Control lets one keyboard and pointer drive both. How they differ.
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Magic Mouse gestures for managing windows on a Mac
The Magic Mouse has two finger swipes for switching full screen apps and a double tap for Mission Control. Where to turn them on, and what a mouse can't do.
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Using a Logitech mouse to manage windows on a Mac
Logitech's gesture button can open Mission Control, switch desktops and show App Exposé. How to set it up in Logi Options+, and good buttons to assign.
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External monitor scaling on a Mac: fit more windows
Text too big on your monitor, or too small to read? How macOS scales external displays, which setting fits more windows, and when to pick each one.
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A window layout for a Mac mini and one monitor
A Mac mini lives on whatever monitor you give it. How to set up one display for lots of windows: scaling, Dock, desktops and a layout that keeps up.
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MacBook Air and an external monitor: a window layout that works
Two screens of different sizes, and windows that move when you unplug. How to set up a MacBook Air with a monitor so windows stay where you want them.
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Mac multitasking tips that actually help
Twelve habits and shortcuts for juggling apps on a Mac: switching, arranging, keeping your place, and a layout that stops windows piling up.
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A productive Mac setup, step by step
Settings, shortcuts and habits that make a Mac faster to work on every day: from the Dock and Spotlight to window layout and Focus modes.
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Do you need a window manager on your Mac?
Five signs a window manager would save you time, three signs it would not, and what kind to look at first if the answer is yes.
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Free window managers for Mac, and when paying makes sense
The good free options for managing windows on a Mac: macOS's own tiling, Rectangle, AeroSpace, Amethyst and more. What each does and what you give up.
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Window management on macOS Tahoe 26
What macOS Tahoe 26 gives you for arranging windows, the settings to check after upgrading, and whether window manager apps work on it.
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Window management on macOS Sequoia 15: what's new
Sequoia brought built in window tiling to the Mac. Every way to use it, its shortcuts and settings, and where it stops short of a window manager.
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Window management on macOS Sonoma 14
Sonoma has no edge tiling yet, but it has Split View, Stage Manager and a new click to show desktop. What works, what to turn off, and what to add.
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Window management on macOS Ventura 13
Ventura introduced Stage Manager and the new System Settings. How to arrange windows on it, where the settings moved, and what window apps support it.
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How to view two Excel files side by side on a Mac
Open two workbooks, or two views of one, next to each other in Excel for Mac. The menu options, the macOS tiling shortcut, and keeping both in view all day.
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How to put two Word documents side by side on a Mac
Two Word documents next to each other for comparing or copying between them, plus Word's own compare tool when you need the differences marked.
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How to compare two PDFs side by side on a Mac
Put two PDFs next to each other in Preview or your browser, keep them in step while you read, and what to use when you need the changes found for you.
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VS Code with multiple windows on a Mac
Open several VS Code windows, move an editor into its own window, and keep them arranged beside your browser and terminal without hunting for them.
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Terminal windows, tabs and split panes on a Mac
When to use Terminal tabs, split panes, iTerm2 panes or tmux, and when separate windows managed by a window manager work better.
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An Xcode window layout that leaves room for everything
Xcode wants the whole screen. How to tame it with its own panels, tabs and windows, and fit the Simulator, docs and a browser beside it.
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An Obsidian window layout on a Mac: panes, pop outs and the rest
Split panes, open notes in new windows, and place Obsidian beside your browser or PDFs. How to arrange it for writing and research on a Mac.
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How to see two Notion pages side by side on a Mac
The Notion app shows one page at a time per window. How to open a second window, use peek, and arrange Notion beside your other apps.
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Keeping an AI chat beside your work on a Mac
Using an AI assistant while you write or code means two windows all day. Ways to keep the chat beside your work, from tiling to a narrow column.
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Slack and email side by side, without losing your work
Keep chat and mail in view without letting them cover what you are working on: sizes, placement and settings that keep both handy but out of the way.
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Taking notes during a video call on a Mac
Keep the call, your notes and the shared document in view at once on one screen: sizes that work, and how to stop the call window hiding behind others.
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A Mac window setup for data analysts
Queries, results, a notebook, a dashboard and the docs: a window layout for analysts that keeps the data in view while you work on it.
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A Mac window setup for video editors
Editing apps want the whole screen. How to share it with notes, references, a browser and client messages without breaking your editing view.
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A Mac window setup for music producers
Plugin windows everywhere, a mixer, an arrangement and a browser for samples. How to keep a music app's many windows under control on a Mac.
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A Mac window setup for streaming
OBS, chat, the game or app you stream, and your alerts: a layout that keeps the captured window steady while you manage everything else.
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A Mac window setup for customer support
Tickets, the customer's account, the knowledge base and chat at once. A layout for support agents that keeps the conversation and the answer side by side.
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A Mac window setup for researchers and academics
Papers, notes, a reference manager and the draft. A layout that keeps sources beside your writing, with the rest of the reading list one move away.
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A Mac window setup for lawyers and document review
Contracts, precedents, email and the matter file side by side. A layout for document heavy legal work on a Mac, and keeping client files private on calls.
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A Mac window setup for accountants and bookkeepers
Spreadsheets, the accounting app, bank statements and receipts. A layout for reconciling on a Mac that keeps the two things you match side by side.
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A Mac window setup for product managers
Roadmap, tickets, specs, analytics, calendar and chat. A layout for a PM's day of constant switching, and saved layouts for planning and meetings.
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A Mac window setup for working from home
Calls, chat, documents and focus time on one laptop or a small desk. A remote work layout that keeps communication handy without letting it take over.
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A Mac setup that helps with ADHD: fewer lost windows
Out of sight is out of mind. Mac settings and a window layout that keep what you are doing visible, cut interruptions, and make getting back on task one move.
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A Mac window setup for photographers
An editing app that wants the full screen, plus client email, a shot list and a browser. Keeping the photo big and everything else close.
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A Mac window setup for translators
Source text, your translation, dictionaries and term bases. A layout that keeps the source and target side by side and the references one move away.
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A Mac window setup for teaching and online classes
Slides, the class call, the chat, your notes and the gradebook. A layout for teaching from a Mac that shows students only what you mean to show.
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A Mac window setup for DevOps and on call
Terminals, dashboards, logs, the incident channel and runbooks. A layout for operations work that keeps the signal in view when something breaks.
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A Mac window setup for social media managers
Several accounts, a scheduler, a design tool, analytics and messages. A layout that keeps each account's window in the same place all day.
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The master and stack layout, explained
One big window and a stack of small ones: the layout behind xmonad, dwm and Amethyst. How it works, what it is good at, and where it gets cramped.
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BSP tiling, explained: how binary space partitioning arranges windows
Each new window splits the one in focus in two. How binary space partition tiling works in bspwm and yabai, why people love it, and its trade off.
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The monocle layout, explained
One window at a time, full size, with the others stacked behind. What monocle layout is, which window managers have it, and a version where neighbours peek in.
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Stacked and tabbed windows in window managers, explained
Two ways to put several windows in one slot: stacked one above another, or tabbed with only one showing. How each works, from i3 to a scrolling strip.
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Window gaps: why tiling layouts leave space between windows
Inner and outer gaps, what they are for, the sizes that work, and how to set them in macOS tiling and window manager apps.
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Workspaces vs Spaces: how Mac desktops compare with tiling workspaces
macOS Spaces and tiling window manager workspaces look alike but behave differently. What each does, why AeroSpace made its own, and what a strip changes.
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Why macOS never had a tiling window manager
Overlapping windows have been the Mac's model from the start. Why that stuck, what Apple added over the years, and how window apps work around it.
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Window manager or launcher: what Raycast and Alfred do, and don't
Launchers open apps and run commands; window managers arrange what is open. Where Raycast and Alfred overlap with window apps, and how to use both.
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A Mac power user setup: windows, keys and automation
The settings, shortcuts and tools power users rely on to drive a Mac from the keyboard, with a window layout that keeps up.
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Three finger swipe not working on your Mac? How to fix it
Swiping with three fingers does nothing, or does the wrong thing. The trackpad settings that decide it, the conflicts to check, and quick resets.
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How to turn off swiping between full screen apps on a Mac
Stop sideways swipes switching desktops by accident, or free the gesture for another app. Where the setting is, and what to use instead.
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App allowed in Accessibility but still not working? How to fix it
The switch is on in Privacy & Security, but the app still says it is not allowed. Why that happens after updates, and the steps that fix it.
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Why your Mac keeps asking about Screen Recording permission
Recent macOS versions ask you from time to time to confirm apps that can see your screen. What the prompt means, how to answer it, and how to check who has access.
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How to find and fix keyboard shortcut conflicts on a Mac
A shortcut that does nothing, or the wrong thing. How to find which app owns it, where macOS keeps its own, and how to keep window shortcuts clash free.
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How to reset window positions on a Mac
Windows stuck in odd sizes and places after a monitor change or a window app. How to put them back to normal, app by app or all at once.
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Compare
- Compare
ClutterFreeMac vs Rectangle
Rectangle snaps a window into a slot when you ask. ClutterFreeMac arranges every window, all the time. Which one fits how you work, and when to use both.
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ClutterFreeMac vs Magnet
Magnet snaps windows to halves, thirds and corners. ClutterFreeMac lays every window out on a strip that scrolls. How they differ, and which suits you.
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ClutterFreeMac vs yabai
yabai is a powerful grid tiler driven by a config file, and some features need SIP partly off. ClutterFreeMac scrolls instead of splitting, with no setup.
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ClutterFreeMac vs AeroSpace
AeroSpace is an i3 style tiler with its own workspaces and a config file. ClutterFreeMac is a scrolling window manager with settings in a window.
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ClutterFreeMac vs Amethyst
Amethyst tiles windows automatically in layouts inspired by xmonad. ClutterFreeMac scrolls a strip so windows never shrink. Side by side, plainly.
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ClutterFreeMac vs Moom
Moom moves and resizes windows from a grid on the green button or from shortcuts. ClutterFreeMac keeps every window on a scrolling strip. Which one fits you.
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ClutterFreeMac vs Loop
Loop snaps a window by holding a key and pointing in a direction on a radial menu. ClutterFreeMac lays every window on a strip that scrolls. How they compare.
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ClutterFreeMac vs Swish
Swish snaps windows with trackpad swipes on their title bars. ClutterFreeMac lets you swipe along a strip of windows. Two ways to manage windows by trackpad.
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ClutterFreeMac vs BetterSnapTool
BetterSnapTool snaps a window when you drag it to an edge or corner, with custom snap areas. ClutterFreeMac arranges every window on a scrolling strip.
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ClutterFreeMac vs Divvy
Divvy resizes a window by selecting cells on a grid. ClutterFreeMac lays every window out on a strip that scrolls past the screen. How the two compare.
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Spectacle is discontinued: what to use instead
Spectacle, the free window shortcut app, is no longer developed. Its natural successor, the built in tiling in macOS, and a scrolling option.
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ClutterFreeMac vs Hammerspoon for windows
Hammerspoon lets you script window moves yourself in Lua. ClutterFreeMac is a finished scrolling window manager. When to write your own, and when not to.
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ClutterFreeMac vs BetterTouchTool for window management
BetterTouchTool customises gestures, keys and buttons, and can snap windows. ClutterFreeMac is only about windows, on a scrolling strip. How they fit together.
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ClutterFreeMac vs Phoenix
Phoenix is a free window manager you program in JavaScript. ClutterFreeMac is a ready made scrolling layout. Choosing between building and installing.
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ClutterFreeMac vs Rectangle Pro
Rectangle Pro adds layouts and extra controls on top of free Rectangle's snapping. ClutterFreeMac arranges every window on a strip. How they differ.
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Is macOS's built in tiling enough, or do you need a window manager?
macOS Sequoia tiles windows to halves and quarters. Where that is all you need, where it runs out, and what a scrolling window manager adds.
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Slate for Mac: what to use now
Slate was a configurable window manager for Mac that has not been updated in many years. What its users moved to, and how a scrolling strip compares.
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chunkwm is gone: what replaced it
chunkwm, the tiling window manager for Mac, was discontinued and succeeded by yabai. What changed, and other options including a scrolling layout.
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Coming from somewhere else
- Coming from
niri for Mac: the scrolling layout, on macOS
niri is a scrollable tiling window manager for Linux. If you miss its columns on a Mac, here is how ClutterFreeMac maps to it, key by key.
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PaperWM for Mac: a scrolling strip, on macOS
PaperWM brought scrollable tiling to GNOME. On a Mac there is PaperWM.spoon for Hammerspoon, or a native app. How the options compare.
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Coming from i3 or sway to a Mac
Used to i3 or sway on Linux? The Mac options for keyboard driven tiling, how i3 habits translate, and why a scrolling strip may suit you better.
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Coming from Hyprland to a Mac
Hyprland's smooth animations and tiling do not exist on macOS. What gets closest on a Mac, and how a scrolling strip with spring motion compares.
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A Stage Manager alternative that keeps every window in view
Stage Manager parks windows as thumbnails and shows one group at a time. If that feels cramped, here is a layout that keeps every window full size and in order.
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Coming from Windows: Snap Layouts on a Mac
Windows 11 snaps windows with a hover or a shortcut. What the Mac has instead, how the keys map, and how to get windows arranged without thinking about it.
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GlazeWM for Mac: an i3 style workflow on macOS
GlazeWM brings i3 style tiling to Windows. If you are moving to a Mac and want the same keyboard driven flow, here is how it maps to ClutterFreeMac.
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komorebi for Mac: tiling without the setup
komorebi is a tiling window manager for Windows driven by a command line tool. Coming to a Mac? How its ideas map to ClutterFreeMac, without config files.
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Coming from GNOME: window management on a Mac
Super key overview, half tiling, dynamic workspaces. What GNOME users miss on a Mac, the closest macOS equivalents, and how to get a calmer layout.
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xmonad on a Mac: the closest options
xmonad does not run on macOS. Which Mac window managers feel closest, how its master and stack layout maps across, and what a scrolling strip changes.
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bspwm on a Mac: the closest alternatives
bspwm is Linux only. yabai brings its binary space partition tiling to macOS; here is how that compares with AeroSpace and a scrolling strip.
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awesome window manager on a Mac: what to use
awesome is a Lua configured window manager for Linux. The Mac apps that come closest, from scripting with Hammerspoon to ready made layouts.
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dwm on a Mac: the closest options
dwm, the minimal tiling window manager, runs on X11 only. Mac apps with its master and stack and monocle layouts, and a different take on the same goals.
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Qtile on a Mac: the closest alternatives
Qtile is a Python configured tiling window manager for Linux. What to use on macOS instead, from layouts to scripting, and how a scrolling strip compares.
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Coming from KDE Plasma: window management on a Mac
KDE users miss KWin's tiling, window rules and keyboard control on macOS. Where each one is on a Mac, and how to get back what macOS lacks.
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Karousel on a Mac: scrolling tiling without KDE
Karousel brings scrollable tiling to KDE Plasma as a KWin script. The same idea on a Mac: columns on a strip that runs past the edges of the screen.
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FancyZones on a Mac: the closest alternatives
FancyZones, from Windows PowerToys, snaps windows into zones you draw. What does the same on macOS, and a different approach for people with many windows.
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Missing the Windows taskbar on a Mac? What to do
The Mac Dock shows apps, not windows. How to see every open window the way the Windows taskbar does, with built in tools and a strip dock.
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Coming from Pop!_OS: auto tiling on a Mac
Pop!_OS's COSMIC desktop tiles windows automatically with a toggle. What gives a Mac the same automatic arrangement, and what to expect from the keys.
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