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.

Guide · Updated 13 October 2026

Remote work runs on chat and calls, so they are always open. The trick is to keep them at the edge, not in the middle of your work.

The layout

  • Edge: chat and mail stacked in a narrow column.
  • Middle: the one thing you are working on, wide.
  • Next to it: the reference you need for it.
  • Further along: everything else, in order.

Calls

When a call starts, put it beside your notes, a third and two thirds. See notes during a call.

One laptop, often a kitchen table

Without a big monitor, every window counts. ClutterFreeMac keeps windows full size on a strip that runs past the screen, so a 13 inch laptop holds a whole day's windows without one hiding another. See more screen space on a MacBook.

Questions

How should I set up my Mac for working from home?

Keep chat and mail in a narrow column at the side, your main work wide in the middle, and calls beside your notes when they happen.

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