When you’re using a Mac, you often have multiple applications and windows open at once. This can make it difficult to find the application or window you need. When you’re working continuously, navigating through windows and applications can be a real headache.
With macOS Sequoia, Apple is introducing a new window tile feature to help you find an app or window. This feature is inspired by third-party utilities that add this functionality to macOS. Sequoia’s window tile isn’t as robust as those apps’, but it’s still very useful. (If you’re already using such an app, you may want to stick with it.)
Learn more about the upcoming Mac operating system in our macOS Sequoia superguide. Here’s how window tiling works in macOS Sequoia.
Necessary tools: macOS Sequoia
Check macOS Sequoia Desktop and Dock Settings
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Although the new window tiling feature is enabled by default, you can verify that the setting is enabled. Go to System settings > Desktop and docking station then scroll down to the the Windows section.
Apple offers three new settings for window tiling:
- Tiling by dragging windows to the edges of the screen: Enable this option if you want to place window tiles by dragging them around the screen. There are other ways to arrange window tiles if you disable this option. I’ll detail how this works in the following steps.
- Hold the ⌥ key [Option] touch while dragging windows to tile:enable this option if you do not want to drag the window to where you want to place it.
- Tiled windows have margins:With this one, some space is inserted between the windows.
Once the settings are adjusted, close System Settings.
First way to organize windows: drag and drop
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One way to place a window is to click and drag it to a location on the screen. If you drag a window to a location, an outline appears to indicate the window’s location. Release the window to place it.
Here are the locations on the screen where you can drag windows:
- Left or right side of the screen: Places the window on the half of the screen you drag to.
- Top of screen: places the window either in the center of the screen or centers it and fills the screen but this is not full screen mode. Do not drag the mouse past the top of the screen as this opens Mission Control.
- Coins: Places the window in a quarter of the screen. This location can be a little difficult to locate because it is in the very corner of the screen.
By dragging a window, the the cursor must reach the spot on the screen to trigger the placement. Make it easier by clicking and holding the window somewhere close to where you want to drag the mouse.
If you decide to turn this option off (see step 1), there are other ways to tile windows. Proceed to step 3.
Second way to arrange windows: hold down the Option key and place it
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When you enable this option in Settings, you can click and hold the window, then hold down the Option key, and then move left or right to place a window in a half-screen layout. You don’t need to drag the window to the edge of the screen.
However, you still need to drag the window to the corner if you want to achieve a four-window layout or drag it up for center-screen placement.
Third way to organize windows: the green button
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The quickest and easiest way to place a set of windows is to use the green button at the top left of each window. Hover over it (don’t click on it) with the cursor and the window tiling option appears. Select a layout and your windows are automatically placed.
Using Window Tiling in macOS Sequoia
The screen here is set to 1440 x 932 on a 15-inch MacBook Air. As you can see, this four-window layout has many overlapping windows.
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Here are some things to know about using Sequoia window tiles:
- The maximum layout has four windows. If you have more than four, Sequoia places windows below the top four windows.
- You can switch between one, two, three, and four window layouts using the green button that appears. Windows will stack if you have more windows than the chosen layout.
- You can adjust the window size after placing it, but you cannot adjust window sizes in layout templates.
- Sometimes a developer has set certain window sizes for their apps, so that the app can’t fit properly in a location. For example, Apple set its News app to a minimum height so that it’s taller than the space defined for a four-window layout.
- Windows tiling doesn’t really work at screen resolutions lower than the default (see screenshot above).
- Sequoia window tiling works across multiple screens.
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