Frequently asked questions
FAQ
Check the tutorial and questions below first — most answers are there. If you're still stuck, contact us.
"A profile saves which apps are open, which desktop (Space) each app is on, and each app's window size and position." — Mac Workspaces FAQ, "What gets saved in a profile?"
Profiles
A profile is a saved snapshot of your entire workspace — which apps are open, which desktop each is on, and where every window sits. Restore it in one click to get back to exactly that setup.
What gets saved in a profile?
A profile saves which apps are open, which desktop (Space) each app is on, and each app's window size and position. When you restore, apps are moved to the correct desktops and windows are resized and repositioned exactly as saved. Profile contents are never touched by updates — they live separately from the app.
How do I create a profile?
Arrange your apps and windows the way you want them, then click the Workspaces menu bar icon → Save Current Layout…. Give it a name — you'll also see a Remember window positions checkbox (on by default). With it on, Workspaces saves each window's exact size and position alongside its desktop assignment, and restores both on every restore. Turn it off if you only want apps moved to the right desktops without touching window sizes.
Why does saving a profile show a progress window and take around 10 seconds?
When Remember window positions is on, Workspaces needs to briefly visit each of your desktops to see exactly where every window is sitting. You'll notice your desktops cycling through in the background — that's normal. The progress window lets you know it's working and what it's doing. It usually takes around 10 seconds depending on how many desktops you have.
Will Workspaces remember where my windows are on my external monitor?
Yes. When you save a profile, Workspaces captures the position of every window on every display — including any external monitors you have connected. When you restore, windows go back to exactly where they were on each screen.
What happens to apps that aren't in the profile when I restore?
Apps not in the active profile are automatically hidden (same as ⌘H). They're still running — visible in the Dock and easy to bring back. Finder and Workspaces itself are never hidden.
I restored a profile and got a notification about extra desktops — what does that mean?
If you have more open desktops than the profile needs, Workspaces leaves the extras in place and notifies you. Nothing is deleted. To clean up, open Mission Control and drag the unwanted desktops to the trash icon that appears at the top.
Can I restore a profile with a keyboard shortcut?
Yes — go to Settings → General, find the profile in the list, and click the shortcut field next to it to record a key combo.
I connected a display and got a picker asking which profile to restore — why?
More than one of your saved profiles matches the connected display setup. Workspaces can't guess which one you want, so it asks. Pick the profile you need and click Restore.
What happens when I disconnect my external display?
Workspaces doesn't currently auto-restore a built-in-display profile when a display disconnects — restore manually from the menu bar by clicking the Workspaces icon and selecting the profile you want. See why this happens and how the one-click restore works for the full picture.
Snap zones
Workspaces includes a full window-snapping system — 16 zones, two ways to trigger them — so you don't need a separate window manager alongside it.
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Drag to a pin
When you start dragging any window, a compact snap grid appears near your cursor. Drag to the zone you want and release to snap. You can switch to full-screen edge pins by turning off Show snap zones near cursor in Settings → Window Snap → Behaviour.
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Use the pin board
While dragging a window, move it slowly toward the centre of the screen — the pin board appears, showing all 16 zones in a grid. Drop onto any zone to snap the window there. Useful when you want a precise zone without hunting for an edge pin.
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Use keyboard shortcuts
Every snap zone can be bound to a keyboard shortcut. Open Settings → Window Snap and click any zone to assign a key combo. Built-in defaults: ⌃⌥← left half · ⌃⌥→ right half · ⌃⌥↑ top half · ⌃⌥↓ bottom half · ⌃⌥U top-left · ⌃⌥I top-right · ⌃⌥J bottom-left · ⌃⌥K bottom-right.
Throwing windows between displays
On a multi-display setup, throw-to-display lets you move any window to your other monitor in one gesture.
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Drag toward the display edge
When two or more displays are connected, a throw-to-display pin appears at the edge of each screen that faces another monitor. Start dragging any window toward that edge — the pin lights up — and release. The window moves to the adjacent display.
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Choose where it lands
When you hover over the throw pin, a second snap grid appears beside it showing the zones on the destination display. Move your cursor into the grid and hover the zone where you want the window to land — the blue ghost preview shows the final position. Release to throw and snap in one move.
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Enable or disable
Throw-to-display pins are on by default when multiple displays are connected and hidden automatically on single-display Macs. To turn them off: Settings → Window Snap → Snap Groups → Throw to Display.
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Throw with a keyboard shortcut
Press ⌃⌥⌘→ to throw the front window to the next display, or ⌃⌥⌘← to throw it left. The window lands centred on the destination display — use a snap shortcut or drag to a pin to position it from there. Change these bindings in Settings → Window Snap → Keyboard Shortcuts.
App Updates
Workspaces checks for updates automatically using Sparkle. When a new version is ready, you'll see a prompt in the app. Your saved profiles are stored separately from the app and are never affected by updates.
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Accept the automatic prompt
When a new version is available, Workspaces shows a release-notes dialog with an Install and Relaunch button. Click it — Workspaces quits, applies the update, and restarts in a few seconds. Everything picks up exactly where you left it.
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Or check manually
Click the Workspaces menu bar icon → Check for Updates…. If a newer version is available you'll see the release notes and an install button. You can also turn off automatic background checks in Settings → General.
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Your profiles are never touched
All your saved profiles live in
~/Library/Application Support/Workspaces/— separate from the app binary. Updates only replace the app. Your profiles, settings, and shortcuts are exactly where you left them after every update.
Common questions
How do I update Workspaces?
Workspaces checks for updates automatically on launch and in the background. When one is ready, a dialog appears — click Install and Relaunch. To check manually: click the Workspaces menu bar icon → Check for Updates…. Your saved profiles are never modified by updates.
How does throw-to-display work?
When you have multiple displays connected, a throw pin appears at the edge of each screen facing an adjacent display. Drag any window toward that edge — a second snap grid appears showing zones on the destination display. Hover the zone you want and release to throw and snap in one move. Toggle the feature in Settings → Window Snap → Snap Groups → Throw to Display.
Does macOS need to have Spaces pre-created?
No. Workspaces reads the Spaces you have and matches apps to them by name (Desktop 1, Desktop 2, etc.). If you've saved a profile that uses 4 Spaces and you currently only have 2, Workspaces will create the missing Spaces automatically on restore.
A window didn't move to the right Space — what happened?
A few things can interfere: apps set to "Assign to all desktops" in Mission Control (right-click the Dock icon to check), full-screen apps (take them out of full screen first), and apps that are slow to launch. Try the restore again once the app has fully loaded. If a specific app consistently fails, contact us.
Does "Displays have separate Spaces" need to be on?
Yes — Workspaces requires System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Displays have separate Spaces to be enabled. This is the default on macOS; most users have it on already. If it's off, Workspaces will show a warning on launch.
Will this work if I have Stage Manager on?
Workspaces works great with Stage Manager on. Profile restore moves apps to their assigned Spaces exactly as saved, and Stage Manager manages the in-focus window within each Space as normal.
There's also a dedicated Stage Manager Main snap zone that sizes the focused window to fill the screen while leaving the Stage Manager strip on the left visible for easy app switching. This works on every Space when Stage Manager is active. Bind it to a shortcut in Settings → Window Snap → Keyboard Shortcuts, or use it from the drag pin grid.
You can toggle Stage Manager on and off with ⌃⌥⌘M, or from Settings → General. The shortcut can be changed in Settings → Window Snap → Keyboard Shortcuts.
What is "Window gaps"?
When Window gaps is on, snapped windows have a small margin from the screen edge and a gutter between adjacent windows, so nothing sits flush against the edge. Default is 8 px margin, 6 px gap. Toggle it in Settings → Window Snap → Behaviour → Window gaps.
What's the difference between "Show snap zones near cursor" on and off?
When on (the default), a compact snap grid appears beside your cursor as soon as you start dragging — the zones are right where you're already looking. When off, pins appear at fixed positions around the screen edges instead, similar to a traditional window manager. Both give access to all 16 zones. Toggle it in Settings → Window Snap → Behaviour → Show snap zones near cursor.
How does the free trial work?
Workspaces includes a 7-day free trial — no account or credit card required. All features are fully unlocked during the trial. When it ends, you'll be prompted to purchase a licence to keep using the app.
How do I activate after purchasing?
After completing your purchase, you'll receive a licence key by email. Click the Workspaces menu bar icon → Settings → License and enter the key. Activation is tied to your licence, not your machine.
How many Macs can I use one licence on?
A standard licence covers up to 2 Macs. If you try to activate on a third, you'll be prompted to deactivate one of your existing machines first.
How do I uninstall Workspaces?
Quit the app from the menu bar (click the Workspaces icon → Quit Workspaces), then delete Workspaces.app from your Applications folder. To remove all data, also delete ~/Library/Application Support/Workspaces/ — this folder contains all your saved profiles and cannot be recovered once deleted. If you had Restore profile at login enabled, also delete ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.macworkspaces.workspaces.plist.
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