Reference
Shortcuts
Complete reference for BetterStage shortcuts. Stage switching, stage navigation, directional focus, and snap shortcuts can be customized in Settings > Shortcuts. Each action can keep separate keyboard, mouse, and trackpad controls. The defaults below show the Standard keyboard layout preset.
Standard preset examples
Keyboard Layout Presets
Shortcut defaults come in two flavors: Standard and European. On Option-heavy layouts (German, French, Spanish, and others), Opt+number and Opt+letter combos type characters instead of acting as shortcuts. The European preset adds Ctrl to exactly those bindings — stage switching becomes Ctrl+Opt+1-9, send-to-stage becomes Ctrl+Opt+Shift+1-9, and the loose letter actions (N/M/Z/X/B) gain Control too. Arrow, Tab, and the already-safe snap, focus, and move bindings are unchanged.
The preset is auto-detected from your keyboard layout during onboarding and can be switched anytime in Settings > Shortcuts. Switching presets never touches shortcuts you have customized yourself.
Stage Shortcuts
By default, use Opt + a number key to switch stages, or add Shift to send the focused window to that stage. These defaults can be changed in Settings > Shortcuts.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Opt+1 | Switch to Stage 1 |
| Opt+2 | Switch to Stage 2 |
| Opt+3 | Switch to Stage 3 |
| Opt+4 | Switch to Stage 4 |
| Opt+5 | Switch to Stage 5 |
| Opt+6 | Switch to Stage 6 |
| Opt+7 | Switch to Stage 7 |
| Opt+8 | Switch to Stage 8 |
| Opt+9 | Switch to Stage 9 |
| Opt+Shift+1 | Send focused window to Stage 1 |
| Opt+Shift+2 | Send focused window to Stage 2 |
| Opt+Shift+3 | Send focused window to Stage 3 |
| Opt+Shift+4 | Send focused window to Stage 4 |
| Opt+Shift+5 | Send focused window to Stage 5 |
| Opt+Shift+6 | Send focused window to Stage 6 |
| Opt+Shift+7 | Send focused window to Stage 7 |
| Opt+Shift+8 | Send focused window to Stage 8 |
| Opt+Shift+9 | Send focused window to Stage 9 |
Navigation & Tiling
Quick navigation between stages, directional window focus inside tiled layouts, Window Mode cycling, and manual retile. Retile works in every Window Mode — it reconforms the TabStack pane tree, or arranges or re-stacks free-floating windows in Enhanced Native.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Opt+Up | Toggle Stages Bar |
| Opt+Left | Switch to previous stage |
| Opt+Right | Switch to next stage |
| Opt+Tab | Cycle forward through stages |
| Opt+Shift+Tab | Cycle backward through stages |
| Unassigned | Send focused window to previous stage |
| Unassigned | Send focused window to next stage |
| Cmd+Opt+J | Focus window to the left |
| Cmd+Opt+K | Focus window below |
| Cmd+Opt+I | Focus window above |
| Cmd+Opt+L | Focus window to the right |
| Cmd+Opt+Shift+J / K / I / L | Move window to the neighboring pane |
| Opt+N | Create new stage |
| Opt+X | Close current stage |
| Opt+M | Merge all stages |
| Opt+Z | Open AI Staging (Pro) |
| Opt+B | Switch Window Mode on the active monitor (Pro) |
| Opt+Down | Retile the active stage |
| Cmd+Opt+G | Reflow TabStack panes as a grid (Pro) |
| Ctrl+Opt+] / [ | Next / previous tab in the pane (Pro) |
| Unassigned | Move the selected tab left / right in the pane (Pro) |
Sending the focused window to the previous or next stage is unassigned by default. Opt+Shift+Left and Opt+Shift+Right pass through to macOS and the active app; you can assign either stage action in Settings > Shortcuts.
Directional focus works best with TabStack layouts. When you reach the edge of one monitor, BetterStage continues onto the next monitor in that direction when possible.
Snap Zone Shortcuts
These shortcuts can be reconfigured in Settings > Shortcuts. The defaults are shown below. In TabStack, snap zones move the focused window into the adjacent pane; the Snap Wheel, keyboard, and menu show directional arrows instead of halves and quarters.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Opt+Left | Snap to left half |
| Ctrl+Opt+Right | Snap to right half |
| Ctrl+Opt+Up | Snap to top half |
| Ctrl+Opt+Down | Snap to bottom half |
| Ctrl+Opt+C | Center (half width and half height) |
| Ctrl+Opt+U | Snap to top-left quarter |
| Ctrl+Opt+I | Snap to top-right quarter |
| Ctrl+Opt+J | Snap to bottom-left quarter |
| Ctrl+Opt+K | Snap to bottom-right quarter |
| Ctrl+Opt+A | Snap to left third |
| Ctrl+Opt+S | Snap to center third |
| Ctrl+Opt+D | Snap to right third |
| Ctrl+Opt+Q | Snap to left two-thirds |
| Ctrl+Opt+R | Snap to center two-thirds |
| Ctrl+Opt+W | Snap to right two-thirds |
| Ctrl+Opt+Return | Maximize window |
Since 2.2, pressing a directional snap again once a window is at a screen edge carries it onto the neighboring display, including displays stacked above or below. See Move to Display.
⌘Tab Switcher Pro
Available when Use BetterStage ⌘Tab is on in Settings > ⌘Tab Switcher. Otherwise ⌘Tab opens the macOS app switcher. Details in the ⌘Tab Switcher guide.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd+Tab | Open the ⌘Tab Switcher on the window you used before this one |
| Hold Cmd + Tab / Shift+Tab | Move through windows; release Cmd to switch |
| Hold Cmd + type | Search windows, apps, and Stages |
| Cmd+Opt+B | Bring the selected window into the current Stage |
| Cmd+` | Next window of the same app |
Customizing Shortcuts
Open Settings > Shortcuts to rebind any navigation or layout shortcut. Shortcuts settings include a keyboard layout preset picker, a compact stage-shortcut builder, a visual snap-zone map, keycap-style lists with inline conflict warnings, and search. Each action can keep separate keyboard, mouse, and trackpad bindings. Click a shortcut field and press a key combination, mouse button, or trackpad gesture to record it. Save Workspace and Load Workspace are available as assignable actions even though they have no default binding. If a control is already used, you can move it here without losing the action's other inputs.
To load one specific Saved Workspace directly, assign its shortcut in the Workspace picker. Single keys are allowed for these bindings; modifiers are optional. BetterStage checks conflicts with other Workspace bindings and built-in actions. Ordinary global keyboard shortcuts still require a modifier.
There is also a separate setting in Settings > Stages > Navigation & Focus called Command + Backtick window cycling. When enabled, Cmd+` cycles only through windows from the current app that are on the active stage.
Snap Wheel Triggers
Snap Wheel triggers are configured separately in Settings > Snap Wheel. The defaults are middle-click and a four-finger trackpad tap. You can add more: a key combo, a modifier-only shortcut, a mouse button, or a trackpad gesture. Keyboard and mouse triggers can use hold or toggle mode; trackpad triggers toggle. See the Snap Wheel docs for details.
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Monitor Management