BETTERSTAGE

Window Management

Snap Wheel

The Snap Wheel is a radial popup menu for quick window actions. Trigger it on any window to snap, send to a stage, switch the monitor's Window Mode, run AI Staging, or open Settings — all without memorizing keyboard shortcuts. Rebuilt in 1.0 with two styles (Liquid Glass and Classic), customizable slots on both rings, four submenus, and your own SF Symbol icons in every slot.

Trigger Options

Out of the box BetterStage activates the wheel on a middle-click or a four-finger trackpad tap. Add more from Settings > Snap Wheel — every trigger you add works simultaneously, and each one can run in hold or toggle mode.

Middle-Click Toggle

Default

Middle-click anywhere to open the wheel, then move freely and left-click to select. Middle-click again to dismiss and re-show at a new position.

4-Finger Tap Toggle

Default

Tap with four fingers on a Magic Trackpad to open the wheel at the cursor. Left-click or tap again to select.

Other Trackpad Gestures

Add any of three more Magic Trackpad gestures from Settings → Snap Wheel → Triggers: 5-finger tap, 4-finger click, or 5-finger click.

Middle-Click Hold

Click and hold the middle mouse button on a window. Drag to select, release to apply.

Ctrl+Opt Hold

Hold Ctrl+Opt to summon the wheel at your cursor after a configurable delay. Release to apply, or left-click to commit.

Custom Trigger

Define your own trigger in Settings — any modifier+key combo, modifier+mouse button, or modifier-only shortcut. Each trigger can be set to hold or toggle mode independently.

Wheel Layout

The wheel has two layers: an inner ring for snap zones, and an outer action fan with expandable submenu pills. Hover over a fan slice to reveal its submenu.

Inner Ring

Halves & Quarters (8 default slots)

By default the inner ring is filled with the 4 halves (top, right, bottom, left) and 4 quarters (top-right, bottom-right, bottom-left, top-left). Every slot is reassignable.

Full

Outer Ring — 12 o'clock

Maximize the window to fill the entire monitor.

More Actions

Outer Ring — 1:30 — Submenu

Hover to expand. Defaults to: Exclude App, Save Layout, three Thirds, three Two-Thirds, and Rescue Windows.

Retile

Outer Ring — 3 o'clock

Rebalance the Bento Box tree on the active stage. Not available in Tabbed Layout Mode.

Send to Stage

Outer Ring — 4:30 — Submenu

Hover to expand: each existing stage plus a "+" tile to send the window to a brand-new stage.

Switch Stage

Outer Ring — 6 o'clock — Submenu

Hover to expand: switch to another stage without moving the window. The current stage is hidden from the list.

Settings

Outer Ring — 7:30

Open BetterStage Settings.

AI Staging

Outer Ring — 9 o'clock

Run AI Staging on every open window — it groups them into project-focused stages using your configured AI provider.

Window Modes

Outer Ring — 10:30 — Submenu

Hover to expand and switch the current monitor between macOS Native, Bento Box, and Tabbed Layout Mode. The slot label shows the active mode so you always know what's on this monitor.

More Actions Submenu

The More Actions slice expands into nine default slots:

  • Exclude App — Add the target app to the float list so it bypasses Bento Box and Tabbed Layout Mode. Flips to Include App when the app is already excluded.
  • Save Layout — Save the current Bento Box or Tabbed Layout as a reusable preset.
  • Left / Center / Right Third — Snap to one of the three vertical thirds.
  • Left / Center / Right Two-Thirds — Snap to two thirds of the screen.
  • Rescue Windows — Pull every window on the current stage back onto an active monitor if anything is stuck off-screen.

Every slot in this submenu is reassignable from Settings > Snap Wheel.

Window Modes Submenu

The Window Modes slice expands into three actions that change the mode of the monitor under the cursor:

  • macOS Native — Free-floating windows. Free for everyone.
  • Bento Box — Automatic tiling. Requires Pro.
  • Tabbed Layout Mode — Apply a saved layout. Opens a preset picker. Requires Pro.

The outer-ring slot for this submenu shows the active mode as its label, so you can tell at a glance what the current monitor is in.

How to Use

  1. 1Trigger the wheel using any of your configured triggers on the target window.
  2. 2Move your cursor toward the desired zone. The active segment highlights as you hover.
  3. 3Release (hold mode) or left-click (toggle mode) to apply the action.

Customization

  • Style — choose between two looks: Liquid Glass (frosted disc with a white-on-glass icon palette) or Classic (flat black disc with customizable inner and outer ring colors).
  • Slot layout — both the inner ring and the outer ring default to 8 slots each, and the More Actions submenu defaults to 9. You can grow each ring or submenu to up to 12 slots, or trim it down. Every slot can run any action: snap zones, stage switches, send-to-stage, Window Modes, AI Staging, Save Layout, Rescue, or Open Settings.
  • Per-ring colors (Classic style) — tint the inner ring slices and the outer disc independently to match your wallpaper or tell the rings apart at a glance.
  • Custom SF Symbol icons — pick any system icon for any slot, including the four submenu launchers (More Actions, Send to Stage, Switch Stage, Window Modes).
  • Live Window Mode label — the Window Modes slot in the outer ring shows the active monitor's current mode (macOS Native / Bento Box / Tabbed Layout Mode) as its label, so you always know what you're snapping into.
  • Per-app exclude toggle — flip the focused app between participating in Window Modes and floating freely without leaving the wheel.

Next

Window Modes