Docs / Core Concepts
Stages
A stage is a named workspace that spans all of your monitors. Switching stages instantly hides the current set of windows and reveals the next — no animation, no delay.
What Are Stages?
Think of stages as virtual desktops, but better. Each stage holds a set of windows across every connected display, and remembers a Window Mode for each of those displays. When you switch to a stage, only that stage’s windows are visible. Everything else disappears instantly.
- Each stage spans all monitors simultaneously.
- Windows keep their position and size when you switch away and back.
- Switching is instant — no sliding animations or transitions.
- Your active stage is remembered across app restarts — you pick up exactly where you left off.
- No SIP disable required. Works with standard macOS APIs.
Creating, Renaming & Deleting
Manage stages from the Stages Bar or the right-click context menu.
Create
Open the Stages Bar and click the + button, or right-click any stage card and choose New Stage.
Rename
Right-click a stage card in the Stages Bar and choose Rename. Type a new name and press Enter.
Delete
Right-click a stage card and choose Delete. Windows from the deleted stage are moved to the active stage.
Switching Stages
The fastest way to switch stages is with keyboard shortcuts.
Auto-Switch on Focus
When Auto-switch on focus is enabled (the default), clicking on a window belonging to another stage will automatically switch you to that stage. This also works when cycling between windows of the same app with Cmd+`. Useful when an app activates from a notification or Spotlight and its window lives on a different stage.
Toggle this in Settings > General > Auto-switch on focus.
Stage Limits
The free version of BetterStage supports up to 3 stages. Upgrade to BetterStage Pro to unlock up to 9 stages, giving you full access to the Opt+1 through Opt+9 shortcut range.
Free
3 stages
Great for separating work, personal, and communication.
Pro
9 stages
Full keyboard shortcut range for power users.
App Routing PRO
You can assign an app to a specific stage so every new window from that app opens there automatically — no matter which stage is currently active. Find it in Settings → App Routing.
How it works
Create a rule by picking an app and a target stage (1–9). You can also pin it to a specific monitor. When that app opens a new window, BetterStage routes it to the target stage and switches there so you see it right away. A toggle in Settings → General lets you route silently instead.
Auto-created stages
You can pick any stage 1–9, even if it doesn’t exist yet. When you save the rule, BetterStage creates every missing stage up to your target. For example, if you have 2 stages and pick Stage 5, BetterStage creates Stage 3, 4, and 5 for you.
Existing windows
Rules only affect new windows opened after the rule is created. Existing windows stay where they are. Click Move existing windows now in the rule editor to apply the rule retroactively.