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Save and restore window layouts on Mac
Bring back the whole desk—not just a few rectangles. BetterStage restores named workspaces, windows, monitor assignments, and TabStack pane and tab structure after a restart, a context switch, or a disconnected display.
Published by BetterStage · Product behavior and limits are explained in our Workspaces documentation.
Your workspace
Automatic recovery · Free
After restart, wake, or display changes
Saved Workspaces · Pro
Save a named setup. Load it when needed.
A window position preset is not a workspace
Many Mac layout tools remember screen coordinates. That works until you close an app, unplug a monitor, change a display arrangement, or switch from a coding project to a meeting setup. A list of rectangles cannot explain which project a window belongs to, how a tiled split was built, or where work from a missing display should wait.
BetterStage saves the semantic structure behind the desktop. A Stage is a named workspace spanning every monitor. Each monitor can use Enhanced Native placement or TabStack, including several windows in each customizable pane. Saved Workspaces preserve that structure so a restore can rebuild intent instead of guessing from coordinates.
What a BetterStage Workspace saves
Named stages
Every project workspace, its name, and the active stage.
Display roles
Which windows and stages belong on each monitor, even across docking changes.
Window placement
Free-floating positions plus the intended monitor for each matched window.
TabStack pane structure
Pane split directions, divider positions, and pane geometry.
TabStack tabs
Window tabs, selected tabs, and each pane's layout.
Offline displays
Missing-monitor work stays protected until you reconnect or remap it.
Two kinds of restore, for two different jobs
FREE · AUTOMATIC
Workspace Continuity
BetterStage keeps a local checkpoint of the latest desk and uses it after app restarts, sleep and wake, or display changes. It is a safety net: no save button and no cloud account required.
PRO · ON DEMAND
Named Saved Workspaces
Save deliberate restore points such as Coding, Design Review, Home Office, or Travel. Load one when the task changes and review the visual preview before any windows move.
Restore after a restart or monitor reconnect
- 1
Arrange once
Create the stages, window modes, tiles, and panes you want. BetterStage begins protecting the current workspace automatically.
- 2
Save named setups when useful
Pro users can choose Save Workspace from the menu bar or Snap Wheel and give the arrangement a reusable name.
- 3
Let matching finish
On restore, BetterStage matches available app windows conservatively, reopens supported apps when requested, and applies the saved monitor and layout ownership.
- 4
Handle absent displays safely
With automatic workspace recovery enabled, windows from disconnected displays become available on remaining displays and join their TabStack panes. When the display returns, its windows and layout come back automatically; if BetterStage needs confirmation, a nonblocking prompt offers Restore Workspace or Keep Current Layout.
For exact controls and recovery behavior, read the Workspaces & Continuity documentation.
Built-in Mac tiling vs saved workspaces
Built-in macOS tiling is useful when you need two windows side by side right now. BetterStage adds the persistent layer: project names, keyboard switching, per-monitor layout modes, automatic recovery, and reusable complete-desk snapshots. You can still use native window behavior inside a Stage, then choose TabStack only on monitors where structure helps.
Frequently asked questions
Can macOS save and restore a complete window layout?
macOS can tile individual windows, but it does not save a named, multi-monitor workspace with every window, display assignment, and layout mode. BetterStage Pro can save that complete arrangement as a named Workspace, while the free tier automatically protects the latest arrangement with Workspace Continuity.
Will BetterStage restore window positions after a restart?
Yes. Workspace Continuity automatically restores stages, window positions, monitor assignments, and supported TabStack structure after BetterStage restarts, the Mac wakes, or displays reconnect. The recovery checkpoint stays on your Mac and is never uploaded.
What happens when a saved monitor is disconnected?
With automatic workspace recovery enabled, windows from disconnected displays become available on remaining displays and join their TabStack panes. When the display returns, its windows and layout come back automatically; if BetterStage needs confirmation, a nonblocking prompt offers Restore Workspace or Keep Current Layout.
Are Saved Workspaces included in the free tier?
Automatic Workspace Continuity is free. Creating and loading multiple named Saved Workspaces on demand is a Pro feature. Eligible Macs can start a 7-day Pro trial; previous trials do not reset.
Make your Mac desk recoverable
Start with free automatic continuity, then try saving and switching between named complete workspaces with a 7-day Pro trial on eligible Macs.
Download BetterStage for macOSBy BetterStage · features updated for 2.2.0 on