Home / Guides / Save and restore window layouts
Save and restore window layouts on Mac
Bring back the whole desk—not just a few rectangles. BetterStage restores named workspaces, windows, monitor assignments, Bento Box tiles, and Tabbed Layout panes after a restart, a context switch, or a disconnected display.
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 macOS Native placement, automatic Bento Box tiling, or a Tabbed Layout with several windows in each 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.
Bento Box layouts
Automatic tiling trees, split directions, and tile proportions.
Tabbed Layouts
Pane structure, window tabs, selected tabs, and saved layout presets.
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
A missing monitor becomes an Offline Display Shelf workspace. Nothing is silently flattened onto the laptop screen; reconnect or remap it when you are ready.
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 Bento Box or Tabbed Layout 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 Bento Box or Tabbed Layout 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?
BetterStage keeps that monitor's workspace in the Offline Display Shelf instead of flattening its windows onto another screen. Reconnect the display to restore it automatically, or explicitly move the offline workspace to a connected display.
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 included in the 10-day trial.
Make your Mac desk recoverable
Start with free automatic continuity, then use the 10-day Pro trial to save and switch between named complete workspaces.
Download BetterStage for macOS