Tutorials / Everyday Workflows
Save and Reuse Window Layouts with Presets
TabStack presets give a monitor reusable starting pane geometry. Each pane can hold several windows you flip between with tabs, and you can still split, join, or resize panes afterward. This tutorial shows how to apply a preset and save your own.
Step by step
- 1
Switch a monitor to TabStack mode
Use the Snap Wheel or menu bar to set the current monitor's Window Mode to TabStack. Windows live in resizable panes, and each pane can group windows as tabs. Settings > Window Modes controls defaults for new stages, including Comfortable, Compact, and Custom Layout Styles.
- 2
Pick a built-in preset
Choose a starting preset: One Full Screen, Split View (two equal panes), Top / Bottom, Focus + Stack (one large pane plus a stack), or Four Corners. Then organize windows into the panes and adjust the geometry as needed.
- 3
Group windows into tabbed panes
Each pane can hold more than one window. Drop several windows into the same slot, or use the pane's plus button / right-click menu to launch an app there. BetterStage opens a new window when the app supports it, or moves a suitable existing window into the pane. A tab strip appears at the top — click a tab to bring that window forward without disturbing the others.
- 4
Zoom a single pane to fill the screen
Need one pane at full size for a moment? From the pane's menu — or the Snap Wheel's adaptive slice, which reads "Zoom Pane" in TabStack — zoom it to take over the whole monitor. It's reversible: click "Restore Panes" to bring the full preset back exactly as it was.
- 5
Save your own preset
Once the panes are where you want them, save the arrangement as a custom preset. Set it as the default for new TabStack stages so every new workspace starts from your layout.
Tips
- Use Layout Spacing in Settings > Window Modes to adjust the gap between panes; screen padding controls the outer edges separately.
- Use Focus + Stack on one TabStack monitor and a different preset on another. Both use the same pane-and-tab model.
Frequently asked questions
How do presets relate to TabStack?
A preset is starting pane geometry within TabStack, not a separate Window Mode. You can edit that geometry afterward. New Window Placement controls whether incoming windows use Automatic, Active Pane, Adjacent Pane, or Own Pane placement.
Can a single pane hold multiple windows?
Yes. That's the defining feature of TabStack mode — each pane slot can contain several windows with a tab strip to switch between them.
Is TabStack mode a Pro feature?
Yes. TabStack mode and Layout Presets are part of Pro. Eligible Macs can start a 7-day free Pro trial; previous trials do not reset. The free tier uses Enhanced Native mode and snap zones.
Try it yourself
BetterStage is free for up to three stages with full snap zones. Eligible Macs can start a 7-day Pro trial — AI Staging, TabStack panes and tabs, Saved Workspaces, Layout Presets, and Pinned Displays. Previous trials do not reset; managed AI credits are separate. Free users on eligible Macs can also try Pro for 15 minutes once every 24 hours. See how to start a daily Pro preview.
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