Mac OS · macOS
Enable and use Stage Manager on Mac
Source-checked About 10 minutes
Answer
Turn on Stage Manager from Control Center or System Settings > Desktop & Dock, then click a recent app to switch or drag an app into the center to make a group. The feature requires displays to use separate Spaces when the switch is unavailable.
Turn on Stage Manager
Click Control Center in the menu bar, then click Stage Manager. Alternatively, choose Apple menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock and turn on Stage Manager under Desktop & Stage Manager.
Switch to a recent app
Click an app in the left-side list to bring it to the center. If recent apps are hidden, move the pointer to the left edge of the screen to reveal the list.
Make an app group
Drag an app from the left-side list into the center with the current app. The grouped apps open together when you switch back to that group.
Ungroup when needed
Drag an app out toward the left side to remove it from the group. Resize and overlap the remaining center windows without assuming their files are merged.
Adjust the layout
In System Settings > Desktop & Dock, choose whether recent apps and desktop items show in Stage Manager and choose how windows from one app appear.
Check separate Spaces
If Stage Manager cannot be enabled, go to System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Mission Control and turn on Displays have separate Spaces, as Apple directs.
Verify the result
Switch between two apps or groups and confirm the correct windows return to the center. Turn Stage Manager off from the same Control Center or System Settings path if it does not suit the task.
Video walkthrough
If it does not work
- If the left-side app list is missing, check Show recent apps in Stage Manager before assuming the feature failed.
- If windows return in an unexpected group, ungroup the extra app and repeat the drag once; this changes the workspace arrangement, not the app’s documents.
Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: macOS.
Follow the linked first-party guidance if labels differ after a platform or app update.