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How to Use Stage Manager on Mac

When too many open apps leave your screen buried in overlapping windows, Stage Manager keeps whatever you are working on front and center while tidying the rest out of the way.

  1. Find "Stage Manager" in Control Center

    Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar and look for "Stage Manager."

  2. Turn on Stage Manager

    Flip the switch on, and your recently used apps will appear as small thumbnails along the left side of the screen.

  3. Click a thumbnail to switch apps

    Click any app thumbnail from that stacked list on the left to bring it to the center of the screen.

  4. Drag windows together to group them

    Drag another app's window on top of the one you are working in to group them, so they switch together as a pair from then on.

Why It Beats a Desktop Full of Overlapping Windows

Instead of digging through a stack of overlapping windows to find the one you need, Stage Manager keeps your active work in the center of the screen while quietly organizing everything else into a thumbnail list you can jump back to instantly.

Getting Comfortable with Grouped Windows

Grouping windows works well for tasks you naturally do side by side, like a document and its reference material, since dragging one window onto another keeps both together every time you switch to that group. External monitors work independently too, so each display can run its own separate Stage Manager arrangement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Macs can use Stage Manager?

It is available on relatively recent Macs running macOS Ventura or later.

Does it still work with an external monitor connected?

Yes, connecting an external monitor lets each screen run Stage Manager independently.