How to Use Stage Manager on Mac

Step by step

1. 2 min

   Enable Stage Manager

   Open System Settings and click Control Center in the sidebar. Find Stage Manager and set it to Show in Control Center. Click the Control Center icon in your menu bar, then click Stage Manager to activate it. You can also enable it directly by opening Mission Control and clicking the Stage Manager icon in the top-left corner.

   Note: Press F3 or swipe up with four fingers on your trackpad to quickly access Mission Control and toggle Stage Manager.
2. 1 min

   Understand the Stage Manager interface

   Your active app appears large and centered on the desktop. Other open apps stack as thumbnail groups on the left edge of the screen. The desktop background becomes visible around your centered app window. Click any thumbnail group to bring those apps forward and send your current app to the left side.

3. 2 min

   Create app groups

   Drag one app thumbnail onto another app thumbnail on the left side to create a group. Both apps will appear side by side when you click the group. You can add more apps to an existing group by dragging them onto the group thumbnail. Groups persist until you manually separate them or quit the apps.

   Note: Groups work best with apps that complement each other, like Safari and Notes for research, or Finder and Preview for file management.
4. 1 min

   Navigate between app groups

   Click any thumbnail group on the left to switch to it instantly. Use Command-Tab to cycle through individual apps as normal. Swipe left or right with three fingers on your trackpad to move between app groups. The most recently used group always appears at the top of the left sidebar.

   Note: Set up trackpad gestures in System Settings > Trackpad > More Gestures to customize Stage Manager navigation.
5. 2 min

   Adjust Stage Manager settings

   Open System Settings and click Desktop & Dock. Scroll to Stage Manager and configure options like showing recent apps in the Dock and allowing desktop items to show through. Turn on Desktop items to see files on your desktop around your centered app window. Disable Recent applications in Dock if you prefer a cleaner dock appearance.

   Note: Disable Desktop items if you find them distracting or if your desktop contains sensitive files you don't want visible during screen shares.
6. 1 min

   Remove apps from groups and disable Stage Manager

   Drag an app away from its group thumbnail to separate it into its own group. To completely remove an app, drag it down toward the dock until you see the Remove option, then release. Disable Stage Manager by clicking its icon in Control Center or Mission Control, or by unchecking it in System Settings > Desktop & Dock.

   Note: Quitting apps normally with Command-Q removes them from Stage Manager groups and reduces clutter in the left sidebar.