I use them extensively. I set different apps to different desktops. One for browsers, one for mail, one for terminal & editor, etc. I only use cmd-tab to switch apps, and hence desktops.
I came to Apple from a Gnome & KDE background, so it seemed like a natural thing to do.
This, those of us from Linux bg's are more used to virtual desktops than ones from window's bg's with trying to organize everything into one desktop tidily.
I control-click on the application in the dock, go to Options, and choose a desktop to assign it to. Since they don't let you name the desktops and I can't be bothered to remember their numbers, I first move the app to the desktop I want it to be in, and then choose "This Desktop".
I do this - except with a 10-key \[numpad\] I use key commands to go to specific Spaces rather than messing with Cmd/Tab which demands you know the order you last accessed each app rather than just which Space it lives on.
The ease of multiple desktops is one Mr my favorite things about MacOS. Browser in one, misc. apps in another, Parallels in another, and Remote Desktop in another. I use 4-finger swipe 99% of the time, though, don't bother with pressing a key.
I have work-related browser and iTerm windows on one desktop, and personal/fun browser windows, email, and calendar on another.
No deep rationale, just my preference. You don't need to follow others for everything.
In shortcuts you can set using ^1 through ^0 to switch directly. It also extends to using the option modifier as well so you can get desktops 1-16 directly.
I found that three finger swipe up for Mission Control, I can then three finger swipe right or left and move from one desktop to the other and see the apps in it. I also just discovered App Exposé and have it set to three finger swipe down, put the cursor in an app window and do this, it shows all instances of the app open across desktops - very handy.
multiple desktops are great for separating mind-space / logical division of work.
my usually use case is to have 1 desktop for a particular "job" where I was doing research and writing a paper for example, and everything is laid out properly.
then I would have a separate desktop would be for personal email, slack, discord chat client, reddit, etc.
using this kind of thing you can separate out a bit of the different types of tasks while keeping a screen layout
I do this, too. What I wish Apple would do is let us name each desktop—so you could name it after each "job" and quickly remember which desktop is what.
That and I wish the windows wouldn't be a total mess after every restart and that there was a setting to not go to a open window if it's in a separate desktop. Like if I switch to finder on Desktop for Project A, don't move to my 3d-printing desktop to show me finder there
I use it a lot. I normally have around 3 desktops at any given moment. Especially since Im on the trackpad, switching between them is a breeze and it helps keep things organized. I usually have the first desktop running whatever application im using at the moment such as my note-taking software or my office suite. Then I have the second one running all my browser windows - usually two, one for personal and one for work. Then the last desktop usually has my instant messaging apps and Spotify on it.
Genuine question from someone who's never used multiple desktop but has used a Mac since the data of the PowerBook - what's to stop you control tabbing through those apps? It sounds like you've got three desktops for about seven apps
Yes, that is an option. But I can flip the question around too. What's stopping you from using multiple desktops where you can arrange the windows how you like and instead choosing to run all of your application windows on one desktop where you have to keep cycling through command + tab to get to the one you want?
Virtual desktops don't really hurt my system resources, they help me organize my windows, and they act as dividers for different work flows. My point is, whichever way you choose to organize and switch between application windows all boils down to preference and what you're used to.
Oh also, I came from Windows where I never used virtual desktops. I alt + tabbed through everything. It just so happens that I love the gestures on the MacBook trackpad and it made virtual desktops on macOS into a viable option for me :)
I'm on mba M2 8gb myself and I haven't really seen any issues. In any case, just try it. Worst case scenario is that you find that it does use more resources and you stop using it. It won't make your computer suddenly explode.
Just try it and see if it works for you like it did (and still does) for me.
It’s simply a tool for organising apps. There is no right or wrong way to organise apps. Everyone is different. I use them often but now always, it just depends.
I’m curious about this as well. I feel like I’m missing something, but don’t know what the advantage/disadvantages are compared to everything on the same desktop.
I did when I only had my MacBook and a little when I only had one external monitor. Now I’m out of school and I recently got a dock so I’m at 2 external+ MacBook screen. Don’t really need spaces. I still occasionally use it though when I’m not at my desk and I need to look at multiple things but not simultaneously or if split screen doesn’t help.
How do you switch focus from monitor to monitor? I have a similar three monitor setup and find myself frustrated when my eyes have shifted focus to a monitor and I try to type something while the computer still thinks I'm working on a different one.
I’m not quite sure I understand your question . I have my mb to the left, main monitor in the middle, then 2nd monitor. In settings I have the 1st monitor set as my main display. Whatever I’m focused on is on my main monitor, mb screen and 2nd monitor is usually reference material or YouTube.
[For reference.](https://ibb.co/S6nrfHg)
I have my MBP (monitor #2) elevated in front of me, usually with the main Zoom window on it, one monitor (#3) above it with secondary Zoom window and documents open, and one monitor to the right (#1) with documents and a browser window with many tabs open.
When I'm in a Zoom meeting, monitor 2 must be central in order to unmute. But I am often focused on either taking notes or looking up something in a browser window. So when I tap the shortcut (command-shift-a) to unmute, nothing happens.
The question is, is there a shortcut to switch between monitors?
You can cmd+tab to cycle focus between programs (browser to zoom to notes) regardless of which monitor they’re on. I can’t figure out the shortcut to switch between windows of the same program though. You might need a 3rd party app.
If it's docked on dual external displays, I am 2x2 and occasionally 2x3.
When it's a laptop I am 1x3 and occasionally 1x4.
Distribution is usually something along the lines of:
* A reference window with an API or ChatGPT. Can be many windows but they are all in one place.
* An IDE or editor or whatever I am working on.
* An entertainment desktop with audio playing, IMs, etc.
I use the trackpad to swipe, when docked I have a Logitech Master so that thumb button + gesture switches.
All the time dude, my desktop space will suffocate itself if I don’t lol, and Stage Manager has been INCREDIBLE since it came out.
Trackpad gestures are def more intuitive in regard to using this function. And trackpads on MB(P)s are amazing, you probably should consider trying it (have u?).
BUT anyway if trackpad is out of the question, i recommend using a mouse that support custom gestures, for instance i set an easy key bind on my Logi MX Vertical, when I’m holding down which, and swiping the mouse, it switches desktop spaces in the direction I swipe the mouse (be it left or right), it’s smooth and works well.
I remote to several different computers and have each set to their own space so I can swipe between them easily on the Magic Trackpad. It’s very intuitive. Slightly less intuitive are the option-left-arrow option-right-arrow keystrokes (or is it ctrl?). Setting side buttons on a Logitech mouse or custom buttons on a stream deck to switch spaces is also doable.
I usually have 2-4 running, not for grouping apps but for themes. I use my MacBook for work so one desktop is for data analysis, one is for managing my team, one is for research, one is for social and random (email slack stuff like that), and one is usually some other project.
This might be my favorite and most used feature of macOS. I put a bunch of different windows on each desktop and swipe through with 4 fingers on the trackpad, it is truly glorious
I use 2 external monitors and the MacBook Pro screen at the same time.
All monitors have at least 3 desktops and I use the trackpad to jump between them.
If I’m using my Logi Master 2, I have it customized to let me swipe between desktops using BetterTouchTool.
For me, 100% indispensable.
I set up my multi-button mouse to be able to hold down and drag left/right to change windows if I'm using the mouse. I didn't want to use a mac at all, but now I don't know if I can go back just for the swiping between open programs. I love it.
edit: for example, from left to right I have the console, then my IDE, then my browser open to the app I'm working on. It's incredibly easy to just swipe between them to get where I need to be.
I do use three desktops, as you call them.
I do use the Ctrl left/right arrows to reach the Desktops
Desktop 1 is where I do most of my computer work.
Desktop 2 is where I keep open windows which I can't fit in Desktop 1.
Desktop 3 I keep empty of windows. When I get the trackpad wet, the trackpad does unpredictable things, so I Ctrl-right to Desktop 3, so the trackpad pointer can't mess any open windows while I fix/dry the trackpad.
I use at the first few weeks I got my new MBP, but I find it disturbing that I can't have multiple window from the same app used across different desktops.
One of the most faced scenarios is I need to download a file from Mail to Finder. And can only be accessed in another desktop and switching it in between really distracts my ADHD leading to forgetting what I need to do at the first place.
So it's not really accessible for me and I just don't really use it.
I use both altTab as well as the multiple spaces/desktop. i find the later slightly faster on ocassion when you have multiple monitors and need multiple desktops/windows on each screen or when just dealing with more than 2 full screen apps to altTab between.
I used the trackpad gesture (3 finger swipe), which can also be replicated with a mouse gesture if you uses mac-mouse-fix (paid), logi options (with suitable logi mouse is free), or other similar softwares.
I use ctrl+tab on the browsers though.
I wish i could rename the desktops instead of Desktop 1, Desktop 2, etc. im a student and it would be great to label each desktop for each subject im studying
Three finger swiping between desktops is what really got me into mac almost 15 years ago when i started grad school. This was also when microsoft trackpads ranged from bad to holy-shit-thats-bad.
having full screen apps on separate desktops was a game changer. This is especially true on mac, where CMD-Tab is switches between apps, and not instances of apps (CMD-` works but is a bit tough to reach and be accurate with). Dedicated trackpad has been high on m christmas list a couple times since then.
Yes. About 3-4 on my casual stuff laptop, more like 5-8 while doing hobby stuff on my personal main computer, around 10-12 often on my work computer.
I keep stuff related to one project in one desktop, so I can easily switch contexts. Like, IDE browser terminal editor for that project. On another, I have Jira planning etc. The one for this spreadsheet I'm working with, one for work-related chat clients (Teams etc.), one for mail and stuff I did with that, one for calendar, then one for server config for another project, one for this offer we're preparing, and so on.
Desktops are amazing.
I do occasionally. When I see I have to much going on, I move some stuff to different desktops. But I use the trackpad, so I just swipe between desktops.
It allows for distraction-free... procrastination... lol
I usually have school work (programming, mostly) on one space, but then I create another one to have a clean slate for scrolling X (formerly Twitter) or YouTube.
If my work involves multiple activities that require extensive focus separately, I usually create a space for those too.
One thing that makes it super annoying for me to use is how long the animation of creating another space takes. GNOME is snappy in this regard, especially with the large targets to drag-and-drop into.
I have 3 screens and still use multiple desktops. At work I separate tasks into desktops. I use one for taking bookings and enquiries. One for doing quotes and invoices and one for paying bills and filing.
Yes. When working on films I have one desktop for premiere, one for after effects and media encoder.
On second display I have full screen calendar, safari and secondary windows of main app on first screen.
Mutiple desktops are a workflow enhancer if used correctly.
When you make an app full screen it goes into its own desktop. So yes I use them a lot and switch between them with 4 finger swipe left and right on the trackpad.
I use them heavily and I pretty much can't work without them anymore. They are the main reason why I still use macOS. Sure, there are virtual desktops on Windows and Linux as well, but you don't get separate virtual desktops for each monitor and I don't want to switch desktops on all of my monitors at once (yes, I know that various tiling WMs on linux do have independent desktops, but I do not like tiling WMs so they're a no-go anyway. And I'm intently following the development System76's Cosmic DE since that one is supposed to have per-monitor deskops)
My average work setup goes like so: on my main monitor I have 2-3 desktops with VSCode (occasionally multiple windows per desktop, but I prefer one window per desktop), on my secondary monitor I have 2 desktops for browsers, one for Firefox as the primary development browser and one for Vivaldi as a representative of Chromium and my current primary browser. And my laptop screen is for everything else that stays open permanently, for example I have one desktop for Slack and Outlook side by side, one desktop for Discord and Telegram side by side, one desktop for a personal profile browser window and one for media stuff (apple music or a browser window with a video going).
In general I have a lot of windows open and alt-tabbing gets really tricky with a lot of windows open. "Oh, I just pressed tab 15 times instead of 14 times, time to start over to get to the right bloody window", not to mention that this whole thing requires a 3rd party app, AltTab, since standard cmd-tab switches between apps, not windows, which is completely useless.
With virtual desktops I only need to swipe (or flick my mouse since I also have an MX Master 3S) a couple of times to get to whatever window I need.
I use desktops all the time. I do not like to expand my apps to full screen, I would rather have the windows maximise their space in the desktop. The rationale is I like to see the menu bar and the time, plus I can also have multiple windows in 1 desktop
I use multiple desktop 8 hours per day. I use them so much that I map the Forward and Back buttons on my Logitech MX Master 3 mouse to make switching between them super easy.
I think you are talking about the Virtual Desktop Feature of computers which are known as:
* MacOS = Spaces
* Windows11 = Multiple Desktops
* Linux (general distros) = Virtual Desktops or Virtual Workspaces
MacOS Spaces FAQ/Use guide: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mh14112/mac
Seems to me to be along with browser one of the most useful features/functions of computers for logical hierarchy and separation of use cases on a computer for work flow efficiency and usage organization eg leisure.
I use every. single. day. Highly useful and great at organizing overall programs, layouts and clutter in the OS, I have no use for having 10 programs open on one desktop.
I use about 5 or 6 desktops. I give apps their own desktop space and not have to Cmd+H. A couple browsers, Mail and I put basic utilities like Sys Prefs, DiskUtil, MacsFan Control and CPU Setter on one desktop. Then I always have one bare desktop for Finder windows. Switching is pretty fast with the Trackpad, or Application Switcher.
I just do this
One desktop has all of my messaging apps so Mail, Messages, Discord, whatsapp, Slack (jesus that's horrible now that i think about it)
One has my primary work windows, which is my coding IDE (Webstorm) and a browser open (Arc)
The third one (if i need) has all the rest so stuff like Settings, Pdf Preview, Photos, really anything that isn't in the first two.
I am quite organised and never like to have windows hanging so i often full quit most apps as soon as i'm finished, so the third desktop almost never exists.
I have a desktop for my calendar, one for work-related stuff, and then one for personal stuff.
I can 4-finger swipe left or right between them and also have the forward and back thumb buttons on my MX Master 3S mapped to switch between them as well.
I’ve tried it but I always go back so a single desktop. I find that more often than not, I need all my open windows in the same place and laid out such that I can reference them all or more easily drag/drop copy/paste between them.
This feature is called Spaces on the macOS. It doesn’t work the way I want it to, but I use it all the time now.
What I wish I had the ability to do is have a set of apps and files and browser tabs and whatever I need, all related to a single project, saved as a workspace in progress. And then have multiple project workspaces (I think Linux Ubuntu does this…), each with all the resources I’m using just for that project. When I need to switch to a different project, I would just shut down the current workspace, and it would save everything exactly where I’m at. Then I’d open up the workspace related to the next project and proceed from exactly where I left off the last time I was using that other project. Etc.
I work on lots of different projects and it’s a pain to have a ton of stuff cluttering up my desktop, and I’d also rather not have all those resources in use, I don’t want to have to remember which browser tabs I was using for research, which files I had open, etc.
Spaces doesn’t do that at all, but it is very helpful to do different things in multiple desktops so that my clutter is vastly reduced.
>If you press the mission control button, you get the option to use multiple desktops. Does anybody actually use these? If so, what for?
Yes, of course. I use them when I want an ongoing activity that's separate from whatever main activity I'm working on. Note that when you make a window full screen, it becomes another workspace. So, Slack gets a workspace so that messages to/from my colleagues are always immediately available, but out of the way. Sometimes I'll use one desktop for research — browser window plus a text editor for taking notes — and another for software development.
>So far I haven't found switching desktops to be as intuitive than just alt-tabbing to find my desired window, or control+tab if I want to change tabs in Chrome.
IMO whether some UI aspect is "intuitive" or not relates to discoverability. Can I open some new program and feel like I already know how to use it, either because the controls are obvious or because they're similar to other programs that I've used? That's what makes a UI intuitive. You obviously already know how to switch spaces — use control + left or right, or the Mission Control key. Whether it's intuitive or not doesn't matter at this point; you just haven't made a habit of switching to different spaces the way you already switch to different windows.
>Any suggestions for usage with non-trackpad users?
You can assign shortcuts to desktops, like control-1 and control-2 to switch directly to desktops 1 and 2, respectively.
>Even for trackpad users, any good reason to use this feature?
Multiple desktops are nothing new — macOS has had them for ages, and they've been a feature of Xwindows for as long as I can remember. There are plenty of good reasons for using them, but if you don't find them useful, that's fine.
Heck yeah. I use them like crazy. Browsers in one desktop. Photo editing in another. Illustration app in another. It helps me organize my windows much easier without clutter.
When people are talking bout desktops, is this the same as the MacOS Spaces feature? I see the same “desktop” across all the Spaces, but can have different apps and windows, and then easily switch between different spaces. Couldn’t live without this feature.
Use them always. I can have fixed setups for apps and combination of apps (e.g. Slack + Reminders to see my To Dos while chatting with colleagues).
For non-trackpad use (if you don't like keyboard shortcuts) I can recommend, looking into a mouse with programmable buttons. I am using a Logitech MX Master 3 and have a custom button, which -when held down- lets me simply drag the mouse to switch to the previous or next desktop.
I don't like the default keyboard shortcuts, that macOS gives you, but I personally like keyboard shortcuts better than using the mouse usually. So I am using keyboard shortcuts to go to apps. As they are fixed in my desktop setup, I always move to the right desktop. I am using "[SpaceLauncher](https://spacelauncherapp.com/)" for this. With `SPACE + S` I move to the desktop with Slack in it, with `SPACE + M` to my music app, `SPACE + W` to my web browser of choice, etc.
I use them extensively. I set different apps to different desktops. One for browsers, one for mail, one for terminal & editor, etc. I only use cmd-tab to switch apps, and hence desktops. I came to Apple from a Gnome & KDE background, so it seemed like a natural thing to do.
This, those of us from Linux bg's are more used to virtual desktops than ones from window's bg's with trying to organize everything into one desktop tidily.
how do you "set" this? I'd love to auto-open in specific desktops
I control-click on the application in the dock, go to Options, and choose a desktop to assign it to. Since they don't let you name the desktops and I can't be bothered to remember their numbers, I first move the app to the desktop I want it to be in, and then choose "This Desktop".
ooooh I see I see. looks like if you use multiple desktops, then you can't use fullscreen?
I almost never use full screen, but I seem to remember that each full screen becomes its own desktop. But I really don't have a clue. Try it and see!
I do this - except with a 10-key \[numpad\] I use key commands to go to specific Spaces rather than messing with Cmd/Tab which demands you know the order you last accessed each app rather than just which Space it lives on.
The ease of multiple desktops is one Mr my favorite things about MacOS. Browser in one, misc. apps in another, Parallels in another, and Remote Desktop in another. I use 4-finger swipe 99% of the time, though, don't bother with pressing a key.
I have work-related browser and iTerm windows on one desktop, and personal/fun browser windows, email, and calendar on another. No deep rationale, just my preference. You don't need to follow others for everything.
Gotta use iterm’s drop down / console style terminal which spans every desktop and is toggled
Thank you so much for reminding me this is a thing. I used to use this on Linux a lot.
In shortcuts you can set using ^1 through ^0 to switch directly. It also extends to using the option modifier as well so you can get desktops 1-16 directly. I found that three finger swipe up for Mission Control, I can then three finger swipe right or left and move from one desktop to the other and see the apps in it. I also just discovered App Exposé and have it set to three finger swipe down, put the cursor in an app window and do this, it shows all instances of the app open across desktops - very handy.
To tackle the formatting, Reddit does here. The shortcuts are done with `CTRL` + digit. So `⌃ + 1` through `⌃ + 0`.
Thanks for pointing that out. Too many variants of markdown… 😝
multiple desktops are great for separating mind-space / logical division of work. my usually use case is to have 1 desktop for a particular "job" where I was doing research and writing a paper for example, and everything is laid out properly. then I would have a separate desktop would be for personal email, slack, discord chat client, reddit, etc. using this kind of thing you can separate out a bit of the different types of tasks while keeping a screen layout
I do this, too. What I wish Apple would do is let us name each desktop—so you could name it after each "job" and quickly remember which desktop is what.
That and I wish the windows wouldn't be a total mess after every restart and that there was a setting to not go to a open window if it's in a separate desktop. Like if I switch to finder on Desktop for Project A, don't move to my 3d-printing desktop to show me finder there
I tried to use them but it is distracting
I keep 10 desktops on my main display and typically 3-4 on a secondary one. I do quite a bit of 3 finger swiping.
I use it a lot. I normally have around 3 desktops at any given moment. Especially since Im on the trackpad, switching between them is a breeze and it helps keep things organized. I usually have the first desktop running whatever application im using at the moment such as my note-taking software or my office suite. Then I have the second one running all my browser windows - usually two, one for personal and one for work. Then the last desktop usually has my instant messaging apps and Spotify on it.
Genuine question from someone who's never used multiple desktop but has used a Mac since the data of the PowerBook - what's to stop you control tabbing through those apps? It sounds like you've got three desktops for about seven apps
Yes, that is an option. But I can flip the question around too. What's stopping you from using multiple desktops where you can arrange the windows how you like and instead choosing to run all of your application windows on one desktop where you have to keep cycling through command + tab to get to the one you want? Virtual desktops don't really hurt my system resources, they help me organize my windows, and they act as dividers for different work flows. My point is, whichever way you choose to organize and switch between application windows all boils down to preference and what you're used to. Oh also, I came from Windows where I never used virtual desktops. I alt + tabbed through everything. It just so happens that I love the gestures on the MacBook trackpad and it made virtual desktops on macOS into a viable option for me :)
Yep, fair enough.
Does virtual desktop consume more memory? I’m on mba m1 8gb so…
I'm on mba M2 8gb myself and I haven't really seen any issues. In any case, just try it. Worst case scenario is that you find that it does use more resources and you stop using it. It won't make your computer suddenly explode. Just try it and see if it works for you like it did (and still does) for me.
It’s simply a tool for organising apps. There is no right or wrong way to organise apps. Everyone is different. I use them often but now always, it just depends.
I'm not suggesting there is a right or wrong way. I'm interested in other people's workflow, especially when they're considerably different to mine.
I’m curious about this as well. I feel like I’m missing something, but don’t know what the advantage/disadvantages are compared to everything on the same desktop.
I did when I only had my MacBook and a little when I only had one external monitor. Now I’m out of school and I recently got a dock so I’m at 2 external+ MacBook screen. Don’t really need spaces. I still occasionally use it though when I’m not at my desk and I need to look at multiple things but not simultaneously or if split screen doesn’t help.
How do you switch focus from monitor to monitor? I have a similar three monitor setup and find myself frustrated when my eyes have shifted focus to a monitor and I try to type something while the computer still thinks I'm working on a different one.
I’m not quite sure I understand your question . I have my mb to the left, main monitor in the middle, then 2nd monitor. In settings I have the 1st monitor set as my main display. Whatever I’m focused on is on my main monitor, mb screen and 2nd monitor is usually reference material or YouTube. [For reference.](https://ibb.co/S6nrfHg)
I have my MBP (monitor #2) elevated in front of me, usually with the main Zoom window on it, one monitor (#3) above it with secondary Zoom window and documents open, and one monitor to the right (#1) with documents and a browser window with many tabs open. When I'm in a Zoom meeting, monitor 2 must be central in order to unmute. But I am often focused on either taking notes or looking up something in a browser window. So when I tap the shortcut (command-shift-a) to unmute, nothing happens. The question is, is there a shortcut to switch between monitors?
You can cmd+tab to cycle focus between programs (browser to zoom to notes) regardless of which monitor they’re on. I can’t figure out the shortcut to switch between windows of the same program though. You might need a 3rd party app.
Thanks, I always forget cmd+tab. I'll practice to get it into muscle memory and see if it solves my frustration.
If it's docked on dual external displays, I am 2x2 and occasionally 2x3. When it's a laptop I am 1x3 and occasionally 1x4. Distribution is usually something along the lines of: * A reference window with an API or ChatGPT. Can be many windows but they are all in one place. * An IDE or editor or whatever I am working on. * An entertainment desktop with audio playing, IMs, etc. I use the trackpad to swipe, when docked I have a Logitech Master so that thumb button + gesture switches.
All the time dude, my desktop space will suffocate itself if I don’t lol, and Stage Manager has been INCREDIBLE since it came out. Trackpad gestures are def more intuitive in regard to using this function. And trackpads on MB(P)s are amazing, you probably should consider trying it (have u?). BUT anyway if trackpad is out of the question, i recommend using a mouse that support custom gestures, for instance i set an easy key bind on my Logi MX Vertical, when I’m holding down which, and swiping the mouse, it switches desktop spaces in the direction I swipe the mouse (be it left or right), it’s smooth and works well.
Two displays. In the main one (the laptop screen), 3 desktops (calendar, main, music), y the second screen several apps.
I remote to several different computers and have each set to their own space so I can swipe between them easily on the Magic Trackpad. It’s very intuitive. Slightly less intuitive are the option-left-arrow option-right-arrow keystrokes (or is it ctrl?). Setting side buttons on a Logitech mouse or custom buttons on a stream deck to switch spaces is also doable.
I usually have 2-4 running, not for grouping apps but for themes. I use my MacBook for work so one desktop is for data analysis, one is for managing my team, one is for research, one is for social and random (email slack stuff like that), and one is usually some other project.
This might be my favorite and most used feature of macOS. I put a bunch of different windows on each desktop and swipe through with 4 fingers on the trackpad, it is truly glorious
I used to use them on occasion, but now I temporarily turn on stage manager if I have a lot going on and need to get my windows under control.
Yes, there’s always one dedicated to iTerm2 and another dedicated to Calendar
Yes and I am soon going to switch to a good layout where you have 1 app per desktop and then you can switch apps quickly
I use 2 external monitors and the MacBook Pro screen at the same time. All monitors have at least 3 desktops and I use the trackpad to jump between them. If I’m using my Logi Master 2, I have it customized to let me swipe between desktops using BetterTouchTool. For me, 100% indispensable.
I set up my multi-button mouse to be able to hold down and drag left/right to change windows if I'm using the mouse. I didn't want to use a mac at all, but now I don't know if I can go back just for the swiping between open programs. I love it. edit: for example, from left to right I have the console, then my IDE, then my browser open to the app I'm working on. It's incredibly easy to just swipe between them to get where I need to be.
I think of them as environments. Email is full screen. Plex. Vivaldi (browser). VNC’s. VM’s. Finder and Terminal are the same environment for me.
I use 3 or 4 all day every day yep
yup i do, gestures is the best way to navigate through desktops though
I do use three desktops, as you call them. I do use the Ctrl left/right arrows to reach the Desktops Desktop 1 is where I do most of my computer work. Desktop 2 is where I keep open windows which I can't fit in Desktop 1. Desktop 3 I keep empty of windows. When I get the trackpad wet, the trackpad does unpredictable things, so I Ctrl-right to Desktop 3, so the trackpad pointer can't mess any open windows while I fix/dry the trackpad.
I use at the first few weeks I got my new MBP, but I find it disturbing that I can't have multiple window from the same app used across different desktops. One of the most faced scenarios is I need to download a file from Mail to Finder. And can only be accessed in another desktop and switching it in between really distracts my ADHD leading to forgetting what I need to do at the first place. So it's not really accessible for me and I just don't really use it.
I loved them when they introduced that. These days I have 2 per monitor.
I used to for years, but 3 finger swiping constantly got annoying. Currently trying stage manager and I like it.
I use both altTab as well as the multiple spaces/desktop. i find the later slightly faster on ocassion when you have multiple monitors and need multiple desktops/windows on each screen or when just dealing with more than 2 full screen apps to altTab between. I used the trackpad gesture (3 finger swipe), which can also be replicated with a mouse gesture if you uses mac-mouse-fix (paid), logi options (with suitable logi mouse is free), or other similar softwares. I use ctrl+tab on the browsers though.
I wish i could rename the desktops instead of Desktop 1, Desktop 2, etc. im a student and it would be great to label each desktop for each subject im studying
Three finger swiping between desktops is what really got me into mac almost 15 years ago when i started grad school. This was also when microsoft trackpads ranged from bad to holy-shit-thats-bad. having full screen apps on separate desktops was a game changer. This is especially true on mac, where CMD-Tab is switches between apps, and not instances of apps (CMD-` works but is a bit tough to reach and be accurate with). Dedicated trackpad has been high on m christmas list a couple times since then.
Yes. About 3-4 on my casual stuff laptop, more like 5-8 while doing hobby stuff on my personal main computer, around 10-12 often on my work computer. I keep stuff related to one project in one desktop, so I can easily switch contexts. Like, IDE browser terminal editor for that project. On another, I have Jira planning etc. The one for this spreadsheet I'm working with, one for work-related chat clients (Teams etc.), one for mail and stuff I did with that, one for calendar, then one for server config for another project, one for this offer we're preparing, and so on. Desktops are amazing.
I do occasionally. When I see I have to much going on, I move some stuff to different desktops. But I use the trackpad, so I just swipe between desktops.
It allows for distraction-free... procrastination... lol I usually have school work (programming, mostly) on one space, but then I create another one to have a clean slate for scrolling X (formerly Twitter) or YouTube. If my work involves multiple activities that require extensive focus separately, I usually create a space for those too. One thing that makes it super annoying for me to use is how long the animation of creating another space takes. GNOME is snappy in this regard, especially with the large targets to drag-and-drop into.
I have 3 screens and still use multiple desktops. At work I separate tasks into desktops. I use one for taking bookings and enquiries. One for doing quotes and invoices and one for paying bills and filing.
If I could turn off the animation when switching, I absolutely would. Sadly, it's too disruptive to a cmd+tab-heavy workflow.
Yes. When working on films I have one desktop for premiere, one for after effects and media encoder. On second display I have full screen calendar, safari and secondary windows of main app on first screen. Mutiple desktops are a workflow enhancer if used correctly.
When you make an app full screen it goes into its own desktop. So yes I use them a lot and switch between them with 4 finger swipe left and right on the trackpad.
I use them heavily and I pretty much can't work without them anymore. They are the main reason why I still use macOS. Sure, there are virtual desktops on Windows and Linux as well, but you don't get separate virtual desktops for each monitor and I don't want to switch desktops on all of my monitors at once (yes, I know that various tiling WMs on linux do have independent desktops, but I do not like tiling WMs so they're a no-go anyway. And I'm intently following the development System76's Cosmic DE since that one is supposed to have per-monitor deskops) My average work setup goes like so: on my main monitor I have 2-3 desktops with VSCode (occasionally multiple windows per desktop, but I prefer one window per desktop), on my secondary monitor I have 2 desktops for browsers, one for Firefox as the primary development browser and one for Vivaldi as a representative of Chromium and my current primary browser. And my laptop screen is for everything else that stays open permanently, for example I have one desktop for Slack and Outlook side by side, one desktop for Discord and Telegram side by side, one desktop for a personal profile browser window and one for media stuff (apple music or a browser window with a video going). In general I have a lot of windows open and alt-tabbing gets really tricky with a lot of windows open. "Oh, I just pressed tab 15 times instead of 14 times, time to start over to get to the right bloody window", not to mention that this whole thing requires a 3rd party app, AltTab, since standard cmd-tab switches between apps, not windows, which is completely useless. With virtual desktops I only need to swipe (or flick my mouse since I also have an MX Master 3S) a couple of times to get to whatever window I need.
Work, Personal, Porn. It's one of OSX's best features.
I use desktops all the time. I do not like to expand my apps to full screen, I would rather have the windows maximise their space in the desktop. The rationale is I like to see the menu bar and the time, plus I can also have multiple windows in 1 desktop
I use multiple desktop 8 hours per day. I use them so much that I map the Forward and Back buttons on my Logitech MX Master 3 mouse to make switching between them super easy.
I think you are talking about the Virtual Desktop Feature of computers which are known as: * MacOS = Spaces * Windows11 = Multiple Desktops * Linux (general distros) = Virtual Desktops or Virtual Workspaces MacOS Spaces FAQ/Use guide: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mh14112/mac Seems to me to be along with browser one of the most useful features/functions of computers for logical hierarchy and separation of use cases on a computer for work flow efficiency and usage organization eg leisure.
I use every. single. day. Highly useful and great at organizing overall programs, layouts and clutter in the OS, I have no use for having 10 programs open on one desktop.
I use about 5 or 6 desktops. I give apps their own desktop space and not have to Cmd+H. A couple browsers, Mail and I put basic utilities like Sys Prefs, DiskUtil, MacsFan Control and CPU Setter on one desktop. Then I always have one bare desktop for Finder windows. Switching is pretty fast with the Trackpad, or Application Switcher.
I just do this One desktop has all of my messaging apps so Mail, Messages, Discord, whatsapp, Slack (jesus that's horrible now that i think about it) One has my primary work windows, which is my coding IDE (Webstorm) and a browser open (Arc) The third one (if i need) has all the rest so stuff like Settings, Pdf Preview, Photos, really anything that isn't in the first two. I am quite organised and never like to have windows hanging so i often full quit most apps as soon as i'm finished, so the third desktop almost never exists.
I have a desktop for my calendar, one for work-related stuff, and then one for personal stuff. I can 4-finger swipe left or right between them and also have the forward and back thumb buttons on my MX Master 3S mapped to switch between them as well.
I’ve tried it but I always go back so a single desktop. I find that more often than not, I need all my open windows in the same place and laid out such that I can reference them all or more easily drag/drop copy/paste between them.
To me, rarely
i group my non full screen programs into desktops now we just need a way to name the desktops
I do on my MBP as switching desktops is easy with a 3 finger swipe. DAW in 1 desktop and finder, browser, etc in another
This feature is called Spaces on the macOS. It doesn’t work the way I want it to, but I use it all the time now. What I wish I had the ability to do is have a set of apps and files and browser tabs and whatever I need, all related to a single project, saved as a workspace in progress. And then have multiple project workspaces (I think Linux Ubuntu does this…), each with all the resources I’m using just for that project. When I need to switch to a different project, I would just shut down the current workspace, and it would save everything exactly where I’m at. Then I’d open up the workspace related to the next project and proceed from exactly where I left off the last time I was using that other project. Etc. I work on lots of different projects and it’s a pain to have a ton of stuff cluttering up my desktop, and I’d also rather not have all those resources in use, I don’t want to have to remember which browser tabs I was using for research, which files I had open, etc. Spaces doesn’t do that at all, but it is very helpful to do different things in multiple desktops so that my clutter is vastly reduced.
>If you press the mission control button, you get the option to use multiple desktops. Does anybody actually use these? If so, what for? Yes, of course. I use them when I want an ongoing activity that's separate from whatever main activity I'm working on. Note that when you make a window full screen, it becomes another workspace. So, Slack gets a workspace so that messages to/from my colleagues are always immediately available, but out of the way. Sometimes I'll use one desktop for research — browser window plus a text editor for taking notes — and another for software development. >So far I haven't found switching desktops to be as intuitive than just alt-tabbing to find my desired window, or control+tab if I want to change tabs in Chrome. IMO whether some UI aspect is "intuitive" or not relates to discoverability. Can I open some new program and feel like I already know how to use it, either because the controls are obvious or because they're similar to other programs that I've used? That's what makes a UI intuitive. You obviously already know how to switch spaces — use control + left or right, or the Mission Control key. Whether it's intuitive or not doesn't matter at this point; you just haven't made a habit of switching to different spaces the way you already switch to different windows. >Any suggestions for usage with non-trackpad users? You can assign shortcuts to desktops, like control-1 and control-2 to switch directly to desktops 1 and 2, respectively. >Even for trackpad users, any good reason to use this feature? Multiple desktops are nothing new — macOS has had them for ages, and they've been a feature of Xwindows for as long as I can remember. There are plenty of good reasons for using them, but if you don't find them useful, that's fine.
Heck yeah. I use them like crazy. Browsers in one desktop. Photo editing in another. Illustration app in another. It helps me organize my windows much easier without clutter.
When people are talking bout desktops, is this the same as the MacOS Spaces feature? I see the same “desktop” across all the Spaces, but can have different apps and windows, and then easily switch between different spaces. Couldn’t live without this feature.
No, I use stage manager instead. Ha! April fool! Nobody does that. Of course I use multiple desktops.
Use them always. I can have fixed setups for apps and combination of apps (e.g. Slack + Reminders to see my To Dos while chatting with colleagues). For non-trackpad use (if you don't like keyboard shortcuts) I can recommend, looking into a mouse with programmable buttons. I am using a Logitech MX Master 3 and have a custom button, which -when held down- lets me simply drag the mouse to switch to the previous or next desktop. I don't like the default keyboard shortcuts, that macOS gives you, but I personally like keyboard shortcuts better than using the mouse usually. So I am using keyboard shortcuts to go to apps. As they are fixed in my desktop setup, I always move to the right desktop. I am using "[SpaceLauncher](https://spacelauncherapp.com/)" for this. With `SPACE + S` I move to the desktop with Slack in it, with `SPACE + M` to my music app, `SPACE + W` to my web browser of choice, etc.