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Stage Manager is a mf-ing game changer
- Thread starter c84216
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Couldn't agree more. I am really really enjoying Stage Manager on my M1 MBA. I don't use it at all on my M1 12.9 iPad Pro for the reasons you listed. Why Apple didn't implement Stage Manager with totally customizable window sizing and positions on iPadOS like they have on macOS is most puzzling.
It just shows how one feature can be a game changer for one person and pointless to another. I doubt I'll ever even turn it on. I just don't see the point of it, for me. Like desktop stacks, which I also don't use.
I turned it off on my Mac just now. While I see the logic (I think) and the advantage, I can't do things like drag a file from a Finder window to another app since only one app set can be active on a desktop. Or maybe I'm missing something...
You can have as many apps active as you want. Drag the app out of the sidebar to the desktop you want it in. You can also drag and drop files to an app by dragging the file to the app in the sidebar (hover over it so it'll open).
Ah, I see. I didn't try dragging to an app in the sidebar. I thought I can only interact with an app when it's "in focus".
Thanks!
I'm finding it really useful for some tasks but it gets in the way a bit in some others.
I really like it if I'm compiling stuff at the command prompt or I have some other window I want to just at a glance see progress like a download going on and it's really nice that it can be turned on and off quickly in the Control Centre.
Referring to content from two things at once though is a little awkward so I tend to turn it off for that.
I really like it if I'm compiling stuff at the command prompt or I have some other window I want to just at a glance see progress like a download going on and it's really nice that it can be turned on and off quickly in the Control Centre.
Referring to content from two things at once though is a little awkward so I tend to turn it off for that.
What do you mean by that? Because it does work with my multiple display. Each have their own Stage Manager for whatever apps are open.
I understand Stage Manager is most useful for small displays. But for me having 2 x 32" monitors and a 12.9" iPad, I don't need to minimize apps to the side. I need to see them all tiled across the monitors.
It doesn't work well for my 2 monitor setup at all.
For example, I have 2 chrome / safari windows open; one on each monitor. My problem is that stage manager will bring chrome as active on both displays even if I don't want it to on the other display. Am I missing a setting for this somewhere?
So far, it's decent for me on one screen, but multi-screen setup still needs refinement.
There must be a setting we have that differs from the behaviour, but I don't know what it is. Or if it's app-specific behaviour.
I'm using Safari, and I'm right now using Premiere Pro on one monitor, with Safari, Outlook, and Teams on the other monitor. But I also have more Safari windows open on the Premiere Pro monitor side which are tucked into it's own "stage" with no direct tie to the other screen with a Safari window already showing.
Okay, so I also tested out what the "CMD + ~" does with Stage Manager active. As prior to activating it, I can cycle between open windows within the same app (e.g. Safari will show me all open windows across all screens).
With Stage Manager activated, pressing the same command will not bring up the windows in the other monitors. It will in fact just cycle between open windows on the same monitor - this time regardless of app.
So it's treating the monitors as separate from each other.
With Stage Manager activated, pressing the same command will not bring up the windows in the other monitors. It will in fact just cycle between open windows on the same monitor - this time regardless of app.
So it's treating the monitors as separate from each other.
I agree it's buggy.
I'm not using Chrome at all. So I opened it while using Safari like yourself. I was able to replicate your Chrome behaviour, but it does it intermittently. When I open Chrome on one monitor, the other Chrome window on the other monitor opens even if it's tucked away. But doing so on the other monitor does not do the same in the other monitor.
I guess we'll have to wait until OS 13.1.
I must be the only one who really likes stage manager and thinks it is cool. It was easy enough to use the dock to switch apps, but it seems less of an effort with stage manager for some reason, maybe because it is new..... not sure but so far I am enjoying my Mac again, and actually may use it more than my iPads.
No you're not alone!! I am enjoying it too!! Used it for a couple months on Beta so I kinda cheated a bit but the more people use it the easier and more efficiently it can be used. I don't use it for everything but anytime I'm working on something with multiple apps I switch it on.
I’m using it on both of my Macs without complaint. I like the ”focusing” quality of it. My singular complaint remains having to turn off SM for some screensharing apps (Loom, in particular) Because it causes the to crash.
Hold on
You’re calling another member low brow right after calling out someone else’s 1k jeans. Perhaps you are not as high brow as you would think.
I'm not sure I understand the value of it yet. Maybe it's because I typically use my computer with two external monitors. With that setup at least Stage Manager felt kind of clunky compared to just using the old Mission Control, multiple desktops, and app switcher keyboard shortcuts.
Maybe I will enjoy it more when I'm working directly off the laptop and all the windows are on one monitor.
I haven't given up on it, I just can't see the benefit for me, at least not yet.
Maybe I will enjoy it more when I'm working directly off the laptop and all the windows are on one monitor.
I haven't given up on it, I just can't see the benefit for me, at least not yet.
I tried it out for a few hours and I just couldn't get past my maximized app windows being shifted a couple inches to the right. Feels off center, and like I'm just burning that real estate on the left.
Not to mention that it's starting to be a bit cluttered if you leave your dock showing.
Yeah, mission control is kinda messy when you've got a bunch open, but the majority of the time I'm using the computer I'm focused on one or two windows, with Magnet snapping them to the sides, only swapping to others occasionally. To have that sidebar taking up so much real estate when I'm not actively using it the majority of the time just feels like a waste.
This is all on the built in display of a 16" MBP. I could see this being a lot more useful on larger monitors where you aren't necessarily maximizing your windows when you use them.
Not to mention that it's starting to be a bit cluttered if you leave your dock showing.
Yeah, mission control is kinda messy when you've got a bunch open, but the majority of the time I'm using the computer I'm focused on one or two windows, with Magnet snapping them to the sides, only swapping to others occasionally. To have that sidebar taking up so much real estate when I'm not actively using it the majority of the time just feels like a waste.
This is all on the built in display of a 16" MBP. I could see this being a lot more useful on larger monitors where you aren't necessarily maximizing your windows when you use them.
Maybe I'm not doing it right, but one thing I find annoying is when I have say a spreadsheet open and I open up the calculator app, it will hide the spreadsheet back to Stage Manager. I want to have the calculator "on top" of the spreadsheet.
Just drag a tucked-away app (as many as you want) into the current "stage," and they will share the current screen. So each stage can be organized with multiple open apps based on the task.
That's what I'm saying. I feel the value is best for those with no screen real estate like an iPad and a notebook. I turned mine off after using it for a day.