With the introduction of macOS Ventura, Apple introduced the new Stage Manager feature for Macs. It’s a new way to organize apps and make it easier to multitask while working with multiple apps. Users can easily switch between apps, saving them the hassle of finding a window.
“Stage Manager organizes apps and windows automatically so users can focus on the task at hand and still see everything at one glance,” Apple said, which is how Apple defines the new feature. You must install the macOS Ventura update to use Stage Manager on your Mac, Apple said. And if you’ve already updated your Mac to macOS Ventura, here’s how to enable Stage Manager:
How to enable Stage Manager on Mac
1. Slide the cursor to the top of the screen, and click the Control Center icon.
2. Click Stage Manager.
3. A popup will appear explaining what a stage manager is, with the option to turn it on. Click Run Phase Manager.
4. Now that Stage Manager is enabled, the app you are using will appear in the middle, while the widgets will be on the side.
To add the Stage Manager option to the Menu Bar, go to Settings, then Control Center, click Stage Manager, and turn on the Show in Menu Bar toggle.
How to organize apps and windows in Stage Manager
The open app will appear in the middle, while other apps will be minimized as thumbnails on the side, the thumbnails are arranged in the order in which you opened the app, and each thumbnail shows the live view of the app, and users can switch between apps by tapping on the thumbnail.
- To move or resize the central window, drag its title bar or drag the edge of the window.
- To create a window group, drag a thumbnail to the central window. Alternatively, you can also hold Shift while clicking on the thumbnail. Meanwhile, to remove a window from the group, drag it back to the side.
- To hide the app and windows thumbnail, press Command-H.
- To switch to the hidden application window, press Command-Tab.
How to customize Stage Manager
Users can customize the way the theater manager appears:
- Recent apps: See thumbnails of recently opened apps on the left side. If you turn it off it will hide thumbnails.
- Desktop Items: Turning it on will keep the items on your desktop.
- Show windows from an application: There are two options – all at once and one at a time.
- All at once: All open application windows will appear at the same time.
- One by one: Only one window will appear at a time. Other windows will be minimized in app thumbnails, and users can click on the thumbnail to switch between windows.
