Another +1 for Divvy. I have a hard time living without it.
When plugged into my large monitor, I have hotkeys set up to put a window on the left 1/3, the middle 1/3, and the right 1/3. It is so unbelievably useful.
Also when doing multiple monitors, if you do a Divvy hotkey it will move the current window to the monitor your mouse is in. This makes moving windows so fast.
Divvy user here as well, for many years at this point. They haven’t updated it in ages, and with every new macOS release I’m expecting it to stop working. But somehow, it’s still going strong. Even the global keyboard shortcuts!
I bought it in '17 for $1 - possibly the best dollar I've spent. Looks like it's $4 now. Coupled with a QMK keyboard, the modifiers are even easier to use.
I find it so strange how resistant people (not you!) are to paying trivial sums of money for things that contribute so much value.
It was $1. Now it’s $4! Like half a Starbucks coffee!
How many people would not even see this app because it’s not free?
And how about the one commented below that “looks like it’s no longer maintained?” Sounds like it’s the free choice…
I have been guilty of agonizing over spending $5 on a phone app while drinking a $5 cup of coffee.
Now I’m at the point where I don’t even want to look at free apps. Just tell me how to pay you enough money to make something good, and keep it good over time.
When moving from Windows to macOS as my daily driver I really missed the window management keyboard shortcuts and ability to easily snap a window to the left/right of the screen or maximize windows. Magnet gave me everything I wanted and the price was right. I highly recommend it. Even at $4 it’s well worth the price given how well it works and it’s regularly updated.
That being said, reading this thread I’m realizing how many great options there are for these kind of scenarios on macOS.
I'd like to put my hand up and suggest Magnet, too.
For ages, I used Amethyst, which is a "tiling window manager" for macOS, but somewhere along the way it got annoying to install/keep working properly due to some of Apples shenanigans.
So I moved to Magnet. I still use it daily, but honestly forget its there because I use it so much! Just feels like native macOS behaviour at this point.
Loving Magnet too. Take half screen (crtl+option+arrow), maximise (ctrl+option+enter) and move to another monitor (ctrl+option+cmd+arrow) are pretty much the only shortcuts I use when it comes to window management.
Wow, I didn't know there was a paid Pro option, but the same developer also makes the open source app Rectangle, which sounds like the same thing minus a few features. I use it daily. https://github.com/rxhanson/Rectangle/
I recently started using the pro version for the custom shortcuts. On a portrait mode monitor I like to split the pane vertically into thirds, so it makes that possible. It's also a pretty cheap buy at $10.
Amethyst is another great tiling manager, although it's much more focused on the i3-style tiling than just easy snapping. Used it for a while (although I really still don't like Mac's window management).
Formerly named Hookshot for those who had it a while ago.
That's why tons of people don't realize there was a "Pro" option- because there wasn't one.
The creator (who also made the free open source Spectacle-fork Rectangle app) renamed/rebranded Hookshot into Rectangle Pro sometime about 5 months ago.
I've used https://bahoom.com/hyperdock/ since Mac OS 10.4 on my Powerbook G4. Still works great and is updated for every macOS release. Best $10 I ever spent.
I also use Rectangle, the same developer also make https://hyperkey.app which works very well in tandem with it (you can also get the same features using Karabiner, but I like how polished and plug&play Hyperkey is)
Does anyone know if it's possible to configure Rectangle (the free/OSS version) to use modifier key + Arrow<Vertical> + Arrow<Horizontal> to move a window into one of the four corners?
I currently use Hyper + Arrow<Direction> for TRBL placement but it doesn't let me configure Hyper + two arrow keys for corner placements. Is that something not possible with the free/OSS version?
I use a 55in oled screen as my main monitor and rectangle is fantastic for grid window management. CMD+(1,2,3,F1,F2,F3) to move windows around the grid etc
Same with iPhone. My mind was blown when after years of tapping left-arrow someone showed me what happens when you hold down the space key. Or that dragging the iphone chat message app's background to the left reveals the timestamps of each message.
It's all very clever and elegant and minimal but consumer technology user interfaces seem to be converging on that of a Theremin.
If you grab the right-hand edge of a window, you can drag it left or right to resize the window. However, if you instead drag it up or down, you can move the whole window.
But you can't drag left or right first. If you do, you won't be able to move the window. You either have to decide which one you want to do on the first click.
I use the kinda hidden three finger dragging gesture that you can activate like this:
1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Accessibility.
2. Select Pointer Control in the sidebar. (In earlier versions of macOS, select Mouse & Trackpad.)
3. Click the Trackpad Options button.
4. Select ”Enable dragging,” then choose ”three finger drag” from the menu.
5. Click OK.
I just tried this and it should be warned that this resets existing "three finger drag" (for mission control and switching desktops) to "four finger drag". This took me a while to figure out after thinking something was seriously broken, even after going back and disabling the new setting you mentioned.
To be explicit, the fix is to go into the trackpad options, more gestures, and change "swipe between full screen apps" (poor name choice) to three fingers.
That's not the same at all, you can still only drag the move bar – and it focuses the window, bringing it to the front. Moving and resizing background windows can very handy.
> "In Unicode, the Private Use Areas (PUA) are three ranges of code points (U+E000–U+F8FF in the BMP, and in planes 15 and 16) that, by definition, will not be assigned characters by the Unicode Consortium. The code points in these areas can not be considered as standardized characters in Unicode itself. They are intentionally left undefined so that third parties may define their own characters without conflicting with Unicode Consortium assignments."
I've enabled this "grab" feature on every Linux window manager that has supported it. Hold alt or the windows key, click, move. Simple usability improvements make a world of difference, but for some reason, they are uncommon.
I actually recommend binding it to something other than Alt (I usually do winkey), since several programs (and in particular browsers) use Alt+drag to allow you to select text that is otherwise unselectable. For example if you drag a link it "drags" the URL allowing you to paste it into other windows, but if you Alt+drag you can select the link text (or parts of it) for copying.
The fact that Alt+right click context menu works anywhere in any window was a godsend. Next best thing to close a program without moving your mouse anywhere.
Hyperdock is one of the best purchases I've ever made. It allows you to assign hot keys to window management - e.g.
alt-left-mouse: grab anywhere in window to move
option-command-left-mouse: resize window from anywhere in window
Hasn't been updated in years but it still works on Monterey though it occasionally requires some kicking. I've looked for alternatives that are more up to date but can never find one that does the above - it's really all I want in a window manager as I don't like automated tiling and other features.
I've had `OnWindow Mod1 Mouse1 :MacroCmd {Raise} {Focus} {StartMoving}` in my fluxbox keys config for a decade or so? My brain will automatically issue and alt-click on a window in some other OS and I'm always jolted back to the reality that I'm not in my usual window manager. Now if only I could rebind that cmd ctrl on macos to alt.
Does it require karabiner-elements even? The Keyboard pane in System Preferences lets you rebind all of the modifier keys -- I use it to make the Caps Lock key a Control key.
Readit News
It mostly takes care of snapping and resizing windows with hot keys, but has a less obvious feature in preferences to use mouse.
My setup is: CMD+SHIFT will move any window under mouse pointer CMD+SHIFT+CTRL will resize any window under mouse pointer
https://mizage.com/divvy/
I also like Witch for window/app switching. I just wish it was a little less sluggish to activate:
https://manytricks.com/witch/
When plugged into my large monitor, I have hotkeys set up to put a window on the left 1/3, the middle 1/3, and the right 1/3. It is so unbelievably useful.
Also when doing multiple monitors, if you do a Divvy hotkey it will move the current window to the monitor your mouse is in. This makes moving windows so fast.
I'm very surprised they don't distribute these tools among Windows, now that they are matured.
PowerToys name also brings a lot of good old memories :)
I bought it in '17 for $1 - possibly the best dollar I've spent. Looks like it's $4 now. Coupled with a QMK keyboard, the modifiers are even easier to use.
It was $1. Now it’s $4! Like half a Starbucks coffee!
How many people would not even see this app because it’s not free?
And how about the one commented below that “looks like it’s no longer maintained?” Sounds like it’s the free choice…
I have been guilty of agonizing over spending $5 on a phone app while drinking a $5 cup of coffee.
Now I’m at the point where I don’t even want to look at free apps. Just tell me how to pay you enough money to make something good, and keep it good over time.
That being said, reading this thread I’m realizing how many great options there are for these kind of scenarios on macOS.
For ages, I used Amethyst, which is a "tiling window manager" for macOS, but somewhere along the way it got annoying to install/keep working properly due to some of Apples shenanigans.
So I moved to Magnet. I still use it daily, but honestly forget its there because I use it so much! Just feels like native macOS behaviour at this point.
It’s a paid app too, but it was worth every cent. The app was updated for free since my first purchase ten years ago!
Can't really use OSX without it.
https://ianyh.com/amethyst/
That's why tons of people don't realize there was a "Pro" option- because there wasn't one.
The creator (who also made the free open source Spectacle-fork Rectangle app) renamed/rebranded Hookshot into Rectangle Pro sometime about 5 months ago.
I currently use Hyper + Arrow<Direction> for TRBL placement but it doesn't let me configure Hyper + two arrow keys for corner placements. Is that something not possible with the free/OSS version?
I use a 55in oled screen as my main monitor and rectangle is fantastic for grid window management. CMD+(1,2,3,F1,F2,F3) to move windows around the grid etc
It's all very clever and elegant and minimal but consumer technology user interfaces seem to be converging on that of a Theremin.
1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Accessibility. 2. Select Pointer Control in the sidebar. (In earlier versions of macOS, select Mouse & Trackpad.) 3. Click the Trackpad Options button. 4. Select ”Enable dragging,” then choose ”three finger drag” from the menu. 5. Click OK.
I didn't notice moving and resizing background windows is enabled by the OP writeup and am not in a place where I can implement changes.
Does
in fact enable manipulation of background windows?Sadly, it's supported less and less in Apple's own apps:
- if you use the gesture in Finder, it can get confused and mess up all mouse clicks
- it doesn't work at all with the sliders in the new control center menu
https://codepoints.net/U+F8FF
Give it a week and you'll never go back.
Even Windows has a hidden "mouse to focus" mode it calls X-Mouse.
Dead Comment
...but it is missing a lot of them, which are scattered across the internet. Some others worth checking out are aggregated here:
https://gist.github.com/romanhaa/9804183f242991007b316a59c4b...
alt-left-mouse: grab anywhere in window to move
option-command-left-mouse: resize window from anywhere in window
Hasn't been updated in years but it still works on Monterey though it occasionally requires some kicking. I've looked for alternatives that are more up to date but can never find one that does the above - it's really all I want in a window manager as I don't like automated tiling and other features.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hyperdock/id449830122?mt=12