Gary, cannot tell you how much I appreciate your videos. The transition from Windows to Mac OS has been a real task for me. I only knew Windows since starting computing with Windows 3.1 years ago. You have been so helpful with this journey. Thank you so much.
This video should be mandatory viewing for everyone new to Mac. One of the biggest challenges for WIndows users coming to Mac is window management, and this is the single most comprehensive and implicitly clear explanation of it that I've seen.
"I've been using Windows since the '95 days. I'm seriously thinking about finally switching to a Mac, and I've been watching these excellent videos on this channel to figure out if I can handle the switch. The Stage Manager option seems like it would make the transition easier for a lifelong Windows user.
@@trippplefive The intuitive features of Apple Computers are still unfolding for me after 2 years. Videos like these make it easier to learn the nuisances of these wonderful machines. I been telling my friends that once you go Mac you’ll never go back.
OMG. Thank you! As a lifelong Windows user who has started using Macs in their personal life, this was perfect information. For the past year, I've struggled to grasp the MacOS way of dealing with application windows. Keep up the great work... please!
This is the most comprehensive video tutorial on Mac window management to date. Congrats Gary! I particularly like the last bit, where you show how to merge windows into tabs to get all your windows spread around various desktops in one place and then do whatever you need to do with them. Also, I realized that you can use Stage Manager to group different app windows into sets. I was under the impression that Stage Manager only grouped windows by application. This begs the question of whether the Stage Manager is a different form of using multiple desktops with a better overview. Thanks!
Brilliantly presented as always. There’s such a great array of tools in the Mac OS and I know I could use more of them. Stage Manager has grown on me and I’ve kept it active ever since Ventura was released. Very handy for multitasking.
Thanks, Gary for another great (as usual) video. This one was very useful for making sense of all the multitasking/uncluttering options available, which can be a bit overwhelming and all over the place. But now it should make more sense... Cheers!👍
Thanks, Gary, for this comprehensive overview of all the multitasking options now with Stage Manager in the mix. Options! Pick your faves and go with that. EDIT: I did learn something new too - I didn't know you could drag a window to the MC bar at top to create a full-screen version of it. Also, I didn't realize Hide hid the whole app (all its windows) and that minimize only minimizes a window, not an app with all its windows.
As a windows user for many years, I’ve started using a macbook pro in my personal life and there is lots to love, like the integration in the Apple ecosystem. However window management compared to Windows is just abysmal. I’m a software dev and I consider myself a tech savvy person. But even after 6 months, I struggle to find a flow where I’m as fast and productive as I am on Windows. This video was awesome tho to get an overview of all the options, some of which I maybe don’t use enough. Not giving up just yet. 😁 Tnx!
I know a lot of longtime Mac users are quick to dismiss Stage Manager, but for me it's become the way I use my Macs. I tend to keep a maximized browser window, and then Notes, Finder and Messages open at all times. SM makes it so easy to jump between them, and I actually get access to the desktop because my maximized (not full-screen) browser window doesn't stay in the way, it moves to the SM area. The Dock is now just an app launcher for me for the most part. But of course, Gary covers every conceivable way to do this, and some of them are new to me and very interesting.
Always enjoy watching the “process” you use! The options allow me to customize how I operate and 1) makes my process more efficient and 2) saves a tremendous amount of experimenting time (since you’ve done all the heavy lifting.) Thank you, Gary.
I'm a big fan of using 3 spaces, with my main space being the middle one. I can swipe to the right to work on files (I usually have a finder window open there) or to the left for my email and communication. Thanks for the tip about using stage manager with multiple spaces. I haven't used stage manager much because I don't like it being on for all my different spaces. I wish I could just have it on the middle one, but not the other two. Cool to know I can achieve that now! Thanks Gary!
Gary, as a struggling student I wish i could support you on Patreon rn, but once i get my first paycheck i shall! Thank you sooooooooo much for this ❤️
Hi Gary. Thank you for another in-depth video. I have been using parts of almost everything you described, but you have shown me some of the nuances and combinations of multitasking that I can bring to bear. I did not know that desktops can share that space with individual windows. I always thought that I was looking at separate desktops and wondered why I could not bring other apps to that Desktop. Thank you so much for bringing me to the next level of multitasking. I love the use of keyboard shortcuts, because when you are typing in a pages document, your hands are already on the keyboard, so to not have to switch to trackpad or mouse is much faster. Very much appreciated.
Again, THANK YOU! I always mean something in every one of your videos. You rock! Minor point, but just as using a numeric keypad takes more time for occasional numbers than using the numeric keypad, using a mouse exclusively for switching apps takes more time that command+tab does. If you want to increase your efficiency, keeping your hands on the keyboard increases productivity.
Another great video, im also trying stage manager again to free up dock, I see stage manager is like a second dock for active work, multiple tabs is great organizer as well. thanks Gary
I preferred the (very relatable) typo version of the thumbnail "Masting Multitasking" - it was a cool meta joke about how even with technology it is us who have the limitations!
Great video Greg! Thanks for the awesme content! One thing that annoys me is that the app switcher doesn't bring back minimized apps, only hidden ones. Feels a bit unnatural having to press the option button on the app switcher to bring back the minimized ones (I don't always know witch one is hidden or minimized, so half of the time I use the app Switcher and it doesn't bring the app back).
Thanks Arnold. Yes, that's one of the reason I prefer to use Hide over Minimize. Or, just close the document window. Easy enough to re-open a document when it is time to return to it.
Great video as always. When snapping app windows to the left or right of screen you missed the new options available when you click the green button beside the minimize or close buttons. That’s faster than manually doing it.
Try it and see. It works fine, but that doesn't mean it is for you. I find my two large screens give me plenty of space and I don't need Stage Manager there, but I use it on my MacBook Air. But others like it the opposite way.
This was great, thanks a lot! One question: in my setup I have Firefox and Chrome opened side-by-side for casual browsing, but then I’d also have a separate windows of Chrome for some webapp. I’d like to have Stage Manager group the two Chrome windows in different groups, so that I could have, say, a group for casual browsing, and a different group for said webapp. However, it seems to me that Chrome windows need to go together. Now I’m using two desktops, but was wondering whether I could achieve the same with Stage Manager (I like it’s animation better than switching desktops). Sorry for the long winded question!!
You can definitely group Chrome app windows like any other. Just tried it and it works like any other app, nothing special. So maybe give it another try?
I dont have the + button on finder to open tabs. Is there a setting for that? In settings Ive tried open folders in tabs instead of new windows checked and unchecked with no luck. Edit: found it for anyone else looking. Under view, show tab bar.
I'm always trying new things, but this is what I have been using for the last few weeks. I use Stage Manager on my MacBook Air. On my Mac Studio I use two displays. One vertical display on the side always shows a Finder window with tabs, Reminders, Messages and sometimes TextEdit documents or Notes, all as windows, sometimes overlapping. The main display is one Desktop will apps I'm using in windows, then Safari and Mail as Full Screen apps in other Spaces.
So I tended to open email message and browser pages or spreadsheets that are related and put them into a desktop window. I may setup several desktops with a mix of content in each and then start working down the list. Unfortunately when I reboot my computer any virtual desktops that come back do not necessarily have the same content in them so email may move or a browser window may move to a different virtual desktop. I do not know what it can not keep content linked together in the same virtual desktop. I looked at Stage Manager but it appears you can only have content from one application and not a mix of apps (e.g. browser windows and email messages in one app set)?
Is there a reason you are rebooting? You should rarely need to do that. Not sure why an app window would change to a different Desktop Space than before. It should return to the same space. Hopefully rebooting is rare for you so you can just adjust if it happens.
No. Typically you don't do that on macOS. Instead you open separate document windows. Like with Pages or Numbers, you would have multiple documents open at the same time. No need for separate app instances.
Do you think it is possible to not have a second monitor and if you practice through Mac OS multi tasking tips and tricks to get really good between Spaces and command keys. Let me know your thoughts. I went to Apple and bought a keyboard and have a second monitor connected to my laptop 💻 but I am wondering if I can save money by just getting good at working on my laptop mastering Mac OS multi tasking like a WIZARD
I used to double click on mouse to pause UA-cam video but in mac the window goes to full screen most of the time while double clicking, How to avoid this annoying thing ? Thanks alot for Your videos
Gary - on a different note - Having a lot of trouble using Automator on Ventura 13 - can't access anything in contacts or calendar. Here is an example: Find Contacts People Automator 2.10 (520) MacOS Ventura 13.0 The action “Find Contacts People” encountered an error: “An error occured while executing a script: The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error -1743.)” Think it has something to do with privacy/security but nothing works. Got any ideas? Thanks.
you know what's the most annoying thing about macos? having 2 windows open and moving between them - you always have to click the first time to activate the window, and only then can you click where you want. it doesn't exist on windows. how to solve it?
Not sure how it works on Windows, but are you saying that if you have your cursor at point A in your document in an inactive window, then you click the window at point B, that it both activates the window and also moves the cursor from point A to point B? What if you were adding text at point A and switch to another window to look at something? Then you switch back and now your cursor is at point B and you start typing in the wrong spot? Seems both ways of doing it would have issues depending on what you are doing, and the computer can't know which one to pick. At least with the Mac way, all you need to do is click twice. With the Windows way, to do the opposite, you'd need to click once, move your pointer, and click again.
Again? Did you check in System Settings, Trackpad to see if you have that selected as your "Look Up" gesture? Maybe try the other setting or switching back and forth.
I’m sorry but this is NOT multitasking. You have simply opened several windows that only become active when in the front. True multitasking as seen on the AMIGA computer, would have several utube videos all running at the same time and playing in the background. Play music whilst videos playing in the background windows, this is multitasking.
Macbook users think crowding their screen with various windows overlapping each other is somehow productive multi-tasking. Apple may make wonderful hardware, but they have bamboozled their users with its terrible interface. In windows, it is so easy to switch apps with the taskbar, but somehow pressing down the command key and then selecting the app is preferred? Macbooks remind me of tesla door handles. Overcomplicating a perfectly working solution, in this case stacking apps on the desktop rather than the taskbar and then
Gary, as a struggling student I wish i could support you on Patreon rn, but once i get my first paycheck i shall! Thank you sooooooooo much for this ❤️
Gary, cannot tell you how much I appreciate your videos. The transition from Windows to Mac OS has been a real task for me. I only knew Windows since starting computing with Windows 3.1 years ago. You have been so helpful with this journey. Thank you so much.
This video should be mandatory viewing for everyone new to Mac. One of the biggest challenges for WIndows users coming to Mac is window management, and this is the single most comprehensive and implicitly clear explanation of it that I've seen.
"I've been using Windows since the '95 days. I'm seriously thinking about finally switching to a Mac, and I've been watching these excellent videos on this channel to figure out if I can handle the switch. The Stage Manager option seems like it would make the transition easier for a lifelong Windows user.
@@trippplefive The intuitive features of Apple Computers are still unfolding for me after 2 years. Videos like these make it easier to learn the nuisances of these wonderful machines. I been telling my friends that once you go Mac you’ll never go back.
OMG. Thank you! As a lifelong Windows user who has started using Macs in their personal life, this was perfect information. For the past year, I've struggled to grasp the MacOS way of dealing with application windows. Keep up the great work... please!
This is especially useful for people new to macs.
This is the most comprehensive video tutorial on Mac window management to date. Congrats Gary! I particularly like the last bit, where you show how to merge windows into tabs to get all your windows spread around various desktops in one place and then do whatever you need to do with them. Also, I realized that you can use Stage Manager to group different app windows into sets. I was under the impression that Stage Manager only grouped windows by application. This begs the question of whether the Stage Manager is a different form of using multiple desktops with a better overview. Thanks!
Can hear video but video is black
Brilliantly presented as always. There’s such a great array of tools in the Mac OS and I know I could use more of them. Stage Manager has grown on me and I’ve kept it active ever since Ventura was released. Very handy for multitasking.
Thanks, Gary for another great (as usual) video. This one was very useful for making sense of all the multitasking/uncluttering options available, which can be a bit overwhelming and all over the place. But now it should make more sense... Cheers!👍
Thanks, Gary, for this comprehensive overview of all the multitasking options now with Stage Manager in the mix. Options! Pick your faves and go with that. EDIT: I did learn something new too - I didn't know you could drag a window to the MC bar at top to create a full-screen version of it. Also, I didn't realize Hide hid the whole app (all its windows) and that minimize only minimizes a window, not an app with all its windows.
As a windows user for many years, I’ve started using a macbook pro in my personal life and there is lots to love, like the integration in the Apple ecosystem. However window management compared to Windows is just abysmal. I’m a software dev and I consider myself a tech savvy person. But even after 6 months, I struggle to find a flow where I’m as fast and productive as I am on Windows. This video was awesome tho to get an overview of all the options, some of which I maybe don’t use enough. Not giving up just yet. 😁 Tnx!
This is great, Now I need a week to practice this since this is my first time using Mac OS. I love how easy it is to multi-task :)
I know a lot of longtime Mac users are quick to dismiss Stage Manager, but for me it's become the way I use my Macs. I tend to keep a maximized browser window, and then Notes, Finder and Messages open at all times. SM makes it so easy to jump between them, and I actually get access to the desktop because my maximized (not full-screen) browser window doesn't stay in the way, it moves to the SM area. The Dock is now just an app launcher for me for the most part. But of course, Gary covers every conceivable way to do this, and some of them are new to me and very interesting.
Always enjoy watching the “process” you use! The options allow me to customize how I operate and 1) makes my process more efficient and 2) saves a tremendous amount of experimenting time (since you’ve done all the heavy lifting.) Thank you, Gary.
Extremely helpful, thank you so much!
of course it is very useful, thank you very much for your video Gary
I'm a big fan of using 3 spaces, with my main space being the middle one. I can swipe to the right to work on files (I usually have a finder window open there) or to the left for my email and communication. Thanks for the tip about using stage manager with multiple spaces. I haven't used stage manager much because I don't like it being on for all my different spaces. I wish I could just have it on the middle one, but not the other two. Cool to know I can achieve that now! Thanks Gary!
I’m starting to hate the new mac iOs but then u make me like it again.. I’ll try this. thanks
A very useful and informative video tutorial today! Thank you, Gary! 👏❤️
I cannot tell you how helpful this was having moved across from a Windows laptop!!!
First time Mac user and have to say that your video helped me a lot in using this wonderful machine
Thanks for pulling all four of these together; bookmarked!
Wow, thanks! Even after using Macs for more than 10 Years, I still leaned a lot!
Gary, as a struggling student I wish i could support you on Patreon rn, but once i get my first paycheck i shall! Thank you sooooooooo much for this ❤️
Hi Gary. Thank you for another in-depth video. I have been using parts of almost everything you described, but you have shown me some of the nuances and combinations of multitasking that I can bring to bear. I did not know that desktops can share that space with individual windows. I always thought that I was looking at separate desktops and wondered why I could not bring other apps to that Desktop. Thank you so much for bringing me to the next level of multitasking. I love the use of keyboard shortcuts, because when you are typing in a pages document, your hands are already on the keyboard, so to not have to switch to trackpad or mouse is much faster. Very much appreciated.
The best multitasking tutorial I ever watch. 👍
your depth of knowledge is very impressing, have to say
Very thorough and to the point.
Thank you so much for sharing this information. It is totally the best productivity way to use the Mac.
Hi, just bought my first Mac and this really helped me. Thanks
Excellent tutorial. Many thanks!
You're amazing, Gary! I'm a long time Mac user and *still* learn lots of useful stuff from you! Thanks!
Incredible. Thank you Gary.
What an incredibly helpful video, thank you for uploading this.
Again, THANK YOU! I always mean something in every one of your videos. You rock! Minor point, but just as using a numeric keypad takes more time for occasional numbers than using the numeric keypad, using a mouse exclusively for switching apps takes more time that command+tab does. If you want to increase your efficiency, keeping your hands on the keyboard increases productivity.
Gary, you are the man!! thank you for all these videos.
Another great video, im also trying stage manager again to free up dock, I see stage manager is like a second dock for active work, multiple tabs is great organizer as well. thanks Gary
most needed macOS tutorial …..👍🏼
Another great vid Gary - thank you!
Planning to get a first ever apple computer! Thanks for the help! ❤
Amazing! Thank you very much, Gary, for this incredibly useful video!
Another great lesson Gary.
Appreciate your vids man. Short, to the point, informative. You have a gift my friend. Liked and subscribed.
Thank you so much man, keep it up your lessons are awesome.
Thank you. I love your information.
Another technic is assign a diferent desktop for every app. Thanks!
Thank you Gray,
I preferred the (very relatable) typo version of the thumbnail "Masting Multitasking" - it was a cool meta joke about how even with technology it is us who have the limitations!
Great video Greg! Thanks for the awesme content!
One thing that annoys me is that the app switcher doesn't bring back minimized apps, only hidden ones. Feels a bit unnatural having to press the option button on the app switcher to bring back the minimized ones (I don't always know witch one is hidden or minimized, so half of the time I use the app Switcher and it doesn't bring the app back).
Thanks Arnold. Yes, that's one of the reason I prefer to use Hide over Minimize. Or, just close the document window. Easy enough to re-open a document when it is time to return to it.
Great information
Great video as always. When snapping app windows to the left or right of screen you missed the new options available when you click the green button beside the minimize or close buttons. That’s faster than manually doing it.
At 6:10 I have a whole section on it. It is the same function as the Option+green button items.
Thanks bunches
Another winner!!
given how many features MacOS has for handling windows in so many subtle ways, I can only say one thing: MacOS is the true Windows 🤯
Gary, How well does the Stage Manager mesh with dual monitors? Tips/Tricks?
Try it and see. It works fine, but that doesn't mean it is for you. I find my two large screens give me plenty of space and I don't need Stage Manager there, but I use it on my MacBook Air. But others like it the opposite way.
@@macmost I have to agree with you, I tried it for awhile this morning and I'm happier without it!
This was great, thanks a lot! One question: in my setup I have Firefox and Chrome opened side-by-side for casual browsing, but then I’d also have a separate windows of Chrome for some webapp. I’d like to have Stage Manager group the two Chrome windows in different groups, so that I could have, say, a group for casual browsing, and a different group for said webapp. However, it seems to me that Chrome windows need to go together. Now I’m using two desktops, but was wondering whether I could achieve the same with Stage Manager (I like it’s animation better than switching desktops). Sorry for the long winded question!!
You can definitely group Chrome app windows like any other. Just tried it and it works like any other app, nothing special. So maybe give it another try?
Is there a way to save a desktop? if I set up a desktop with 3 windows the way I like it. Can I preserve that and reopen it later if I lose it?
No. I suppose they are meant to be dynamic.
@@macmost OK. Thanks Gary
Typo in the thumbnail mate 👍🏻
Got it. Thanks.
I dont have the + button on finder to open tabs. Is there a setting for that? In settings Ive tried open folders in tabs instead of new windows checked and unchecked with no luck. Edit: found it for anyone else looking. Under view, show tab bar.
Gary which technique do you use personally ? And why ? Do you use it on your mac screen or with multiple monitors ?
I'm always trying new things, but this is what I have been using for the last few weeks. I use Stage Manager on my MacBook Air. On my Mac Studio I use two displays. One vertical display on the side always shows a Finder window with tabs, Reminders, Messages and sometimes TextEdit documents or Notes, all as windows, sometimes overlapping. The main display is one Desktop will apps I'm using in windows, then Safari and Mail as Full Screen apps in other Spaces.
So I tended to open email message and browser pages or spreadsheets that are related and put them into a desktop window. I may setup several desktops with a mix of content in each and then start working down the list. Unfortunately when I reboot my computer any virtual desktops that come back do not necessarily have the same content in them so email may move or a browser window may move to a different virtual desktop. I do not know what it can not keep content linked together in the same virtual desktop. I looked at Stage Manager but it appears you can only have content from one application and not a mix of apps (e.g. browser windows and email messages in one app set)?
Is there a reason you are rebooting? You should rarely need to do that. Not sure why an app window would change to a different Desktop Space than before. It should return to the same space. Hopefully rebooting is rare for you so you can just adjust if it happens.
Can I load multiple instance of the same app?
No. Typically you don't do that on macOS. Instead you open separate document windows. Like with Pages or Numbers, you would have multiple documents open at the same time. No need for separate app instances.
@@macmost thanks the reason was some of my auv3 music plugin
Do you think it is possible to not have a second monitor and if you practice through Mac OS multi tasking tips and tricks to get really good between Spaces and command keys. Let me know your thoughts. I went to Apple and bought a keyboard and have a second monitor connected to my laptop 💻 but I am wondering if I can save money by just getting good at working on my laptop mastering Mac OS multi tasking like a WIZARD
Sure. I work that way on my MacBook Air all the time. It is just what you prefer.
@@macmost thx 🙏 bro love your work
how to keep a window always on top?
thanks
It has to be a function of the app you are using. Most apps don't have that.
I used to double click on mouse to pause UA-cam video but in mac the window goes to full screen most of the time while double clicking, How to avoid this annoying thing ? Thanks alot for Your videos
Use the spacebar or click the pause button?
@@macmost Yea that I know, is there any way to remove double click to full screen? Thanks a lot
@@ArisePeter Not that I know of. I suppose it is possible for someone to create a Safari extension that messes with the UA-cam code.
@@macmost ok thanks
Gary - on a different note - Having a lot of trouble using Automator on Ventura 13 - can't access anything in contacts or calendar. Here is an example:
Find Contacts People
Automator 2.10 (520)
MacOS Ventura 13.0
The action “Find Contacts People” encountered an error: “An error occured while executing a script: The operation couldn’t be completed. (OSStatus error -1743.)”
Think it has something to do with privacy/security but nothing works. Got any ideas? Thanks.
Maybe sure you have Automator set right in your privacy settings, I guess. Keep playing around and trying things.
Microsoft’s multitasking is 1000 times better
The thumbnail shows wrong spelling for Mastering!
Got it. Thanks.
Yeah. When I saw the thumbnail in my YT feed, I thought "What the $%(*$) is 'Masting'!" LOL 🤣 I guess it worked for getting my attention!
😂😂
I use a curved 37” display and my windows are constantly resizing themself. It’s so annoying that they aren’t sticky like Windows OS does.
Is there a specific event that happens to cause them to do that? They shouldn't just move on their own.
I was an "All Full Screen" offender. Stage Manager cured me from it.
you know what's the most annoying thing about macos? having 2 windows open and moving between them - you always have to click the first time to activate the window, and only then can you click where you want. it doesn't exist on windows. how to solve it?
Not sure how it works on Windows, but are you saying that if you have your cursor at point A in your document in an inactive window, then you click the window at point B, that it both activates the window and also moves the cursor from point A to point B? What if you were adding text at point A and switch to another window to look at something? Then you switch back and now your cursor is at point B and you start typing in the wrong spot? Seems both ways of doing it would have issues depending on what you are doing, and the computer can't know which one to pick. At least with the Mac way, all you need to do is click twice. With the Windows way, to do the opposite, you'd need to click once, move your pointer, and click again.
Garry, I'm telling you again - three fingers gesture for quick definition isn't working. 🤕
Again? Did you check in System Settings, Trackpad to see if you have that selected as your "Look Up" gesture? Maybe try the other setting or switching back and forth.
slow down please
I’m sorry but this is NOT multitasking.
You have simply opened several windows that only become active when in the front.
True multitasking as seen on the AMIGA computer, would have several utube videos all running at the same time and playing in the background. Play music whilst videos playing in the background windows, this is multitasking.
macbook os is pain in asss
Macbook users think crowding their screen with various windows overlapping each other is somehow productive multi-tasking. Apple may make wonderful hardware, but they have bamboozled their users with its terrible interface. In windows, it is so easy to switch apps with the taskbar, but somehow pressing down the command key and then selecting the app is preferred? Macbooks remind me of tesla door handles. Overcomplicating a perfectly working solution, in this case stacking apps on the desktop rather than the taskbar and then
It is very strange isn't it. I love my Mac, but alt tab is the only real thing that's needed
Gary, as a struggling student I wish i could support you on Patreon rn, but once i get my first paycheck i shall! Thank you sooooooooo much for this ❤️
Such a useful video Gary . Thanks a lot