Coming from Spaces
If you keep a Mission Control desktop for each project, Layout’s workspaces do the same job on a single desktop. They don’t use Spaces: when you switch, Layout moves the windows you leave out of sight and brings the others back, without the slide. Its shortcuts and its record of which window belongs where are its own, so they keep working after your Mac sleeps or a display comes back.
Desktops and workspaces
Section titled “Desktops and workspaces”| With Spaces | With Layout |
|---|---|
| A desktop for each project | A workspace for each project |
| ⌃1… to go to a desktop | ⌃⌥1…9 at first, or the keys you choose |
| ⌃← and ⌃→ | ⌥Tab, the workspace switcher |
| Assign To › This Desktop for an app | The app in the workspace’s Apps, placed in a zone |
| Displays have separate Spaces | A layout for each display; displays switch together |
| A full-screen app gets its own Space | Leave full screen before you switch |
Keep Control and a number
Section titled “Keep Control and a number”Layout’s workspace shortcuts are ⌃⌥1…9 at first. To keep the keys your hands know:
- In System Settings › Keyboard, click Keyboard Shortcuts…, choose Mission Control, and turn off Switch to Desktop 1 and the ones after it.
- In Layout, open Settings › Shortcuts. Under Workspace shortcuts, click the first workspace’s Go to shortcut and press ⌃1.
- Give the next workspaces ⌃2, ⌃3 and so on.
Each one brings its launch shortcut along, with ⇧ added: ⌃⇧1 launches the first workspace. See Workspace shortcuts.
Use one desktop per display
Section titled “Use one desktop per display”Layout works on the desktop showing on each display when you turn it on. It can’t see the windows on your other desktops, and while one of them is showing, it doesn’t switch workspaces.
So bring your windows together first: in Mission Control, remove the desktops you no longer need, and macOS moves their windows to one that’s left. The windows already open when Layout starts belong to the General workspace. Your first workspace shows how to give them workspaces of their own.
Good to know
Section titled “Good to know”- After a restart of your Mac, the windows macOS reopens start in General. Turn on Launch at Login for your workspaces to arrange their apps again.
- Layout must be active for its shortcuts to work. While you pause it, they’re released.