Multitasking and working with multiple applications and files at once has become a routine for the Mac, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement. Because Apple is always working on ways to make Mac navigation more efficient, macOS Ventura introduces Stage Manager, which organizes your Mac’s open windows to help you find the one you need faster.
It may not be necessary, but after just a few minutes with Stage Manager, I’m convinced that this will help make Mac usability more efficient. That’s why.
Mission control is good to some extent
Apple already has an application called Mission Control to search for windows. But this is not an organizer in itself, it’s just a way to see all your windows at once and find the one you want. Sometimes this is good, but during serious work sessions dozens and dozens of windows can be opened, turning Mission Control into a macOS version of Where’s Waldo. There is also Spaces in Mission Control, which creates additional workspaces on the desktop, but is not yet perfect.
Mission Control works well when it’s easy to spot the window you need. But the more windows open, the harder it is to find the one you want.
Foundry
The stage manager is a better manager
Stage Manager provides organizational elements that are missing from mission control. Windows is sorted by application as thumbnails on the left side of the screen, and clicking the thumbnail opens a screen window. If you have multiple application windows open, they appear as stacked thumbnails, and you continue to click until the window you want appears.
Even better, you can create groups of windows that go together for your workflow. For example, if you’re writing a research paper, you can open the Pages, Safari, Dictionary, and Notes apps, and you can group them together by dragging each thumbnail in the center of the screen. When all the appropriate windows are on the screen, just click on one of the thumbnails and Stage Manager automatically creates the group. Then, when you click the group thumbnail, these application windows appear on the screen and all other windows are hidden.
During Apple’s Stage Manager demonstration, Apple’s vice president Craig Federigi showed the default “Show Recent Apps” setting, which places a permanent row of thumbnails on the left side of the screen, a visual element that some may consider this extra clutter. on the screen.
Stage Manager also has a “Hide Recent Applications” option, which you can set in the Stage Manager Control Center module. This option hides Stage Manager icons, such as how the Dock can be set to hide. To display the Stage Manager, move the pointer to the left end of the screen. If you have set the Dock to appear on the left, the Stage Manager appears below the Dock, with thumbnails large enough to access.
This organization is a significant improvement over Mission Control because there is no more waste of time and energy searching for a window. Mission Control is not outdated – it is still convenient when there are a small number of open windows. But Stage Manager is better when you’re working on big projects or you’re not the type who knows window management.
Stage manager in action.
Apple
Oddities and limitations
When Stage Manager is turned on, everything on the desktop is hidden, but you can still access your files by clicking anywhere on the screen. The open application is moved to the Stage Manager thumbnail row, the Finder takes over and everything that was on the desktop reappears.
However, there is a oddity that happens when you do not have open applications and Stage Manager is turned on: nothing is still visible on the desktop. To see the items on the desktop, you need to click on the desktop. (Clicking a second time again hides the desktop icons.) Opening an item on the desktop (storage device icon, file, etc.) opens it in the center of the screen and hides the other items on the desktop.
To avoid this, you can turn off Stage Manager. You can also choose to turn it off when using only a few apps at a time. But that means developing a new habit of turning Stage Manager on and off when appropriate, and some may find this too destructive.
Some of the limitations of Stage Manager include:
- It shows a maximum of five thumbnails defined by the last used ones.
- Thumbnails cannot be rearranged or resized.
- There are no options available if you right-click a thumbnail. This can be handy if, for example, Safari has several windows open and you want to close the top one.
- Applications cannot be turned off via the Stage Manager thumbnail.
However, these limitations are a matter of convenience rather than obstacles that prevent Stage Manager from being useful.
Windows can be grouped together so you can create a set that you’re working on.
Apple
You don’t need to use Stage Manager, but you probably will
Stage Manager is an option in the Control Center, so if you don’t like it or don’t want to use it, you can quickly turn it off. No one is forced to use it, so if you don’t want to change the way you do things, you don’t have to. However, you should definitely try it. And because it’s a beta version, it can be even more useful with some tweaks and changes.
I already like Stage Manager and although I have to adjust to the way I work with the desktop, I can say that this will save me a lot of deterioration while using my Mac.
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