Doing multiple tasks and working with multiple applications and files at once has become routine on the Mac, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement. Because Apple is always working on ways to make Mac browsing more efficient, macOS Ventura introduces Stage Manager, which organizes open windows on your Mac to help you find the one you need faster.
It may not be necessary, but after a few minutes with Stage Manager, I’m sure it will help make Mac usability more efficient. Here’s why.
Mission control is good, to some extent
Apple already has an app called Mission Control for Windows Search. But it’s not an organizer in itself, it’s just a way to see all your windows at once and find the one you want. Sometimes it’s okay, 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 are also spaces within Mission Control, which creates additional desktop workspaces, but it’s not ideal yet.
Mission Control works well when it’s easy to spot the window you need. But the more windows open, the harder it will be to find the one you want.
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Stage Manager is a better manager
Stage Manager provides organizational elements that do not have Mission Control. The windows are sorted by individual application as thumbnails on the left side of the screen, and clicking on the thumbnail opens the window on the screen. If you have multiple windows in an application open, they will appear as stacked thumbnails and keep clicking until the window you want appears.
Better yet, you can create groups of windows to help your workflow. For example, if you’re typing a search job, you can have the Pages, Safari, Dictionary, and Notes applications open, and you can group them by dragging each thumbnail to the center of the screen. When all the appropriate windows are on the screen, just click on one of the thumbnails and Stage Manager will automatically create the group. Then, when you click the group thumbnail, these application windows appear on the screen and any other window is hidden.
During Apple’s Stage Manager demo, Apple SVP Craig Federighi showed the default settings in “Show Recent Apps”, which places a steady row of thumbnails on the left side of the screen, a visual element that some may consider this added clutter of the screen.
Stage Manager also has a “Hide recent applications” option that you can configure in the Stage Manager Control Center module. This option hides Stage Manager icons, such as how the Dock can be set to hide. To make Stage Manager appear, move the pointer to the left edge of the screen. If you have set the Dock to appear on the left side, Stage Manager will appear below the Dock, with thumbnails larger enough to access it.
This organization is a great improvement over Mission Control because there is no more wasting time and energy looking for a window. Mission control is not obsolete; it is still useful when there are a small number of windows open. But Stage Manager is best when you’re working on large projects, or you’re not the type who’s aware of window management.
Stage director in action.
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Curiosities and limitations
When Stage Manager is turned on, everything on your desktop is hidden, but you can still access your files by clicking anywhere on the screen. The open application moves to the Scenario Manager thumbnail row, Finder takes over, and everything on your desktop reappears.
However, there is a peculiarity that happens when you do not have any application open and Stage Manager is activated: nothing is visible on the desktop yet. To view your desktop items, you must click on the desktop. (Clicking a second time hides the desktop icons again.) Opening a desktop item (a storage device icon, a file, etc.) opens in the center of the screen and hides the rest of the desktop items.
To prevent this, you can disable Stage Manager. You can also decide to turn it off when you’re using only a couple of apps at a time. But that means developing a new habit of turning Stage Manager on and off when needed, and some may find it too disturbing.
Some of the limitations of Stage Manager include:
- Displays up to five thumbnails, determined by most recent usage.
- Thumbnails cannot be rearranged or resized.
- There are no options available when you right-click a thumbnail. This might be useful if, for example, Safari has multiple windows open and you want to close the top one.
- Applications cannot be exited using a Stage Manager thumbnail.
These limitations, however, are more a matter of convenience than of hindrances that prevent Stage Manager from being useful.
Windows can be grouped together so that you can create a set that you are working on.
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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 like using 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. Surely you should try it. And since it’s a beta version, it could be even more useful with some tweaks and changes.
I already like Stage Manager, and while I have to adjust to how my desktop is run, I can say that it will save me a lot of hassle while using my Mac.