How to snap windows on Mac

Every built-in shortcut at a glance (macOS Sequoia and later):

Method 1 — Drag to a screen edge

Since macOS Sequoia (15), dragging works the way Windows users expect:

• Drag a window's title bar to the left or right edge — a tile preview appears; release to snap it to that half.
• Drag into a corner for a quarter.
• Drag to the top of the screen (the menu bar) to fill the display.
• Drag the window away from its tile and it springs back to its original size.

Two refinements worth knowing: hold ⌥ Option while dragging to see tile zones immediately without pushing all the way to the edge, and note that you must drag by the title bar — dragging a window's body (even in apps that allow it) won't trigger tiling.

Method 2 — The built-in keyboard shortcuts

This is the one most Mac users have never heard of. Sequoia added real tiling shortcuts, all on the fn⌃ (globe + Control) modifier:

• fn⌃ + ← / → / ↑ / ↓ — tile to the left, right, top, or bottom half.
• fn⌃ + F — fill the screen (like maximize, without entering full screen).
• fn⌃ + C — center the window.
• fn⌃ + R — return the window to its previous size and position.

The full list lives in each app's Window → Move & Resize menu, including quarter and side-by-side arrangements (those have no default keys, but you can add your own in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts using the exact menu titles).

The limits, honestly: nothing for thirds, no size cycling (pressing fn⌃← twice doesn't step ½ → ⅓ → ⅔), quarters need manual setup, and the shortcuts only work on macOS 15+.

Method 3 — The green-button menu

Hover (don't click) the green traffic-light button in any window's top-left corner: a menu drops down with halves, quarters, and Fill. Hold ⌥ while hovering and the options change to include more arrangements. This is also where Split View lives — “Tile Window to Left/Right of Screen” puts two apps side by side in a dedicated full-screen Space. Split View is the older, heavier cousin of tiling: it hides the menu bar and Dock, so most people prefer plain snapping.

The settings that change how snapping behaves

All of macOS's tiling switches are in System Settings → Desktop & Dock, scrolled down to the Windows section:

• Drag windows to screen edges to tile — the master switch for Method 1. If drag-snapping “doesn't work,” this is usually off.
• Drag windows to the menu bar to fill the screen — the drag-to-top maximize.
• Hold ⌥ key while dragging windows to tile — the instant-preview variant.
• Tiled windows have margins — the gap around snapped windows. Turn this off if you want edge-to-edge tiling with no gutter; it's the setting behind the “why is there a border around my snapped windows” complaint.

Method 4 — Thirds, cycling, and undo: a window manager

Native tiling stops at halves and quarters. On a 27″+ or ultrawide display, the layout you actually want is usually thirds — and that's where a window manager comes in. In HopTab:

• Halves: ⌃⌥ + arrow keys — and pressing the same direction again cycles ½ → ⅓ → ⅔, so one shortcut covers nine positions.
• Thirds: ⌃⌥ + D F G for first / center / last third directly.
• Quarters: ⌃⌥ + U I J K — real shortcuts, no menu setup.
• Maximize / center: one combo each; undo: a real multi-step undo for window moves, which macOS doesn't have.
• Drag-to-snap with a translucent preview overlay, and every shortcut is rebindable.

It also works on macOS 14 (Sonoma), where none of the native tiling above exists. If you're comparing tools first, see the best window managers for Mac — Rectangle and Magnet cover snapping too; HopTab's difference is that snapping is one layer of a workspace manager (profiles, layouts, app switching).

Troubleshooting

Drag-to-edge tiling doesn't work at all

Two causes cover nearly every case: you're on macOS Sonoma (14) or earlier, where drag tiling simply doesn't exist — check  → About This Mac — or the switch is off in System Settings → Desktop & Dock → “Drag windows to screen edges to tile.” On older macOS, a window manager is the only way to get snapping.

There's a gap around my snapped windows

That's the “Tiled windows have margins” setting. Turn it off in System Settings → Desktop & Dock and tiles become edge-to-edge.

The window snapped, but I want its old size back

Press fn⌃ + R (Return to Previous Size), or just drag the window away from the edge — it springs back. Note this only remembers one step; it's not a real undo.

fn⌃ shortcuts do nothing in some apps

The shortcuts drive the app's Window menu, so apps without a standard Window menu (some Electron apps, games, cross-platform tools) ignore them. Window managers place windows through the Accessibility API instead, which works on those apps too.

Snapping fights with Stage Manager

Tiling works with Stage Manager on, but tiled windows can jump when you switch stages. If you rely on snapped layouts, most people are happier with Stage Manager off (System Settings → Desktop & Dock) and Spaces + snapping instead.

FAQ

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