How to save and restore window layouts on Mac
Arrange the windows you need, save the layout, and restore their positions when you return to the same task.
Pivot’s Saved Layouts let you do this with a keyboard shortcut or the menu bar. Saved Layouts, layout restore shortcuts, and display-aware auto-restore remain free after the 14-day Pro trial. Pivot requires an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 14 or later.
Save a workspace you actually use
Start with one repeatable task. For research, put your browser beside your notes. For coding, make room for your editor, terminal, and documentation. Leave enough width for the app you read or write in most.
- Open Pivot and grant Accessibility permission when prompted so it can move and resize windows. If permission is missing, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and enable Pivot.
- Open the apps and documents you want to work with, then arrange their windows on the current desktop.
- In Pivot’s menu bar menu, choose Layouts → Save Current Layout.
- Give the layout a useful name, such as Research. In its details, optionally record a keyboard shortcut and save your changes.
Make a separate layout when the job changes. A writing workspace can use a wide document and a narrow reference window; a coding workspace can give the terminal its own area.
Restore window positions with a shortcut
When you need the arrangement again, press the shortcut assigned to that layout, or choose its name under Layouts → Restore Layout in the menu bar. You can keep using the menu if you do not want another keyboard shortcut.
A saved layout is a window arrangement, not a backup of your work. Save documents in their own apps. Reopen the documents and browser tabs you need; do not rely on layout restoration to recover their contents.
Use saved layouts with external displays
Arrange your workspace with the display setup you normally use, then save it. In the layout settings, Restore automatically when displays match lets Pivot restore the layout when the matching display setup returns.
For an ultrawide, try keeping reference material beside your main app instead of stretching every window across the whole screen. Keep a separate layout for laptop-only work when that arrangement needs different priorities.
When is built-in macOS tiling enough?
If you just need to place windows side by side, start with the controls already on your Mac. Apple documents tiling through the green window button, screen edges, menus, and keyboard shortcuts in its Mac window tiling guide. Available controls depend on your macOS version.
Saved Layouts are useful when you repeatedly rebuild a particular arrangement. Pivot’s free Grid control also lets you draw a region and fit the frontmost window into it. Auto Layout, which automatically arranges open windows, is a separate Pro feature.
If a window does not return where expected
- Check Accessibility permission. Pivot needs permission to control app windows.
- Check the current desktop. Save the windows visible on the desktop you are working in. Do not treat Saved Layouts as a way to collect windows from every Space.
- Check the open windows and displays. Reopen the intended documents and reconnect the display setup before trying the layout again.
- Try the menu command. If it works but the shortcut does not, choose a shortcut that does not conflict with your apps.
If a particular app still behaves differently, contact Pivot support with the app name, macOS version, and display setup.
When does Pro help?
Keep the free version if you want to place a window with Grid or restore an arrangement you saved. Try Pro’s Auto Layout when you want Pivot to arrange open windows, or Smart Dot when you want to resize connected windows together. A new installation starts a 14-day Pro trial without a payment card; Grid and Saved Layouts remain free afterward.
Pro currently costs $4.99 as a one-time beta purchase. Each license allows one active Mac and does not expire. Check the final total at checkout. To activate a purchase, open Pivot’s Settings, find License, paste your license key, and choose Activate. To move the license, use Remove License on the old Mac first. Never send your license key in a public comment or support screenshot.
See Saved Layouts in Pivot
The product page shows the layout preview and explains exactly what stays free. Start with one workspace you rebuild often.
See the Saved Layouts demo →