Level 1

77 points

Stage Manager behaviour on multiple desktops

When using multiple desktops and Stage Manager active I find that only on the first desktop can I move the cursor to the left-hand edge of the display and open apps are listed. On the other desktops when I move the cursor to the left-hand edge of the display nothing happens.

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Oct 27, 2022 2:31 AM

Top-ranking reply

Eric Lane

Level 1

116 points

Posted on Nov 6, 2022 4:43 AM

I've verified what I described in post above with the following settings..

System preferences > desktop & dock > scroll down to "displays have separate spaces" and turn that on
System preferences > desktop & dock > stage manager > turn on > customize > turn on "recent items"
In dock, right-click on each app you plan to run. Select "options" > "assign to" > "none"

...and with the following actions taken:

I launched notes, messages and safari on virtual desktop 1 and made sure none were full screen, and none of the windows were all the way to the left side of the monitor -- otherwise the app icons don't show (unless you're careful to click right at the left edge of the monitor, which is a hassle)
I went to virtual desktop 2 and launched word, excel, and preview, same attention to window location
I went to virtual desktop 3 and launched pages and keynote, same attention to window location

With settings and actions above -- and with more than one application running in each virtual desktop -- stage manager operates and auto-hides apps as I switch between them, and it does that on each virtual desktop.

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Similar questions

23 replies

Jan 19, 2023 10:30 PM in response to ksaro1

Hey there, I have the exact same problem on macOS Ventura 13.1, and still haven't been able to resolve this. Were you able to find a fix? Somehow I can only trigger the apps to show up on the edge on desktop 1, and not the other 2 that I have.

Jan 20, 2023 1:57 AM in response to ksaro1

Yep that's what I mean. As you can see in the image I have the window open maximized to cover the LHS and app sets are hidden. When I put the cursor there the app sets don't show up. This only happens to desktops other than desktop 1.

ksaro1 Author

Level 1

77 points

Jan 20, 2023 2:42 AM in response to mainhathao

snap..

FWIW - I also have reported on many occasions and had tickets opened about apps that are open and are set to display on all desktops, that when you restart or shutdown and re-open on reboot they are not displaying on desktops other than Desktop 1. Each time I have an incident ticket open I hear back a few times, am then told it's being passed on to engineers and then the ticket gets closed. Yet this behaviour persists to this day.

Jan 24, 2023 2:25 AM in response to ksaro1

It is perfectly normal for the update to take some time to appear.

One can also download manually from the Terminal.

Check what is available

softwareupdate -l

then install with

softwareupdate -i <upd>

(replace <upd> by the result of the previous command)

ksaro1 Author

Level 1

77 points

Oct 27, 2022 3:56 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

@Luis Sequeria - I have 3 desktops defined. I tried the right-hand edge of Desktop 2 & 3 and nothing. I only have a single monitor, the iMac itself, with the 3 desktops defined.

ksaro1 Author

Level 1

77 points

Jan 24, 2023 12:58 AM in response to mainhathao

ksaro1 Author

Level 1

77 points

Jan 24, 2023 3:29 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Good to know the command line options.

Jan 23, 2023 11:47 AM in response to ksaro1

Hey there! Just wanted to bring you some good news. This issue has been fixed on macOS 13.2 that was just officially released an hour ago.

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Stage Manager behaviour on multiple desktops