Stage Manager: Per-Screen activation; External display behavior; The *purpose* of Stage Manager

Stage Manager's purpose: Simplify clutter, especially in a single, low-res monitor situation. It's a good start, but insufficient for "power users" who like Stage Manager (SM).


My setup: MBP 16in: Four desktops. Sometimes one external monitor.


Problem: I want to activate Stage Manager on a per-screen basis. Current version is global. If I'm on desktop 4 and activate SM, it will activate for desktops 1-3 as well (and my external display, which is especially annoying).


Example: I use SM when coding because coding often requires many apps, references, etc. It's chaotic. I can switch from app to app using SM in a way that provides order. That's great.


Example: When on my "home" screen (desktop 1), I never want Stage Manager enabled. I allow clutter on desktop 1 because it's my non-work desktop. I might have Photos, Notes, TV, and Safari open, and need all of them opened simultaneously. Here, SM is bad.


Solution: Just as there is an option to enable "separate spaces" for external displays, add an option to enable Stage Manager on a per-screen basis per these options: "Always On", "Always Off", and "Hybrid".


I know I'm not alone in wanting this, so please vote this up if you'd like to use Stage Manager (SM) to do what it's supposed to do: Simplify your life.


Trust us, Apple. When it comes to our own lives, we're the authorities; we know what we want. Apple's restraint is part of the reason we love you, but this is a time when it just makes sense to go that extra step. You know it. We know it. Everybody knows it.


Okay bye thx.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Mar 27, 2024 1:17 PM

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Jun 1, 2024 5:15 AM in response to TheRealNeopoleon

100% agree with this. I was having a similar issue and the following worked for me:


I have two screens. I have Google Chrome windows open on both screen #1 and #2, a PDF open on screen #1, and Notes open on Screen #2. Each screen also has several more applications open.


While reading the PDF on screen #1, I want to alternate between Notes and the Chome window on screen #2, so I can look up things in the dictionary and record the definitions in Notes.


But every time I switched from Notes to the Chrome window on screen #2, the PDF open on screen #1 would disappear and be replaced with the Chrome window (from that screen). With the following settings I was able to have the PDF up on screen #1 the entire time, and only switch the Chrome and Notes windows on screen #2.


Stage Manager: Show windows from an application [One at a Time]

Mission Control: Automatically adjust Spaces based on most recent use [ON]

Mission Control: Group Windows by Application [OFF]

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Stage Manager: Per-Screen activation; External display behavior; The *purpose* of Stage Manager

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