How to show application Windows for only my current desktop

I have multiple desktops to organize my workflow.

1 desktop is my main.

Then I have a 2nd desktop which is my google calendar, but in full screen mode.


That works great with all mission control hot keys. However I introduced a 3rd desktop recently, for another area of my job. I have a few windows open in that desktop.


But when I hit the hotkey to show all windows for a specific app (I customized it to be the righthand side ⌘). It shows all the windows form every desktop. I would love to find a way to stop that.


It's weird because when you do the mission control hot key (I customized mine to be the righthand side ⌥). It of course shows you all your windows for every app, But! only within that desktop...That's what I want from the "Application Windows" setting.



My current config.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.5

Posted on Oct 30, 2024 9:29 AM

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Posted on Nov 1, 2024 12:36 PM

mgmartino wrote:
...
But when you invoke Show Application Windows your computer goes "ohhh okay, I see you have 3 desktops currently running, but I'm not going to show you just the windows on this desktop, you MUST want to see the windows from allll desktops" HAHA SMH


Show Application Windows does not behave like this if assignments are properly made. Only the windows of the app that has focus on that desktop will be displayed.


If an application is assigned to "None" it will behave in the manner you are experiencing. You can have a window open for that app on any desktop, and when you invoke Show Application Windows you will see all the windows open for that app across desktops. To prevent this, the assignment must be This Desktop or All Desktops.


"This Desktop" limits the app to function on that particular desktop.

"All Desktops" allows the app to use all of it's open windows onto whichever desktop you are working on.

10 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 1, 2024 12:36 PM in response to mgmartino

mgmartino wrote:
...
But when you invoke Show Application Windows your computer goes "ohhh okay, I see you have 3 desktops currently running, but I'm not going to show you just the windows on this desktop, you MUST want to see the windows from allll desktops" HAHA SMH


Show Application Windows does not behave like this if assignments are properly made. Only the windows of the app that has focus on that desktop will be displayed.


If an application is assigned to "None" it will behave in the manner you are experiencing. You can have a window open for that app on any desktop, and when you invoke Show Application Windows you will see all the windows open for that app across desktops. To prevent this, the assignment must be This Desktop or All Desktops.


"This Desktop" limits the app to function on that particular desktop.

"All Desktops" allows the app to use all of it's open windows onto whichever desktop you are working on.

Nov 1, 2024 8:27 PM in response to mgmartino

Yes, my friend, I finally understand what you're looking for. I'm not seeing a way to do exactly what you want within the Mission Control feature.


I've found that application windows can be locked to their respective desktops with the assignment None, but invoking Show App Windows always consolidates all of the focused app's windows from across desktops and presents them to you. I see how this could be an issue if you have many windows open for a particular app, Chrome browser being your example.


This sounds like it would be a nice addition to the Assign To option for applications in Mission Control. Maybe you'd like to submit it to Apple as a request for features consideration in macOS. You can submit that feedback directly using this link: Product Feedback - Apple


When you submit that request, include a link to this Community thread to help illustrate the idea.



Oct 31, 2024 8:54 AM in response to mgmartino

Unfortunately, assigning specific windows of an app to a particular desktop isn't a thing.


Assigning apps is key.


When you assign an app to a specific desktop, the windows for that app will be limited to that one desktop. So when you invoke Application windows or Mission Control on another desktop you will not see windows from an app not assigned to or opened on that desktop. And when you switch to that app with Finder's app switching or by clicking it's icon in the Dock, you will be taken to that app on the desktop to which it is assigned.


If you leave an app assigned to All Desktops (the default), then the windows of that app will be displayed when you invoke Mission Control on any desktop, and when you select the app from the Dock it will open in your current desktop.


But, you don't have to assign every app to a desktop. If you don't assign Chrome to a desktop, then you can continue to use it on multiple desktops as you do now. When you invoke the Application windows command, only the windows for the app you are focused on will be displayed. When you invoke Mission Control, all the windows for all the apps open within that desktop will be displayed, including Chrome with it's default assignment of All Desktops.

Nov 1, 2024 11:18 AM in response to D.I. Johnson

Thank you for your reply, this is all stuff I already knew, and I think the unfortunate truth is like you said "Unfortunately, assigning specific windows of an app to a particular desktop isn't a thing." I was just hoping there was a way with the newer OS. Or maybe a third party application. Because again I find it so odd that when you invoke mission control you compare goes "oh okay cool, I get it, you want to see all windows from all apps that are open on THIS desktop"


But when you invoke Show Application Windows your computer goes "ohhh okay, I see you have 3 desktops currently running, but I'm not going to show you just the windows on this desktop, you MUST want to see the windows from allll desktops" HAHA SMH

Nov 1, 2024 7:31 PM in response to D.I. Johnson

I tried All desktops and it did not solve my issue.

I simply want to be able to use Chrome in two desktops. Which I can do already.

But I want to invoke "all windows" and only see the chrome windows open on the Desktop I am currently in.


So when I am in Desktop 1 , I hit ⌘ and I see the 3 Chrome windows in Desktop 1.


I don't want to see the 3 Chrome windows (from Desktop 1) plus the 2 Chrome windows that are in Desktop 2

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How to show application Windows for only my current desktop

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