Display Maid not restoring your windows?

Display Maid saves window positions for each display setup and restores them when displays change. If it has stopped putting windows back for you, try the steps below first. If it still fails, there is a maintained alternative.

How do they compare?

What should you try first?

1. Open System Settings, Privacy and Security, Accessibility. Remove Display Maid with the minus button, add it back, and turn it on. A macOS update can leave an old permission that looks on but does not work. 2. Quit and reopen Display Maid. 3. With your current displays connected, arrange your windows and save the window set again, since sets are tied to a display combination. 4. If you use identical monitors, check that macOS still sees them in the same order in Displays settings.

Why might it struggle on newer macOS?

The Mac App Store lists Display Maid 3.3.10, released in October 2023, as the latest version. macOS has had several releases since. That does not mean it is broken for everyone, but fixes for newer macOS behavior cannot arrive without updates.

What is the maintained alternative?

SnapState saves a named workspace with every window's display, position and size, the apps to relaunch, Spaces, full screen windows and browser tabs. Restore it with a click or shortcut, or arm it to restore on wake and when a monitor connects. See also Display Maid alternatives and Display Maid vs SnapState.

See SnapState restore a workspace

The 40 second demo shows a workspace saved from the menu bar and restored with one click: apps relaunch and windows return to their displays, positions and sizes.

What are SnapState's honest limits?

SnapState is not a tiling or snapping tool. It does not save tab groups, history or form data, Firefox is not supported, and it does not change the display arrangement, menu bar or Dock. It needs Accessibility permission, and Automation permission for browser tabs. See SnapState.

Frequently asked questions