What does SnapState save?
SnapState saves visible windows on your current macOS desktop, the apps needed to relaunch them, your display topology, and the active tab URL from each supported browser window.
Mac window manager guide
Save and restore Mac window layouts.
If you are looking for a way to save window positions on a Mac, SnapState gives you named workspace snapshots. It captures the visible windows on your current desktop, the apps behind them, the display setup, and the active tab URL from supported browser windows. Choose the snapshot later and SnapState rebuilds the setup from the menu bar.
Short version: arrange your Mac once, capture it, and restore it when a restart, dock change, or context switch scrambles the layout.
How to save a Mac window layout
- Arrange your work. Put your editor, browser, terminal, calls, or research windows where you want them.
- Capture from the menu bar. Give the setup a name. SnapState stores the visible layout and the apps behind it on your Mac.
- Restore the context. Choose the workspace or press a shortcut. SnapState launches what is missing and puts the windows back.
What SnapState remembers
- Visible app windows on the current macOS desktop, including their position and size.
- The apps needed to relaunch a saved workspace.
- Which display each window was using and the saved display topology.
- The active tab URL from supported browser windows after Automation permission is granted.
- Optional reactions to display connect, disconnect, matching-layout, and wake-from-sleep events.
How it differs from window tiling
A tiling app helps you place the window you are using right now. SnapState is for a different job: preserving a complete arrangement you already made and calling it back later. That makes it useful for separate coding, design, writing, meeting, or research setups without rebuilding each one by hand.
Supported Mac setup
The current shipped build is for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 15.7 or later. SnapState is distributed directly as a signed and notarized DMG rather than through the Mac App Store because it uses Accessibility and Apple Events to manage windows and browser context.
What it does not currently save
The current release restores the active tab URL in each supported browser window, not every tab group. It also captures visible windows on the current desktop rather than promising a full archive of every macOS Space. That boundary keeps the promise specific and testable.
Common questions
Does SnapState need Accessibility permission?
Yes. macOS Accessibility permission lets SnapState read window positions and move windows back into place. SnapState does not need root access.
Which browsers are supported?
The current release can read and reopen the active tab URL from Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Chromium, and Safari Technology Preview when Automation permission is granted.
Does it save every browser tab or every macOS Space?
Not in the current release. SnapState captures the active tab in each supported browser window and the visible windows on the current desktop. It does not promise full tab-group or cross-Space archival.
What happens when my monitors change?
SnapState compares the saved display topology with the current one and remaps saved window frames onto the available displays. You can also arm a workspace to react to display connect, disconnect, matching-layout, or wake events.
How much does SnapState cost?
SnapState is a $9.99 one-time purchase with a lifetime license for up to three Macs, free updates, and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Get SnapState for $9.99One-time purchase · up to three Macs · 14-day refund