The Mac version of "Remember window locations based on monitor connection"

What Windows 11 does

With the setting on, Windows remembers which monitor each window was on and moves it back when you reconnect that monitor.

What macOS does instead

When a display disconnects, macOS moves its windows to a remaining screen. When it reconnects, macOS sometimes moves them back and often does not, especially after sleep, a dock reconnect or a restart. There is no option in System Settings to change this.

Free things that help

In System Settings, Desktop and Dock, turn off "Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use" and keep "Displays have separate Spaces" on. Assign apps to a desktop by right clicking their Dock icon, Options, This Desktop. These keep Spaces steady but do not move windows back to a reconnected monitor.

Set it up with SnapState

1. Arrange your windows across your monitors and Spaces. 2. Save them as a SnapState workspace, for example Desk. 3. In the workspace, turn on restore when a monitor connects, or when the matching display layout appears. Next time you plug in, SnapState puts every window back on its monitor and Space, including full screen apps and browser tabs. Save a second workspace for the laptop alone if you like.

Other apps

Resettle learns a layout per desk automatically; Stay and Display Maid restore saved positions. See SnapState vs Resettle and Stay alternative.

What are the honest limits?

SnapState restores the layout you saved rather than learning as you go, and same-model monitors can occasionally swap. It needs macOS 15.7 or later.

Questions people ask