Stop macOS rearranging your Spaces.

Why your Spaces change order

By default macOS moves the Space you used most recently next to the one you are on. Over a day, that shuffles your desktops, so the keyboard shortcut or swipe that used to reach your mail now lands on your code editor.

Step 1: turn off automatic rearranging

In System Settings, choose Desktop & Dock, scroll to the Mission Control section and switch off Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use. The order you set in Mission Control now stays put.

Step 2: check the app switching setting

In the same section, When switching to an application, switch to a Space with open windows for the application makes Command-Tab jump between desktops. Leave it on if you like that, turn it off if it feels like your Spaces are moving.

Step 3: pin apps to a desktop

Right-click an app in the Dock, choose Options and pick a desktop under Assign To. This works for apps that have one main window, and it only applies when the app opens a new window.

When the settings are not enough

The settings stop reordering, but they do not bring things back. After a restart, a macOS update, or waking with a different monitor, apps often reopen on the wrong desktop or all on one screen. Dock assignments also cannot place each window at a size and position.

SnapState is a native macOS menu bar app that saves named workspaces. Each one keeps the windows on every Space with position and size, the apps needed to relaunch them, the display layout, full screen windows, and all open tabs in Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc and Chromium once Automation permission is granted. Restore from the menu bar, with Control-Command-1 to 6, or automatically on wake from sleep, when a monitor connects or disconnects, or when a matching display layout appears.

What are the honest limits?

SnapState does not tile or snap windows, it cannot split one app's windows across several Spaces, Firefox is not supported yet, tab groups are not restored, and it requires macOS 15.7 or later. There is no free trial.

Questions people ask