# How to make switching desktops faster on a Mac

Source: https://ribbonformac.com/speed-up-spaces-animation-mac  
Updated: 2026-10-29

macOS has no setting for the speed of the slide between desktops. The closest thing is <b>Reduce motion</b>, in System Settings → Accessibility → Display, which replaces the slide with a short fade. After that, the biggest win is switching less: jump straight to a desktop with <kbd>⌃</kbd> and a number, and keep related windows on one desktop.

## Turn on Reduce Motion

1. System Settings → **Accessibility** → **Display**.
2. Turn on **Reduce motion**.

Switching desktops with the keyboard now fades instead of sliding, which feels quicker. It also tones down other animations across macOS, such as opening Mission Control and some app transitions. Most people who turn it on for Spaces keep it on.

What it doesn't do: remove the transition entirely. There's still a fade, and some people find it abrupt when flicking back and forth between desktops quickly.

## Old Terminal tweaks don't help

You'll find `defaults write` commands online that claim to remove the Spaces animation. Most date from older macOS versions and do nothing today, and some change Dock or Mission Control behaviour you didn't mean to touch. Reduce Motion is the supported way.

## Faster ways to switch

- **Jump straight there.** Turn on the Control-number shortcuts in System Settings → Keyboard → **Keyboard Shortcuts** → **Mission Control** (**Switch to Desktop 1**, 2, 3…). <kbd>⌃</kbd><kbd>3</kbd> goes straight to Desktop 3 with one transition, instead of two slides from Desktop 1.
- **Swipe instead of pressing keys.** The trackpad swipe moves as fast as your fingers, and you can flick. It's set in System Settings → Trackpad → More Gestures → **Swipe between full-screen applications**.
- **Keep desktops in a fixed order.** Turn off **Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use** (System Settings → Desktop & Dock), or you'll overshoot because the order changed. See [stop your Mac rearranging Spaces](https://ribbonformac.com/stop-mac-rearranging-spaces).

## Switch less

Every desktop switch is a full-screen change of context. Most people have extra desktops because one desktop can't hold all their windows without overlap, so they spread them out. That's what makes switching frequent.

A scrolling window manager gives one desktop room for more windows. With [Ribbon](https://ribbonformac.com/), every window is a column on a horizontal strip, so a new window adds a column instead of covering another, and moving between windows is a short scroll that keeps the neighbouring columns in view rather than a full-screen slide. Many people end up with one desktop per project instead of one per app. Each desktop still gets its own strip if you want to keep a few.

You can [scroll a strip in the live demo](https://ribbonformac.com/#demo) to see the difference; Ribbon is [$9.99 once](https://ribbonformac.com/#pricing) for macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon.

## FAQ

### Can I turn off the animation when switching desktops on a Mac?

Not completely. Turning on Reduce motion (Accessibility → Display) replaces the slide with a fade.

### Why is switching Spaces slow on my Mac?

The slide animation is fixed. Reduce motion shortens how it feels, and jumping directly with <kbd>⌃</kbd> plus a number avoids passing through desktops in between.

### Does Reduce Motion affect anything else?

Yes. It tones down other system animations, such as Mission Control and some transitions in apps. Nothing stops working.

## Keep reading
- [Multiple desktops (Spaces)](https://ribbonformac.com/mac-virtual-desktops-spaces) — Create, switch and remove Spaces, the shortcuts to turn on, and the settings that keep them in order.
- [Stop Spaces rearranging](https://ribbonformac.com/stop-mac-rearranging-spaces) — The setting that reorders desktops, the one that jumps between them, and pinning apps.
- [Trackpad gestures for multitasking](https://ribbonformac.com/mac-trackpad-gestures-multitasking) — Mission Control, App Exposé, desktops, Show Desktop, and freeing a swipe for a window manager.
- [Scrolling WMs explained](https://ribbonformac.com/what-is-a-scrolling-window-manager) — The strip, the columns, the moves, and every scrolling WM by operating system.
- [MacBook window manager](https://ribbonformac.com/macbook-window-manager) — Grids get cramped on 13–15" screens. What works better on a laptop, honestly.