RibbonWindows Snap layouts on a Mac
Since macOS 15 Sequoia, a Mac snaps windows much like Windows does. Drag a window to the left or right edge, or press Fn⌃ plus an arrow where you'd press Win plus an arrow. Hovering over the green button shows layouts, like hovering over the maximize button on Windows 11. What's missing is Snap Assist's "pick the other window" step for most layouts, and anything beyond halves and quarters.
Windows Snap, mapped to macOS
| On Windows 11 | On a Mac (macOS 15 and later) |
|---|---|
| Win← / →: snap left or right | Fn⌃← / → |
| Win↑: maximize | Fn⌃F (Fill) |
| Win↓: restore | Fn⌃R (return to previous size) |
| Drag to a screen edge | Drag to a screen edge (or hold ⌥ while dragging) |
| Drag to the top to maximize | Drag onto the menu bar to fill |
| Hover over maximize for Snap Layouts | Hover over the green button for Move & Resize and Fill & Arrange |
| Snap a corner | Drag into a corner, or the green button's quarters; no single-key shortcut |
| Snap Assist suggests the other half | Fn⌃⇧← / → snaps the window behind it into the other half |
| Snap Groups in the taskbar | No equivalent |
Fn is the Globe key on recent Apple keyboards. If your keyboard has no Fn key, the same commands are in each app's Window menu. The full list is in how to tile windows on a Mac.
On macOS 14 Sonoma or earlier
None of the above is built in. Split View (hover over the green button) puts two apps side by side, but in a full-screen Space of their own. For Snap-style behaviour on older versions, install an app (below).
What the Mac still doesn't do
- Thirds and other custom layouts. Windows 11 offers thirds on wide screens. macOS stops at halves and quarters.
- Snap Groups. Windows remembers the set of windows you snapped together and restores them from the taskbar. macOS doesn't.
- Snapping to a layout you drew. That's FancyZones on Windows; see FancyZones for Mac.
Apps that fill the gaps
- Rectangle (free, open source): snapping shortcuts and edge drags, including thirds. Works on macOS versions without built-in tiling.
- Raycast (free for personal use): a launcher with window commands you can bind to keys.
- Magnet (paid, Mac App Store): snapping with drag areas and shortcuts.
Or skip snapping
Snap is a way to fit two or three windows on screen at once. The problem shows up when you need a fourth: something has to be covered or squeezed. A scrolling window manager handles that differently. In Ribbon, every window is a column on a horizontal strip that's wider than the screen. You set each column's width once (⌃⌥R cycles a quarter, a third, a half, two thirds and so on), new windows add columns, and you scroll along with ⌃⌥← / → or a three-finger swipe. It suits laptops especially, where halves are already narrow. Try it in the live demo; pricing is $9.99 once.
FAQ
Does Mac have Snap like Windows?
Yes, since macOS 15 Sequoia. Drag windows to the screen edges or press Fn⌃ plus an arrow key.
What's the Mac version of Windows key + arrow?
Fn⌃ plus the arrow, on macOS 15 and later.
How do I snap windows on an older Mac?
Use Split View for two full-screen apps, or install Rectangle, which adds Windows-style snapping on older versions of macOS.