Mac guide
How to save and restore window layouts on a Mac
By Aqib Javed · Updated Oct 22, 2026
macOS can't save a window arrangement and bring it back on demand. Reopen windows when logging back in, in the restart dialog, reopens apps and their windows after a restart, but it isn't a layout you can name or switch to, and Split View pairs don't come back. To save layouts like Coding or Calls and restore one with a shortcut, use an app such as DisplayShift.
What macOS keeps
- Reopen windows when logging back in: a checkbox in the Restart and Shut Down dialogs. It reopens your apps and their windows after the restart.
- Close windows when quitting an application, in System Settings > Desktop & Dock: when it's off, many apps reopen their windows where they were.
- Neither saves a layout you can name, switch between or restore after you've moved things around.
Save a named layout in DisplayShift
- Arrange your windows the way you want them, on one screen or several.
- Open DisplayShift's Settings > Layouts and click Save a layout….
- The window lists each desktop, full screen app and Split View pair with the apps in it. Choose what to include, name it, and optionally record a shortcut.
Bring it back
- Press the layout's own shortcut, tap its name in the panel, or click Restore next to it in Settings.
- Control Option Command R (the default) restores the last layout.
- Turn on Reopen closed apps when restoring and apps from the layout that aren't running are opened first, then placed.
- Windows go back to their own desktops, and Split View pairs are put back side by side.
Different layouts for different desks
Layouts are kept per set of screens, so the layout for your office monitor and the one for your home display don't overwrite each other. Layouts saved with other screens are listed under Saved for other screens. For what happens automatically when you plug in or wake from sleep, see the guides on moving windows to an external monitor and on windows landing on the wrong screen after sleep.
Questions
Can a Mac save window positions?
- Not as a layout you can name and restore. Reopen windows only reopens apps after a restart, and some apps remember their own window size and place.
Does macOS restore Split View after a restart?
- No. Split View pairs are separate windows again after a restart. DisplayShift puts a saved pair back side by side.
Can I keep different layouts for different monitors?
- Yes. DisplayShift saves layouts per set of screens, so each desk keeps its own.
Will restoring a layout open apps that aren't running?
- Only if you turn on Reopen closed apps when restoring in Settings > Layouts.