The Comprehensive Guide To Mac Stage Manager

macmost.com/e-2798 Stage Manager is perhaps the most notable new feature in macOS Ventura. Learn how to use it and all of the tips and tricks. While essentially just another way to multitask, it does have some nice advantages over just using multiple Desktop spaces or windows alone.
Update: Apple added the ability to create a keyboard shortcut to turn on and off Stage Manager. Go to System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts (button), and look under Mission Control.
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00:00 Intro
00:29 Stage Manager Basics
01:56 All Windows Present
02:33 Left Side List Optional
03:41 Stage Manager And the Desktop
04:42 Grouping Windows From Different Apps
05:53 Filter Windows By App
06:12 Dock, App Switcher and LaunchPad
06:49 Hiding Apps
07:09 Window Switcher Works Differently
07:47 Minimize Works Differently
08:26 One At a Time Setting
08:58 Works With Mission Control
09:43 Works With Multiple Displays
09:59 No Keyboard Shortcut?
10:18 Trick To Switch Stage Manager On and Off
10:43 Is Stage Manager For You?
#macmost #macosventura #stagemanager

[@macmost]

Update: Apple added the ability to create a keyboard shortcut to turn on and off Stage Manager. Go to System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts (button), and look under Mission Control.

[@barefeg]

Is it possible to use shortcuts to move to different app sets?

[@macmost]

@@barefeg I don't think there's any way. But if switching to an app set is just a single click, how would a Shortcut make that easier? Come to think of it, any Shortcut that switches to, brings to the front, or launches an app should make Stage Manager switch to that app set. So try that.

[@barefeg]

@@macmost because I’m going to run out of mouse batteries from all the clicking. Shortcuts are nice

[@talcual2138]

I went to see, and I only have "none". Do I have to update MacOS Ventura?

[@talcual2138]

Silly me, it's ok!

[@DkotheEngineer]

Before this video, I thought the stage manager was useless, but after watching the video, I realized it was a must-have feature for me. Thank you .

[@lachlanwilliams]

This is the first time I’ve seen Stage Manager properly showcased and for the first time, I can see how useful it would be once you get used to it. Every other tech review I’ve seen has simply given it a “meh” rating and not bothered to explore it in detail like you have, Gary. Thanks again for an insightful and valuable video! 😊

[@alejmc]

Yeah right?! I gave this video a try because my devices (macOS, iOS, iPad, etc) went to the latest and saw the feature honestly expecting absolutely nothing after all the dirt and bad rep that Stage Manager has gotten… well, truth be told that by the near end of this video I’m even using on an iPad as it is! It just get a bit of getting used to, think in ‘group sets’ and try to roll with it. Really glad to have found this video.

[@Bmarker299]

Gary does such a good job and with such sincerity that I don't bother with any other channel to keep up with Apple related learning.

[@Bmarker299]

No one does tutorials better than you. Your contribution is very much appreciated.

[@zoulhhh]

By the way: Nobody explains like you do. You are amazing. Thank you.

[@mountveggie]

So many tech reviewers seem to have overlooked Stage Manager, but honestly your tutorial has made this feature a real game changer when I'm working on my 13" MacBook Air - such a great way to optimise screen space! Thanks so much for this in-depth video!

[@Tmartinez114]

I just switched from Windows (20 years) to Macbook (2 weeks ago) and I was scared of all the changes especially Stage Manager so I turned it off, today I am more comfortable with mac so I turned Stage Manager on and watched this video. Looks like a great feature and I cant wait to code from a cafe LOL

[@CdAnne-ps4kk]

Wonderfully explained, and I am so happy the "one window at a time" setting exists! Thanks for sharing

[@jvolz283]

You are amazing, Gary! Thank you for putting in countless hours every day to help us with our Apple products. Your tutelage has proven to be invaluable!

[@carolinemyddelton580]

A wonderful, clear, comprehensive tutorial on a complex innovation in Ventura OS. Massive thanks for that, Gary. As always, you've knocked it out of the park.

[@philipbenjamin4720]

Super helpful - there's no way I could make a video like that without having to divide it into bits - you're amazing. Thanks for your hard work.

[@desertpatient]

Thanks bunches. I updated the version late last night so I did not get much of a chance to use stage manager. All day a work today I was writing down questions which I was going to send to you...and as always you came through with the necessary answers. A super great video which I will need to watch several times. Your knowledge and willingness to help others is greatly appreciated.

[@macsterguy]

Once again, Apple should just link to your video for explanation of stage manager! Thank you Sir!

[@1young-geezer]

WOW! Tremendous video tutorial on a new feature that looks waaaaay more complex than ANYTHING we've seen in an OS! I really am going to have to use this tutorial for a long time til I get it straight. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH. Very comprehensive, only seen other reviewers brush through this new feature - you've done a masterful job...........

[@Bmarker299]

Thank you Gary. I signed up for the new Ventura coarse on Macmost and so glad I did. I learned a lot more and learning from you is a bonus. Thanks for all that you do for the lay people whose lives you touch.

[@gregbowen617]

I cannot believe I only just found your channel - I have learnt more about our iMac in a week than I have in the five years of owning Macs...! Bravo Gary, you rock!

[@LeetPatches]

When they first announced Stage Manager, I was a bit sceptical about it's usefulness, but seeing this video with all the inner workings, all I can say is... WOW. Can't wait until I update to Ventura.

[@loophyyou4468]

I totally agree. That was exactly what I thought. and now, I can feel it is a MUST for my work.

[@billyarduino]

Been loving stage manager since release, you introduced me to somethings I didnt know and made my workflow so much better. Thank you! We appreciate you

[@stankramer6262]

Best and most thorough overview of Stage Manager I've seen. You sold me!

[@pataninsoontornwata8845]

It's all those little tips and tricks which many overlook that makes your videos so helpful! Thanks, man.

[@rikp]

I just updated to Ventura (yes, I waited), mostly for Stage Manager, and after 20 minutes I already love it.

[@VinceVintage]

thank you so much for breaking this down! Every other video/article i read about this only confused me more

[@rogerf3622]

Great overview. I was struggling with this this morning and now you cleared up so much. Thx.

[@rodolfoquispe7433]

I love watching your tutorials. Great work, man!

[@ArthurLarin]

5:40 was the exact nugget of info that I was looking for. When you drag an app out of a minimized app set, the last top-most window is the one you get. Thank you!

[@akshaygautam8659]

Your videos are so well explained ....Always prefer to see yours first than maybe others.

[@deand6411]

This is the video that made it all make sense. I went back to the dock and then this video got me using stagemanager and it really has made me more productive! Thanks Gary!

[@koiturnbull5700]

Thanks for the updated indepth video on Stage Manager. Your video was what made me try out the Beta and I REALLY loved the new window manager. Video was a good review of the setting itself as well as it’s benefits.

[@Muhammed.Yaseen]

You and your channel is essential in this universe. We honestly can't do without. Thank ya, bud.

[@rpaltube]

Excellent video... really helpful and well done! I like your clear and concise explanations, delivery pace and keyboard symbols illustrated. You got a new subscriber, looking forward to more videos.

[@TraVelTime19]

Absolutely brilliant illustration, thank you so much, I’m gonna spend countless hours playing and pausing your videos whilst trying them out on my Mac 🤩

[@babybirdhome]

Wow, thank you for this video. Very comprehensive and easy to follow and understand and seemingly quite thorough and complete. I only have an iPad Pro 12.9” but have just switched this on because I got tired of how the multitasking worked prior to this where switching to another app would basically “reset” and relaunch another app like KZbin unless I used split screen, which was annoying. This is not only a huge improvement for the iPad, but seeing how fully fleshed out this is, this looks like a real game changing feature! I’m getting more and more sold on the Mac every day and will get one eventually, but wow are Apple really digging deep into how to improve usability and productivity! Microsoft has some great stuff, too, but they just don’t have Apple’s knack for hitting home runs or filling the bases very often. This is exciting!

[@travelman158]

Best Stage Manager overview I have found on the internet. Gary you are the MAC GOD!

[@jsloop7545]

Thank you for the video. This helped to a clear understanding on how to use it.

[@daiji5555]

Very detailed and useful for my usage. Thanks man

[@EngineeringPerspective]

I learned so many things, I am trying stage manager for a while on my mac and iPad. This helps bridge the gap between PC and mac for handling lots of open windows

[@chloemo3681]

Thank you! This was really helpful.

[@akarmach]

Dude.. this tutorial is FANTASTIC! I almost never take the time to comment on videos, but this is well deserved. Keep up the great work!

[@adilsaju]

Thank you sm! So comprehensive!

[@pbeeby]

I only just switched on stage manager and wasn’t sure what the point was until realised could group windows. Still not sold on it when working with 3 screens but it does solve a lot of problems and has been well thought out. Thanks for a great video / tutorial

[@kevinmooney9702]

Outstanding breakdown

[@stevendipietro2928]

Great job. I even learnt other little tips along the way.

[@dafingaz]

Very thorough. Thanks!

[@vasiovasio]

Very useful video! Thank you!

[@santios87]

This is a fantastic tour of all the features of stage manager. Thanks!

[@johnharvey5953]

Great tutorial! I learned a lot.

[@garywagner2466]

Excellent. I often have multiple apps and windows open at the same time. Stage Manager helps me navigate more effectively. Thanks.

[@chris92673RN]

Outstanding tutorial! Thank you SO much!

[@KrishnaDraws]

Great video! Thank you for explaining Stage Manager in such a clear way! I also discovered that if you want to bring an item back onto the Stage where another app already is present, all you need to do is hold down the "shift key". The Shift key will add your minimized app onto your currently visible Stage.

[@visionate]

I wish this were true for apps from the dock. I have tried both Shift keys to bring a new app from the dock into the current Stage but neither work. It just switches to a new Stage and then I have to switch back to the previous Stage and drag the new app into it. There's got to be a better way!

[@kendrickb4048]

Coming from an older Mac I was hating this feature. But after watching your video I now have a better appreciation for it and use it quite often. Thank you for the explanation and this video +++

[@mrbela8364]

Very good and helpful video! Thank you for that!

[@abhay21849]

Very informative and masterly as ever. Thanks Gary.

[@mihailskulbanskis6541]

Indeed useful video. All the SM details got cleared. Thanks a lot, Gary!

[@johnmiller5630]

Excellent tutorial. Thanks Gary.

[@JanneWolterbeek]

This is the best explanation of the Stage Manager I found, comprehensive, insightful. I was struggling with it, this video will make me love Stage Manager again. And yeah, I subscribed! 😊

[@michaelwhitlock3135]

Super, super helpful. Thank you!

[@l3martin]

Thanks for another great video Gary! Your videos have really helped me a lot to become extremely productive on my Mac. I recently switched to Mac after working on many other computers for the past 40 years.

[@MichelBarbaro]

Great! Thank you! Best Apple features channel on youtube!👏🏻

[@philipsumesgutner]

Very good video. Nicely describes Stage Manager. Thanks.

[@Ms-mr7zm]

Great Video, Thank you so much for this guide.

[@toneslotohnz4540]

Another excellent tutorial! Thanks!

[@georgelewisray]

Soooooooo Helpful !! yet again .

[@AdamDuffArt]

Amazing video!

[@terryclair2914]

Thanks Gary, this clears up a lot of question!

[@DirkBarchmann]

Thanks. I've been using stage manager for some time now, but this video brought some more clarity.

[@mrbrianparker]

I thought I'd found all the facilities in Stage Manager until I watched your video and realised I had missed some functions, so thank you for your thorough and clearly communicated analysis.

[@four_twenty_sixty_nine]

Great video. This makes me multitask like in Windows

[@IgorGrigoryan-kv1fr]

Thank you so much. Someone finally explained how to use this properly. My hat goes off to you!

[@Philipk65]

Fantastic vid gary, really great to know this for Ventura 👍

[@Untitled0078]

You video is so clear. Thank you very much.

[@MrAqadii]

Very informative, thank you Gary !

[@Leinsterbaby]

Thank you! That is one video that actually makes it seem useful.

[@davemac90]

Great review as always Gary, thank you.

[@hugochan2821]

Great tutorial. As a new user transferred from window, I straight up using stage manager at the beginning, so it becomes muscle memory to use stage manager. I put the dock to the left, and hide the recent app from the stage manager. When I need switching between apps, I just put the mouse to the left side of the screen, and show the recents app from stage manager, or I could just laugh the app from the dock instead. Using spotlight to launch app is also convenient. The best thing from stage manager is that it let me to return to homepage by clicking an empty space. In window, I used to swipe three fingers down to minimise all app, and now stage manager help me to achieve the same function. The most frustrating thing is that closing an app in Mac took a few more steps, or need to use command Q short cut. After a week of using the Mac, I understand that quitting apps actually slow down the computer, as launching an app is uses more resources than keeping it in the background, at least for Mac OS. Now, I put my Mac to sleep and never shut it down, except for system update.Ans on the next day, everything just work. No loading, no crashing, just work. Now, my swap memory usage is about 700MB, and my daily write on ssd is about 24-30GB, so my 225GB ssd will still last for very long time. I am very impress with the Mac computer. Looking back, I think my i7 16GB ram window laptop works faster than the M1 Mac in opening apps, and there are more gesture to use in window, and personally, I think window gesture are more intuitive to use. However, switching between app in Mac, feels so good, and snappy, and is a completely new experience for me. May be I have used the computer wrong the whole time, that I need to close an application and shut down the window pc every time. To conclude, the stage manager is surprisingly great, and as a new Mac user, it makes Mac OS a snappier, quicker, more user friendly experience than pc in terms of switching between application.

[@rollinginsushi]

hey just wanted to pop in and say this is an amazing video. i didn’t get how stage manager worked, so i kinda gave up on it. felt like spaces was enough for my workflow. your video showed me how to use stage manager, so i’m def gonna use it asap. thanks!

[@RNChava]

This really helped with having three monitors and having to only see one screen at a time. Now, I could just drag the window to another open app. Great information.

[@samsonkirigua]

I finally understand how Stage Manager works!! Thanks for sharing this tutorial.

[@fahadsharef610]

Really nice and comprehensive explanation of stage manager. Thanks

[@nisagomez4366]

Nice job, I learned a lot! 🙏

[@randycardenas957]

I really enjoy your videos Gary! keep up the goodwork, and thanks for this in depth guide

[@GabrieleBauer]

Thank you very much. I really appreciate your work and explanations.

[@carolinebarlow4795]

Thanks very much, Gary, for this excellent and extremely useful guide to Stage Manager!

[@pmjverhoeven46]

excellent video! Thanks a million.

[@victoria126]

You explained this very well. I knew this would be super useful and you proved it to be so! Thank you!

[@ge0graphaly]

I REALLY love stage manager. It allows me to have many windows open yet still have a clean look. Just absolutely amazing 👏👏👏

[@yaz3671]

I've been waiting for something like this for a long time! I'm so happy with stage manager!

[@martinkay67]

Great tutorial! Thank you.

[@xaotiko]

Thank you so much for sharing this guide! 🙏🙏🙏

[@thephotofitz]

Bit late to the show on this but wanted to thank you for exploring app-sets properly! I can understand how superficial reviews would dismiss it, as the functionality is not immediately grasped. But your video has convinced me to try it for a few weeks at least - I can't see why it shouldn't be a winner for someone who's struggled with organising multiple open windows!

[@titalx7169]

Thanks Gary YOU ARE AMAZING😊

[@brijeshkalra974]

Stage Manger looks like a great utility. Thanks for your explanation. I love your narration & coverage of contents ..

[@dsbennett]

Thanks - I never would have figured all this out. You're the best.

[@Martin-qv6hg]

Just a quick note that wasn't mentioned here: If like me, you're someone who has the dock along the left side of your screen, Stage Manager app groups appear to the right of the screen. This causes some challenges pulling up control centre, etc. But it works mostly the same. EDIT: I meant to write that stage manager icons appear to the right, not left as originally written. Thank you for pointing out my error Alexander.

[@alexanderwalter2253]

Not so with my setup. I also have the dock to the left, automatically hiding. Stage Manager Windows appeared to the right side of the screen right after installing Ventura. Don’t know why and haven’t found a setting switch to this behavior until now but it’s more convenient.

[@rickdeckard4213]

I like my dock at the bottom so obviously the Stage Manager App Groups automatically appear on the left, but I would prefer them to be on the right of my desktop, is there a setting where I can do that without having to move my dock to the left?

[@alexanderwalter2253]

@@rickdeckard4213 That would be a nice feature, maybe in an upcoming Verntura release. Unfortunately, there are only three settings available: Recent applications, Desktop items and Show windows from an application. My tip: try putting the dock to the left with auto hide on, you'll get more real estate on the screen. Greetings, Alex.

[@rickdeckard4213]

@@alexanderwalter2253 Thanks for that info Alex. Maybe they'll bring out an update with the right side feature, but in the meantime I might give your suggestion a go and see if I can get used to that.

[@jfiosi]

Don't like it. Stage Manager showed up on the right for me. I also have desktop files (sometimes lots when I am working on a project). I need to drag stuff from my desktop files to an app sometimes, and one or the other disappears. It's messy. What am I doing wrong?

[@ripley2009]

Thanks Gary! I think I'm going to love this!

[@rob_mason]

Great overview of stage manager. It doesnt seem to meet my workflows/needs but great to see all of the capabilities and to know its available.

[@Gingerbutterscotch12]

Thank you, this video was very informative and helpful

[@Axionnl]

Thanks for the thorough explanation of stage manager especially using stage manager with 2 active open apps at the same time. I couldn't find this option.

[@HerveDaCosta]

Awesome video. Thanks!

[@amitojchopra]

Thank you for making this! I didn’t use the beta and wasn’t sure how to use it ! Thanks again!

[@dwp2659]

nice job! well done!