Window tiling on Mac: Sequoia's built-in snapping explained

macOS 15 Sequoia added proper window tiling — drag a window to a screen edge and it snaps to fill half the display; drag to a corner and it takes a quarter. No third-party app required. Here is how to use it, how to control the margins between windows, and what the underlying defaults keys look like if you want to script any of it.

What changed in Sequoia

Before Sequoia, macOS only had Split View (two apps filling the screen together, triggered through the green fullscreen button). That was useful but awkward to enter and exit. Sequoia adds freeform window tiling that works like Windows' snap zones — drag to an edge, get a preview, release to snap. You can have three, four, or more windows tiled on the same screen, in any combination of halves and quarters.

If you are on Ventura or Sonoma, the tiling options below do not apply. Split View is your built-in option; see the split-screen guide linked below.

Enable drag-to-snap

Tiling should be on by default in a clean Sequoia install, but it is worth confirming — or turning on if you upgraded from an older macOS:

1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
2. Click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar.
3. Scroll to the Windows section (or a section labeled Tiling depending on your exact build).
4. Make sure Tile by dragging windows to screen edges is turned on.

With this on, dragging any window's title bar to the left or right edge shows a translucent blue preview. Release the mouse and the window fills that half. Drag to a corner for a quarter-screen tile.

Keyboard shortcuts for tiling

Dragging is fast but keyboard tiling is faster. Sequoia adds Globe key shortcuts (the Globe key is the fn key on recent Mac keyboards):

• Globe + Left Arrow — tile the active window to the left half
• Globe + Right Arrow — tile to the right half
• Globe + Up Arrow — maximize (fill the screen without going fullscreen)
• Globe + Down Arrow — return to previous window size

You can also reach tiling from the menu bar: with a window focused, click Window → Move & Resize to see the full list of tiling positions and their shortcuts.

The Option key accelerator

Sequoia also adds an "Option key while dragging" mode: if you hold Option while dragging a window near an edge, the tiling preview appears even if you are not quite at the screen edge. This is useful on large displays where dragging all the way to the edge feels like a long trip.

To enable or disable this behavior: System Settings → Desktop & Dock → look for Hold Option key to use drag-to-snap (the exact label varies slightly by macOS build).

Tiling margins: gaps between windows

By default, Sequoia leaves small gaps between tiled windows — a margin that makes it clear each window is separate. Some people prefer edge-to-edge tiling with no gap; others like the breathing room. You can toggle this in the same place:

1. Open System Settings → Desktop & Dock.
2. In the Tiling section, toggle Windows have a margin when tiled.

Off = windows butt up against each other and the screen edges. On = a uniform gap surrounds each tiled window. Neither setting affects performance; it is purely visual.

Terminal defaults keys

For scripting or automation, the tiling behavior maps to a few com.apple.WindowManager keys:

Enable or disable edge-drag tiling:

# enable drag-to-snap tiling
defaults write com.apple.WindowManager EnableTilingByEdgeDrag -bool true

# disable drag-to-snap tiling
defaults write com.apple.WindowManager EnableTilingByEdgeDrag -bool false

Enable or disable the Option-key accelerator:

# enable option-key tiling mode
defaults write com.apple.WindowManager EnableTilingOptionAccelerator -bool true

# disable it
defaults write com.apple.WindowManager EnableTilingOptionAccelerator -bool false

These take effect immediately — no logout required. You can read back any value with defaults read com.apple.WindowManager <KeyName>.

What about third-party tiling apps?

Apps like Magnet, Rectangle, and Moom were the go-to tools before Sequoia because macOS had no native tiling. They still offer things Sequoia does not: custom grid sizes, keyboard-only window cycling, persistent layout memories, and multi-monitor workflows. If Sequoia's tiling covers your needs, you may not need them anymore. If you do complex window arrangements across three monitors, a dedicated tool is still worth it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I tile more than two windows?

Yes. Tile a window to the left half, then drag a second window to the right half, and a third to the top-right corner — the tiled windows adjust to make room. You can mix halves and quarters freely.

Does tiling work on external monitors?

Yes. Each display is treated independently. You can tile windows on your MacBook's built-in display separately from tiling on an external monitor.

Will my tiled layout survive a restart?

Not automatically. macOS does not save tiled layouts across restarts. Apps reopen in their last positions, but the tiled arrangement is not preserved as a named layout.

What is the difference between tiling and fullscreen?

Fullscreen (green button → Enter Full Screen) moves the window into its own dedicated Space and hides the menu bar. Tiling keeps the window on your normal desktop alongside other windows, with the menu bar visible. They are separate modes.