Installing the macOS Sequoia beta is a straightforward process, but it's important to proceed with caution. Using a backup device is recommended due to potential instability. Begin by backing up your Mac. Then, navigate to System Settings, go to General > Software Update, and click on Beta updates. Select the latest macOS Sequoia developer beta and follow the instructions to install it.
Tiling Windows on macOS Using Mouse Gestures
macOS Sequoia introduces a new way to tile windows using mouse gestures. Drag a window to any edge of your screen, and you’ll see a white outline. Release the cursor, and the window will snap to fill the outlined area. To speed up this process, hold the Option key while moving the window; this will highlight the left or right panel of your screen without needing to move your mouse to the edge.
Once a window is snapped, macOS adds a small border around it, even if it covers the entire screen. This design touch can be disabled by going to System Settings > Desktop and Dock > Windows and turning off the Tiled windows have margin feature.
Automatically Arrange Windows on macOS
If dragging your mouse cursor around isn’t your style, macOS Sequoia offers an option to automatically arrange open windows using a layout of your choice. Hover over the green stoplight icon in the top left corner of any window to see new arrangement options. You can either move the current window to a specific section of the screen or choose one of the four Fill & Arrange options to automate the process.
Clicking one of these options will cause macOS to automatically arrange your foreground windows in that pattern. However, this feature has its limitations. Unlike Windows, macOS only supports a grid for up to four apps on screen, with no layout options for six apps. Additionally, the process is automatic, and macOS doesn’t show you all other available apps for placement on the grid. This feature could benefit from future updates to enhance its functionality.
For those who find these features limiting, third-party options like Loop offer more flexibility in how windows can be tiled and arranged on screen. The traditional split-screen multitasking method, which opens both windows in full screen and in a new Desktop, still exists and can be found in the Full Screen section of the green stoplight menu.
Snapping Windows Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts provide an efficient way to arrange windows into neat halves and sections. With macOS Sequoia, you can use Globe + Control + Left to dock a window to the left or Globe + Control + Right to move it to the right.
To automatically arrange two windows, use Globe + Control + Shift + Left to dock the current window to the left and the next available window to the right. You can reverse the order by using the Right key in the same keyboard shortcut. This also works with the Up and Down keyboard combinations. To view all available keyboard shortcuts, go to Window settings.
macOS Sequoia's new features for tiling and arranging windows offer enhanced window organization capabilities, making multitasking more efficient and streamlined.