How Stage Manager Works With Spaces in macOS 13

Apple's macOS 13 Ventura introduced Stage Manager as an alternative way to organize open windows, operating alongside macOS’s long-standing virtual desktop feature, Spaces. This article explains how Stage Manager and Spaces interact, how window groups behave across different virtual desktops, and how the two multitasking systems complement each other.

Per-Space Isolation

Stage Manager operates independently within each individual Space. When Stage Manager is turned on globally, it creates a unique staging area for each virtual desktop. Grouping a set of windows on Desktop 1 leaves Desktop 2 entirely unaffected. Switching between your Spaces changes both the center stage and the left-hand thumbnail strip to show only the applications assigned to that particular desktop.

Moving Apps Between Spaces

Apps can be moved between Spaces while using Stage Manager using standard macOS methods:

• Mission Control: Dragging a window group or a single application from one Space thumbnail to another moves it to that desktop's Stage Manager cycle.
• App Assignment: If an app’s Dock icon is configured to open on "This Desktop," it will only appear in the Stage Manager strip of that designated Space. If set to "All Desktops," the app appears in the active set or strip regardless of which Space is in view.

Interaction with Mission Control

Mission Control acts as the top-level overview for both features. Activating Mission Control displays all your virtual desktops along the top bar, while the main screen reveals your currently centered Stage Manager app alongside the left-hand strip thumbnails, making it easy to see all grouped tasks at once.

Full-Screen Applications

Full-screen applications continue to generate their own dedicated virtual desktop. When an app enters native full-screen mode, Stage Manager is automatically hidden on that screen, as full-screen mode is designed to occupy the entire display. Returning to a standard Space immediately restores the Stage Manager layout.

Multi-Monitor Setups

Stage Manager adapts to the "Displays have separate Spaces" setting in System Settings:

• Enabled: Each monitor maintains its own distinct Stage Manager strip and its own independent set of Spaces.
• Disabled: Spaces span across all displays simultaneously, and interacting with a Stage Manager group on one monitor affects the entire multi-monitor setup together.

The Combined Workflow

The most effective way to combine both tools is using Spaces for macro-organization (such as dedicating different desktops to "Work," "Personal," or "Communication") and Stage Manager for micro-organization (cycling through specific task-related window clusters within each of those categories).