Use This App to Manage Mac Windows (If You Don’t Have Sequoia)

Window management has been a sore subject on Mac for many years. Plenty of people switch to Mac from a Windows machine and find macOS’ window management quite lacking in comparison. Apple is finally adding more robust window snapping to macOS Sequoia (currently in developer beta), but until you get that upgrade, I suggest using Loop. A free app, Loop does the same thing and is packed with plenty of convenient keyboard shortcuts, too.

The case for a window management app

There are still various reasons to look at third-party window management apps over Apple’s built-in option, which is shipping this fall. The first and foremost reason is that not all Macs are getting the Sequoia upgrade. In case your Mac isn’t getting the upgrade (or if you can’t immediately switch to Sequoia because an app you need for work won’t support it), using third-party tools remains a strong option.

Secondly, these window management apps do a few things better than Apple’s tools. For starters, they have easier keyboard shortcuts by default. For example, Loop uses the globe key (fn) along with arrow keys to move your windows easily. Other apps such as Rectangle Pro allow you to hide windows on the edge of the screen, create custom snap targets on your screen, and even set up a custom window size and bind it to a shortcut.

Although Apple has eliminated the need for a basic window management app, advanced users will still find value in using a third-party alternative.

Why you should use Loop

Credit: Pranay Parab

Loop is fast, free, and easy to use. Once you’ve installed the app, go through its settings and memorize the keybindings. Since it uses the globe key (fn), it’s easy to remember most of its shortcuts. Globe-arrow keys let you send any window to any corner of the screen. You can even press two arrow keys together to choose quarters of the screen, such as using Globe-Up-Left arrow to send a window to the top-left. Loop has a shortcut to let you send a window to the center of the screen, one for fullscreen, and another to maximize the current window.

You can also hold down the globe key and keep pressing any of the arrow keys to cycle through window sizes. For instance, you can set a window to occupy the right half of the screen or a third of the screen. You can also restore the window to the original size if you drag it out of its corner as well.

The most important feature in Loop is the ability to exclude apps. This lets you avoid messing with your preferred window sizes for certain apps that don’t behave well when they’re moved around. 

While Loop works really well, its radial menu keeps appearing on screen every time you move an app. This can get annoying if you use the app often. Fortunately, you can get rid of this in the app’s settings, under the Radial Menu section. The app has a few different app icons, and you’ll be able to unlock them as you keep using the app.