macOS window guide
How to snap and tile windows on Mac
Modern macOS can tile windows natively: drag to an edge, use the green window button, choose Window > Move & Resize, or press the documented Fn–Control shortcuts. SADFinder adds its own Rectangle-style keyboard controls for halves and quarters on the frontmost window.
Quick answer
Modern macOS can tile windows natively: drag to an edge, use the green window button, choose Window > Move & Resize, or press the documented Fn–Control shortcuts. SADFinder adds its own Rectangle-style keyboard controls for halves and quarters on the frontmost window.
Use the window tiling built into macOS
- Drag a window to an edge or corner
Release when the highlighted tile appears. Dragging to the left or right makes a half; corners provide quarter layouts.
- Use the green window button
Hold the pointer over the green button, then choose a layout under Move & Resize or Fill & Arrange.
- Use a native keyboard shortcut
Fn–Control–Left Arrow and Fn–Control–Right Arrow move the active window to a half. Apple does not list default keyboard shortcuts for individual corner tiles.
Native Mac tiling is capable, but its controls are spread across several places
Apple supports edge dragging, Option-dragging, the green-button menu, Window-menu commands, and keyboard shortcuts. You do not need a third-party app just to place a window on the left or right half of the desktop.
The tradeoff is discoverability and consistency: some layouts are under menus, while Apple's shortcut table lists no default shortcut for each individual corner. You can also turn edge-drag and margin behavior on or off in Desktop & Dock settings.
Snap the frontmost window with a compact shortcut set
SADFinder includes Rectangle-style window snapping for the currently frontmost window, not only its own windows. Use Ctrl–Shift–Arrow shortcuts for halves or Ctrl with the numeric keypad for half and quarter positions.
This is an addition to macOS tiling, not a claim that the native feature is missing. It is useful when you want one predictable keyboard model alongside your file manager without running a separate window-snapping utility.
| Action | Finder | SADFinder |
|---|---|---|
| Snap left or right half | Fn–Control–Left/Right or edge drag | Ctrl–Shift–Left/Right |
| Snap to a corner | Edge drag or Move & Resize menu | Ctrl + numeric keypad position |
| Apply to another app | Yes — active window | Yes — frontmost window |
Native Mac reference: Apple: Tile windows on Mac.
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Frequently asked questions
Does macOS have window snapping built in?
Yes. Current macOS versions can tile windows by dragging to an edge, using the green button or Window menu, and with documented keyboard shortcuts.
What is the Mac shortcut for the left half of the screen?
Apple documents Fn–Control–Left Arrow for the active window. SADFinder also offers its own Ctrl–Shift–Left Arrow shortcut.
Does SADFinder only snap SADFinder windows?
No. SADFinder's window controls act on the frontmost window, including windows from other apps.