The Third-Party Window Snapping Conflict
Unlike Windows, macOS does not have a robust, built-in window snapping feature (prior to macOS Sequoia). Because of this, many Mac users install third-party applications like Magnet or Rectangle to replicate this functionality. These apps allow you to drag a window to the edge of the screen, where it automatically snaps and resizes into a perfect half or quarter tile. However, if you are a designer moving floating tool palettes, or if you simply like to drag windows partially off-screen to focus on something else, Magnet will continuously intercept your mouse movements. It will automatically arrange and resize windows against your will the moment your cursor touches a screen edge, ruining your custom workspace layout.
Disabling Edge Snapping in Magnet
To stop the Magnet application on macOS from automatically arranging and resizing your windows when you drag them, you need to disable its “drag-to-snap” feature in the app’s preferences.
Look at your Mac’s top menu bar (near the Wi-Fi and battery icons). You should see the Magnet icon (it looks like a small rectangle with lines). Click the Magnet icon to open its drop-down menu. From this menu, select Preferences…. A settings window will appear. Look for the primary tab labeled General. In the middle of this tab, you will find a prominent checkbox labeled Snap windows by dragging to screen edges. Uncheck this box. Close the Preferences window. By disabling this specific setting, you retain the ability to use Magnet’s keyboard shortcuts (like `Control + Option + Right Arrow`) to snap windows perfectly when you choose to, but macOS will no longer automatically hijack your windows and resize them just because you dragged them near the edge of your monitor.