With the release of macOS Ventura, Apple introduced “Stage Manager,” a controversial new window management system. When activated, Stage Manager automatically groups all open windows of a specific application into a single “stack” on the left side of your screen. If you have three Safari windows open, they collapse into one icon. When you click the Safari icon, all three windows fly onto your screen simultaneously, hiding all of your other apps.
While some users enjoy this focused approach, power users often find it incredibly frustrating. If you need to drag a file from a Finder window into an email in the Mail app, Stage Manager makes it nearly impossible because opening the Mail app automatically hides the Finder window off-screen.
If you prefer the traditional, chaotic, overlapping window management system that macOS has used for decades, you need to turn Stage Manager off.
How to Turn Off Stage Manager
You can quickly disable Stage Manager directly from the macOS Control Center.
- Look at the top-right corner of your Mac’s menu bar (next to the clock and Wi-Fi icon).
- Click the Control Center icon (it looks like two tiny toggle switches).
- In the Control Center drop-down, locate the square button labeled Stage Manager. (It will likely be highlighted in blue or white to indicate it is active).
- Click the Stage Manager button to turn it off.
Disable via System Settings
If you cannot find the button in the Control Center, you can also disable it in the Settings app:
- Open System Settings from the Apple menu.
- Click on Desktop & Dock in the left sidebar.
- Scroll down to the “Windows & Apps” section.
- Locate the toggle switch next to Stage Manager and turn it Off.
Your Mac will instantly revert to standard window behavior. Windows will no longer fly off to the left side of the screen, and you can freely overlap and arrange dozens of applications simultaneously across your desktop.