Many of its mechanisms, by default, don’t have keyboard shortcuts assigned to them, reducing how useful they can be, depending on how you use your Mac.
Another problem is that all the default shortcuts make use of the special Globe key, which can be mistaken for a fn key. This keeps the defaults from working with any keyboard that doesn’t feature a Globe key.
So whether you’re wanting to use Window Tiling with third-party keyboards, or just want unassigned mechanisms brought closer to your fingertips, you’re going to have to create some key bindings of your own.
Here are 3 ways to adjust this new system to your workflow.
MacOS Window Tiling in the System Settings
No Third Party Tools
Because you can control this new system from Window > Move & Resize in the menu bar, you can assign keyboard shortcuts using the built-in keyboard shortcuts UI.
- Open System Settings > Keyboard and click the button labeled “Keyboard Shortcuts…”
- Select App Shortcuts from the side panel.
- Click the + symbol at the bottom of the list.
- Follow the instructions on the pop-up window.
The official instructions on how to set Keyboard Shortcuts on macOS can be found here.
WindowKeys
Recommended
One of my favorite developers, Apptorium, released this free, and easy-to-use app, only a few days after macOS Sequoia. Its primary goal is to make it easier for users to customize the shortcuts assigned to every part of the MacOS Window Tiling system. Unlike the first approach, this app doesn’t actually edit any shortcuts. Instead, it operates in the background, and uses the Window Tiling system when the user presses the defined shortcuts. From the little testing I’ve done with this application, it seems to function as smoothly as the system it’s directing; meaning most users shouldn’t run into any problems regarding performance. You can download WindowKeys for free, here.
BetterTouchTool
Recommended for Power Users
For users that know exactly how they want to trigger almost anything on macOS, then I can almost guarantee that BetterTouchTool(BTT) is an app built for you. Developed by folivora.Al GmbH, another amazing developer; BTT can use Keyboard Shortcuts, Mouse Gestures, Trackpad Swipes and much more to control the behavior of your Mac. If the sheer amount of customizable “actions” wasn’t enough, there’s nearly an infinite number of events they trigger; including Apple Shortcuts, Shell & AppleScript, Context & Menu bar items, and so much more that I could probably write a dozen articles on this one application. I work on a MacBook, so the default shortcuts aren’t a problem for me; it’s the missing shortcuts I used BTT to assign. Here’s a simple tutorial to duplicate my shortcuts, and hopefully help you become more familiar with BTT along the way.
Tutorial
- Select Keyboard Shortcuts from the main dropdown and be sure you have For All Apps selected from the sidebar.
- Click the add button to create a new shortcut.
- Input the shortcut you want to use tile windows in the Top Left Quarter of the screen.
As you can see below, I used fn + Control + [.
- Once again, click the button to add an action.
- Select Trigger Menu Bar Menu-Item from the dropdown.
- Enter Window;Move & Resize;Top Left into the text box to direct BTT to select the proper menu-bar item.
TIP: Searching for Trigger in the dropdown will filter the list to just a few options.
- Repeat most of these steps for the other three quarters.
And there you go! You should be able to tile almost any application, using your newly created shortcuts. However, if an application doesn’t have the Window menu in the menu-bar, then BTT won’t be able to access Window Tiling via this specific action. But with how dynamic BTT is, I’m sure there are many ways to carry out this same task. Like WindowKeys, BTT must be running in the background for it to accomplish anything; but unlike WindowKeys, BTT has been around for a long time, and has been under active development for the many years since I bought it. BetterTouchTool has a free trial, letting you try the app for 45 days before deciding whether it’s the right app for you. You’ll find that folivora.Al GmbH offers two options for purchasing BTT here:
- STANDARD: 2 year license for $12
- LIFETIME: Only $24!!!
Before I wrap up this section, I just wanted to, once again, stress how amazing this application is. If someone asked me which application on my Mac was the best investment, this app would be a strong contender. If not blow everything else out of the water; especially for the price.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you found what you were looking for, in this article. At the very least, I hope this post shows just how many options there are for solving problems on macOS, or even creating entirely new ways to use your Mac. Hope you all have a wonderful day!!!
Credits
- Apple – Some information, and the Featured Image.
- Apptorium – WindowKey Image, and reference material.
- folivora.Al GmbH – BTT reference material.
