Workspaces

A Workspace keeps live windows assigned to layout slots on one display and macOS Space. Hiding the editor leaves the Workspace active, so reopening it shows the same layout and window membership.

Workspaces require an active license and Enable Workspaces in Settings → Layout. Quick Layout still works without a license for placing one window at a time.

Start or reopen a Workspace

Focus a window, press Hyper + Space, then release Hyper. HyperSwitcher opens the Workspace for that window’s display and current Space. If no regular window is focused, it uses the display under the pointer.

Pressing Space while Quick Layout is open carries the selected region into a new Workspace. If that display and Space already has a Workspace, HyperSwitcher reopens its existing layout instead.

Each display and Space can have one Workspace.

Build the layout

1. Choose a slot with the arrow keys, or H, J, K, and L when Vim navigation is enabled.
2. Focus a window by clicking it or using an app shortcut.
3. Press Return to assign the window to the selected slot.
4. Repeat until every slot is filled.

By default, HyperSwitcher focuses an unassigned window after each placement. Set After placing a window to Keep placed window focused if you prefer to choose the next one yourself.

Hold physical Shift while pressing arrows to combine neighboring regions while building. A Workspace can contain up to eight slots.

After a successful placement, HyperSwitcher selects the first empty slot. Reopening an incomplete Workspace also starts with its first empty slot selected. Filling the final slot establishes the Workspace and hides the editor.

Replace a window

Reopen an established Workspace, select an occupied slot, focus the replacement window, and press Return. The editor marks the pending replacement and hides after the change succeeds.

Window assignments change only after the complete move succeeds. If an add or replacement fails, the Workspace stays unchanged and HyperSwitcher restores the affected windows to their original positions.

Show the whole Workspace

Open the editor with Hyper + Space, then press Space. HyperSwitcher restores each member to its assigned slot, hides the editor, and brings the available Workspace windows forward. This works for incomplete Workspaces too.

The Animate window placement setting also controls this restoration. When animation is on, the Workspace windows move together over the configured duration. macOS Reduce Motion disables the effect.

Minimized members stay minimized and keep their assignments. If one window cannot return to its slot, the editor stays open and HyperSwitcher puts every attempted window back where it was.

Normal app shortcuts and Workspace-window cycling focus only the requested window. Use Space in the editor when you want to show the whole Workspace.

Resize a Workspace

Focus a Workspace member, hold Hyper, and press Minus or the physical Equals/Plus key. When the Workspace has another member, HyperSwitcher adjusts the nearest split around the focused slot by one grid step instead of removing the window from the Workspace.

The affected windows keep the configured layout gaps. They move together when Animate window placement is on, unless macOS Reduce Motion is enabled. If any member refuses its new frame, HyperSwitcher puts every affected window back and keeps the previous Workspace layout.

Cycle through Workspace windows

Record Cycle workspace windows near the top of Settings → Apps. The recorder is disabled with an explanation while Workspaces are off or a license is unavailable.

Press the shortcut while a Workspace member is focused to move to the next available member in visual slot order. If focus is outside a Workspace, the shortcut starts with the first available member of the Workspace on the pointer display and current Space.

Closed, missing, minimized, and off-Space members are skipped while cycling.

Move a Workspace to another display

Press Tab in the editor to move the Workspace and its assigned windows to the next display without a Workspace. HyperSwitcher skips occupied displays and leaves the Workspace where it is if no other display is free.

The move preserves the layout, window membership, selected slot, and minimized state. If any member cannot move into its destination slot, all attempted windows return to their previous positions and the Workspace stays on its original display.

Keep membership current

Successfully moving or centering a member with Quick Layout removes it from the Workspace and leaves its slot empty. Resizing it with Minus or Equals/Plus adjusts the Workspace instead. Opening or cancelling Quick Layout without moving the window leaves its assignment unchanged.

HyperSwitcher also removes closed or missing members, and members moved to another display or Space, the next time you use that Workspace.

Hide, delete, or end a Workspace

Press Escape, Backspace, or Forward Delete to hide the editor without ending the Workspace. A second Hyper + Space does the same. Press Command + Backspace to delete the Workspace for the current display and Space. Changing Spaces also hides the editor but leaves that Workspace attached to its original Space.

Workspaces are live sessions, not saved templates. They end when HyperSwitcher quits, you switch profiles, turn off Layouts or Workspaces, or lose Workspace license access. HyperSwitcher does not activate a Workspace automatically when you visit its Space.

For the full selection model and Quick Layout controls, see Quick Layout.