How to Set Up Multiple Desktops on Mac

Learn to create and manage multiple virtual desktops on macOS using Mission Control. Organize apps across workspaces for better productivity.

1. Open Mission Control. Press F3 on your keyboard or swipe up with three fingers on your trackpad. Alternatively, click the Launchpad icon in your Dock and select Mission Control. You'll see all your current windows and any existing desktop spaces at the top of the screen.
2. Create a new desktop. Move your cursor to the top-right corner of the screen until you see a plus (+) button appear. Click the plus button to create a new desktop space. The new desktop will appear as a thumbnail at the top of Mission Control.
3. Name your desktop spaces. Click on a desktop thumbnail at the top of Mission Control and type to rename it. Give each space a descriptive name like "Work," "Design," or "Communication" to help you remember what you use each one for.
4. Move applications between desktops. In Mission Control, drag any application window to a desktop thumbnail at the top to move it there. You can also drag windows from one desktop thumbnail to another. Applications will remember which desktop you placed them on.
5. Switch between desktop spaces. Use Control + Left Arrow or Control + Right Arrow to move between adjacent desktops. You can also swipe left or right with three fingers on your trackpad, or click a desktop thumbnail in Mission Control.
6. Configure desktop settings. Open System Preferences > Mission Control to customize how multiple desktops behave. Disable "Automatically rearrange Spaces" if you want desktops to stay in the order you created them. Enable "Group windows by application" to keep related windows together.
7. Delete unused desktop spaces. In Mission Control, hover over a desktop thumbnail you want to remove and click the X button that appears in the top-left corner. Any windows on that desktop will move to an adjacent space automatically.