Mac built-in window controls
macOS manages windows through the traffic-light buttons (close, minimise, full screen) and since Sequoia, a hover-triggered tiling menu on the green button. System Settings → Desktop & Dock contains options for window grouping and tiling behaviour.
There's no dedicated "Window Manager" application in the traditional sense. macOS uses a floating-window model where you manually position every window.
Stage Manager
Stage Manager (System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Stage Manager) is Apple's closest offering to a window manager. It organises windows into context groups ("stages") and reduces visual clutter.
Stage Manager manages context and focus; it doesn't tile or resize windows. You still need to position windows manually or use a snapping tool.
Rectangle as window manager
Rectangle App is the closest thing to a proper window manager on macOS. It adds keyboard-driven snap positions and multi-display window moving — all the functions a Windows or Linux user expects from a window manager, adapted to macOS's floating paradigm.
It requires a one-time Accessibility permission grant and from then on works silently in the menu bar. For the vast majority of Mac users asking "where is the window manager?" — Rectangle is the answer.
Frequently asked questions
Does macOS have a built-in tiling window manager?
No — macOS uses a floating-window model. The closest native tools are the Sequoia tiling menu and Stage Manager. For true tiling, use Rectangle App (manual) or Amethyst/Yabai (automatic).
How do I enable window tiling on Mac?
On macOS Sequoia or later: hover over the green traffic-light button on any window to see tiling options. For keyboard-driven tiling, install Rectangle.
Is Rectangle a window manager?
Technically Rectangle is a window snapping utility — it moves and resizes windows but doesn't take full control of window placement the way Yabai or Amethyst do. For most Mac users, that distinction doesn't matter; it does the job.