Window management in macOS isn’t always the smoothest or most intuitive experience, despite the number of tools Apple has designed to help you out. If you’re looking for maximum efficiency, keyboard shortcuts have always been quicker, and borrowing an established Windows feature can’t hurt either.
Rectangle can revolutionize macOS window management using both of the above-mentioned methods. It adds customizable hotkeys for moving and resizing windows, in addition to a Windows-like snap assist function that works as well as the original.
This part of the app’s functionality is pretty straightforward. Using key combinations, you can move windows to one half, one corner, or even one-third of the screen, resize them freely, move them to a different display, maximize them, and so on.
All these keyboard shortcuts are fully customizable, so you can define combinations that are easier for you to remember. If you need help at any time, just click the app’s menu bar icon to see a list of all the configured hotkeys.
A similar feature has been available on Windows since Windows 7, and it’s simply too useful not to bring to macOS as well. Essentially, when you drag a window to a certain part of the screen’s edge, it will be moved and resized accordingly.
With these gestures, you can send a window to one half of the screen, maximize it, move it to a corner of the desktop, or even resize it to cover one or two-thirds of the screen area. It can be difficult to figure out all the snap areas at first, but there is a helpful guide available on the project’s GitHub page.
Once you unsnap the window, it will return to its previous dimensions. You can also use a hotkey to restore it to its original size and position (⌃⌥⌫ by default).
After trying out Rectangle, you’ll likely find it hard to use a Mac without the app ever again. Window management just becomes much easier, especially once you get accustomed to the snap areas.
Since it’s based on Spectacle, which is no longer being maintained, Rectangle is obviously a better choice, and most of the other alternatives don’t offer as many features without also including a price tag. On top of all that, Rectangle is also open-source.
What’s New:
Version 0.77
Try to deactivate Rectangle when executing action by URL by @decodism in #1352
Add Haptic Feedback Support for Window Snapping by @SkyrilHD in #1366
Double/Halve the Width/Height of a window by @isaacy2012 in #1370
Fix bug with swapped stage manager position for RTL languages
Add Adobe Illustrator and After Effects as apps that can have issues with the drag to snap functionality in Rectangle
Title: Rectangle 0.7.7
Developer: Ryan Hanson
Compatibility: macOS 10.15 or later
Language: English
Size: 2.49 MB
