Resize Mac windows with keyboard shortcuts

Assign your own keys to window layouts so you can arrange the focused window without opening the grid.

Create a global window shortcut

1. Open Tidy Screen Settings from the menu bar icon.
2. Select Shortcuts.
3. Choose Add Global Shortcut beside a layout, such as Left half, Right half, Maximize, or one of the four corners.
4. Click the shortcut recorder and press the combination you want, then save it.
5. Focus a window in another app and press your new shortcut.

Choose a combination containing Control, Option, or Command. Tidy Screen reports combinations it cannot register because another app is already using them. You can change a layout’s shortcut later with Change Shortcut.

Global shortcuts and grid shortcuts

A global shortcut resizes the focused window from another app. A grid-only shortcut selects a layout while Tidy Screen’s grid is open. The single-letter labels on grid layouts are not automatically global shortcuts.

The default shortcut to open or close the grid is Control + Option + Command + T. Change this separately in Settings → General. When the grid is open, use arrow keys to move the selection, Shift + arrow keys to extend it, Return to apply it, and Escape to close the grid.

Choose combinations you can remember

You could use the same modifier keys with Left and Right arrows for the corresponding halves, and number keys for the corners. These are examples, not preassigned shortcuts: record combinations that don’t conflict with the apps you use.

If the shortcut does nothing

Check that the layout is enabled and marked Global. Give another app’s normal window focus before pressing the shortcut. If Tidy Screen reports a shortcut conflict, choose different keys. Secure Keyboard Entry in another app may prevent a global shortcut from being delivered.

If the grid opens but the window will not move, the shortcut itself is working. Check Tidy Screen’s Accessibility permission in System Settings, exit full-screen mode, and try a normal resizable window. See window movement troubleshooting.

Keep a backup

Use Export in Settings to save your layouts and preferences. Import restores that saved setup and replaces the current preferences. Keep the exported file somewhere you can find it before making larger changes.

For custom regions, see tiling windows with the grid.