The Mission Control settings power users change

If you use several desktops, start by turning off Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use, so your desktops stay in a fixed order. Then decide whether When switching to an application, switch to a Space with open windows for the application helps you or keeps throwing you around. All of these settings are in System Settings > Desktop & Dock, under Mission Control, on macOS 14 through 26. Below is what each one does and when to change it.

Where are the Mission Control settings?

Open the Apple menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock and scroll to the Mission Control section. Apple's description of each option is in Change Desktop & Dock settings. Two buttons at the bottom, Shortcuts… and Hot Corners…, lead to more options.

Should "Automatically rearrange Spaces" be off?

For most people with more than two desktops, yes. When it's on, macOS moves the desktop you just used next to the one you came from. That's handy for flipping between two, but the order keeps changing, so "Desktop 3" holds different things from hour to hour and shortcuts like ⌃3 stop meaning anything. With it off, every desktop stays where you put it. The Terminal equivalent:

defaults write com.apple.dock mru-spaces -bool false
killall Dock

What does "switch to a Space with open windows" do?

With this on (the default), switching to an app with ⌘Tab or similar takes you to a desktop where that app has a window. If you keep one app per desktop, that's useful. If you use the same apps on several desktops, it's the main reason your Mac seems to jump on its own. Turn it off to stay where you are. An older, undocumented Dock key, workspaces-auto-swoosh, is often used for the same purpose. For details and its side effects, see Stop your Mac jumping to another desktop.

Should "Displays have separate Spaces" be on or off?

On (the default): each display has its own set of desktops and its own menu bar, and you can switch desktops on one monitor while the other stays put. Off: one set of desktops spans all displays, so switching changes every screen at once, and the menu bar appears only on the main display. Some people turn it off so a window can sit across two monitors. You need to log out for the change to apply. The setting also affects what happens to windows when you unplug a monitor (see Windows pile onto the laptop when you unplug a monitor).

What about the other options?

• Group windows by application stacks each app's windows together in Mission Control, which is cleaner but makes single windows harder to pick out.
• Drag windows to top of screen to enter Mission Control opens Mission Control when you drag a window up against the top edge, so you can drop it on another desktop. Turn it off if it fires when you meant to move a window up.
• Shortcuts… sets keys for Mission Control, Application windows and Show Desktop. The per-desktop "Switch to Desktop N" shortcuts are in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Mission Control (see Every Spaces keyboard shortcut).
• Hot Corners… can open Mission Control or show the desktop when you move the pointer into a screen corner.

What doesn't Mission Control let you change?

macOS has no setting to rename desktops, remove the slide animation between them, move a window to another desktop with a key, or remember window positions across restarts and monitor changes. Spacepal adds these: names and colours shown in the menu bar and over the Mission Control labels, instant switching with ⌃⌥1…⌃⌥0, ⌃⌥⇧ plus a number to move the front window, and saved window layouts. Its Setup checklist (Setup) also checks that automatic rearranging is off, because its shortcuts rely on a stable order.

Summary

• The settings are in System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Mission Control.
• Turn off "Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use" (mru-spaces) to keep a fixed order.
• Turn off "When switching to an application, switch to a Space…" if apps keep pulling you to other desktops.
• "Displays have separate Spaces" gives each monitor its own desktops. Changing it needs a log out.
• Naming, instant switching and moving windows by key aren't in macOS at all.

Written by Dan Bayer, developer of Spacepal. Last updated 2026-10-27.