Move a window to another desktop with a shortcut
macOS has no keyboard shortcut that sends a window to another desktop. The built-in ways all involve dragging: drag the window to the screen edge, drag it onto a desktop in Mission Control, or hold its title bar while you switch desktops. With Spacepal, ⌃⌥⇧1 to ⌃⌥⇧0 sends the front window straight to Space 1 to 10.
How do you move a window to another desktop in macOS?
Apple documents these methods (Work in multiple spaces):
- Drag to the edge. Drag the window against the left or right edge of the screen and hold it there. After a moment macOS moves it to the next desktop.
- Drag in Mission Control. Open Mission Control (⌃↑) and drag the window onto a desktop in the Spaces bar at the top.
- Hold the title bar and switch. Click and hold the window's title bar, then press ⌃→, ⌃← or a "Switch to Desktop N" shortcut. The window comes with you. It's the closest macOS gets to a keyboard method, but it still takes a mouse button held down.
Is there a built-in shortcut for "move window to Desktop 2"?
No. System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Mission Control has shortcuts to switch desktops, but none to move a window. The Window menu in many apps has "Move to" entries for other displays, not other desktops. macOS 15's window tiling arranges windows on the current desktop and doesn't move them between desktops either.
Can you make an app always open on one desktop?
Yes, per app rather than per window. Control-click the app's icon in the Dock and choose Options > Assign To > This Desktop. New windows of that app then open on that desktop. All Desktops shows the app on every desktop. This doesn't move a window that's already open somewhere else.
How do you move a window with Spacepal?
Spacepal adds keyboard shortcuts that work on the front window:
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌃⌥⇧1 … ⌃⌥⇧0 | Move the front window to Space 1 to 10 |
| ⌃⌥⇧← ⌃⌥⇧→ | Take the window along to the previous or next Space |
| ⌃⌥F, then ⌘Return | Find a window on any Space and bring it to this one |
By default you stay on your current Space after sending a window away. If you'd rather go with the window, turn on "Follow a window after moving it to another Space" in Settings, General. You can change the modifier keys in Settings, Shortcuts. The full list is in Keyboard shortcuts.
From a script, launcher or Stream Deck, use spacepal://move-window/4 or spacepal://move-window/next (see URL scheme).
How does it work, and what are the limits?
Spacepal first asks the window server to move the window directly. When that call doesn't take effect, which depends on the macOS version, it falls back to the title-bar method above and does the hold-and-switch for you. Neither method needs SIP turned off. There are some limits:
- Full-screen windows can't be moved, and windows can't be moved into a full-screen Space.
- The fallback needs the window to be visible, so it only works for the front window.
- Spacepal needs Accessibility permission to find and move windows. See Setup.
Can windows go to the right desktop automatically?
Yes. In Spacepal you can set "Apps that belong here" for a Space, for example Slack on a Space called Chat. New windows of those apps are moved there when they open. Each window is placed once, so you can still drag it somewhere else afterwards. This is like Assign To in the Dock, but it works with Spacepal's named Spaces.
Related guides
- Every Spaces keyboard shortcut on macOS
- Why windows open on the wrong desktop after a restart
- Stop your Mac jumping to another desktop when you click an app
Summary
- macOS has no shortcut to move a window to another desktop. You drag to the edge, drag in Mission Control, or hold the title bar while switching.
- Dock > Options > Assign To pins an app's new windows to a desktop, but it doesn't move open windows.
- Spacepal moves the front window with ⌃⌥⇧1…⌃⌥⇧0 or ⌃⌥⇧←/⌃⌥⇧→, and can bring any window to you with ⌃⌥F.
- Full-screen windows can't be moved, by macOS or by Spacepal.
Written by Dan Bayer, developer of Spacepal. Last updated 2026-10-27.