How to use Quadrant

Getting started

Install once, allow one permission, and Quadrant lives in your menu bar.

1. Download Quadrant and drag it into Applications.
2. Open it. If macOS says it can't verify Quadrant, follow these 3 steps.
3. The setup window asks for Accessibility access. Click Open System Settings and turn Quadrant on.
4. Click the ▦ icon in the menu bar for every action.

Snap with the keyboard

One shortcut sends the front window to a half or a corner.

1. Click the window you want to move.
2. Press ⌘← for the left half. Arrows pick the side.
3. Press it again to cycle the width: ½ → ⅔ → ⅓.
4. Corners use ⌃⌘ plus an arrow.

Drag to snap

Drag a window to a screen edge or corner and let go.

1. Grab the window by its title bar.
2. Drag the cursor all the way to an edge or corner. A blue preview appears.
3. Let go to snap. Sides give halves, the top fills the screen, corners give quarters.
4. Drag it away from the edge and it returns to its original size.

Turn it on or off in Preferences → Mouse.

More sizes

Thirds, two-thirds, almost-full and full-height, plus a way back.

1. Two-thirds: ⌃⌥E left, ⌃⌥T right.
2. Thirds: ⌃⌥D ⌃⌥F ⌃⌥G for left, center, right, or ⌃⌥→ / ⌃⌥← to step through them.
3. Almost maximize ⌃⌥↩ or maximize height ⌃⌥⇧↑.
4. Restore ⌃⌥⌫ puts the window back to its size before Quadrant touched it.

Undo

Moved the wrong window? Put it right back.

1. Press ⌥⌘Z to undo the last move.
2. Press ⌥⇧⌘Z to redo it.
3. Tile All and layout restores undo in one step, for every window at once.

Move & resize from anywhere

Hold two keys and drag from anywhere inside a window.

1. Hold ⌃⌥ and drag anywhere in a window to move it.
2. Hold ⌃⌥ and right-drag to resize it. On a trackpad, click with two fingers and drag.
3. Change the keys or turn it off in Preferences → Mouse.

Grid picker

Paint the exact area a window should fill.

1. Press ⌃⌥⌘G. A 6 × 4 grid appears over the screen.
2. Drag across the cells you want (or click just one).
3. Let go and the window fills them. Esc cancels.

Saved layouts

Save where every window is, and bring it all back in one click.

1. Arrange your windows the way you like.
2. ▦ → Layouts → Save Current Layout… and name it.
3. Pick it from Layouts later and every window jumps back.

In Preferences → Layouts, give a layout its own shortcut or turn on Auto-restore for when you plug in the same monitors.

Tile all windows

Turn a messy screen into a neat grid.

1. Press ⌃⌥⌘T.
2. Every visible window on that display is arranged side by side.
3. Didn't like it? ⌥⌘Z puts them all back.

App rules

Make an app open in the same spot every time.

1. Preferences → App Rules → Add App.
2. Choose a position, like Right Half, and a display.
3. Next time that app opens, Quadrant moves it there.

Focus by direction

Jump to the window on your left, right, above or below, without the mouse.

1. Hold ⌃⌥⌘ and press H J K L for left, down, up, right.
2. The nearest window in that direction comes to the front.

Cheat sheet

Forgot a shortcut? See them all at a glance.

1. Press ⌃⌥⌘/.
2. An overlay lists every Quadrant shortcut.
3. Press any key or Esc to close it.

Excluded apps

Let an app keep its own shortcuts, like ⌘← in a code editor.

1. Switch to the app.
2. ▦ → Disable Shortcuts in “App”.
3. Now ⌘← goes to the app, not Quadrant. Manage the list in Preferences → Excluded Apps.

Gaps & snap feedback

Add breathing room between windows, and feel each snap.

1. Preferences → General → drag the Window gaps slider.
2. Preferences → Mouse → Snap feedback gives a light trackpad tap when a drag reaches a snap zone.

Import & export settings

Take your setup to another Mac or share it with a friend.

1. Preferences → General → Export Settings… saves one file with your shortcuts, layouts, app rules and excluded apps.
2. On the other Mac, choose Import Settings… and pick that file.