Snap, tile or scroll: which suits you

One task, three layouts

You're working on one screen with four windows: a code editor, a browser, a terminal and your notes.

Snapping

You snap the editor to the left half and the browser to the right half. The terminal and notes sit behind them, or you snap them into quarters and make everything smaller. You decide each placement; anything you haven't snapped overlaps.

Fixed tiling

The manager tiles all four as they open: perhaps the editor large on the left and the other three stacked on the right. Everything is visible at once. Open a fifth window and every tile shrinks again to make room.

Scrolling

Each window becomes a column at the width you choose: the editor at two thirds, the browser at half, the terminal and notes narrower. Two fit on the screen; the others wait to the right, off screen. Move the focus and the strip scrolls to bring the next column into view. Nothing gets squeezed, but you don't see everything at once.

Why people like scrolling

• Windows keep a usable width. A narrow laptop screen still shows a full-width editor.
• Wide monitors fill naturally. Three or four columns sit side by side without one stretched window.
• The order makes sense. Windows stay in a row, so you learn where things are.
• It's quick from the keyboard. Move left, move right, resize, stack.

The trade-offs: windows off screen are out of sight, you need to learn shortcuts, and macOS wasn't designed for it. Apps with a minimum size, dialogs and Spaces can all behave in unexpected ways.

PaperWM and niri are Linux apps

PaperWM is an extension for the GNOME desktop, and niri is a scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor. Both run on Linux, not on macOS. If you've used one and want the same idea on a Mac, look at the scrolling tools below.

Your options on a Mac

Prices and features as listed on each product's website or project page on 3 November 2026; Magnet's price is its US Mac App Store listing. A few details matter:

• yabai arranges windows by splitting the screen in two again and again. Some of its features need System Integrity Protection partly turned off.
• AeroSpace works like the i3 window manager, with its own workspaces instead of macOS Spaces. It doesn't need System Integrity Protection turned off, and it describes itself as a public beta.
• Amethyst offers layouts inspired by xmonad, set up in its settings window or a text file.
• ChainYourMac is a paid app dedicated to scrolling, built on the open-source Paneru engine. It lists pinned columns, conflict diagnostics and automation through a URL scheme, Raycast and the command line. It requires macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon; three Macs cost $49.99.

For fixed tiling, the grid tiling mode in Universal Display Magnet's Scrolling Windows is another way in: each new window divides the screen into smaller pieces.

Universal Display Magnet's Scrolling Windows

Universal Display Magnet is independent software, not made by Magnet's developer. It is mainly a display and window tool: it arranges your monitors, saves workspaces, snaps windows and lines up Universal Control between your Macs. Scrolling Windows is built in, as an option:

• Off by default. Turn it on in the app or the menu bar, and off again the same way.
• What it includes: a strip on each display, preset and nudged widths, stacks, tabbed columns, grid tiling, an overview of the strip and trackpad swipes. It runs on Paneru, the same engine ChainYourMac is built on.

How to choose

• A few windows, now and then: use macOS tiling, or Rectangle or Magnet for more sizes.
• Every window visible, all from the keyboard: try a fixed tiler. Amethyst is the gentlest start; yabai and AeroSpace give more control through configuration.
• Scrolling is how you want to work every day: ChainYourMac is a dedicated scrolling window manager. The ChainYourMac comparison goes into detail.
• You want scrolling plus display arrangement, workspaces or several Macs, in one app: Universal Display Magnet. The comparison page covers the other tools.