What is Rectangle App for Mac?
Rectangle is a free, open-source window management application for macOS that lets you snap, resize and reposition windows using keyboard shortcuts. Created by developer Ryan Hanson and released in 2019, it has become the most widely used window manager on Mac with millions of downloads. The Rectangle app replaces the frustrating process of manually dragging windows around your desktop with precise, instant keyboard control.
At its core, Rectangle solves a problem every Mac user faces: macOS doesn't have a built-in way to arrange windows in fixed positions. On Windows, you can drag a window to the edge and it snaps to half the screen. On Mac, you're left dragging and resizing by hand. Rectangle Mac brings that snapping behavior to macOS and dramatically extends it — giving you halves, thirds, quarters, two-thirds, full screen and dozens of other positions, all accessible without touching the mouse.
The application is trusted by developers, designers, writers, lawyers, academics and knowledge workers across every discipline. Its appeal comes from three properties that rarely coexist: it's completely free, it's open source (meaning its code is public and auditable), and it requires no account or subscription. The free version covers every layout most users will ever need.
Installing Rectangle
Installing Rectangle app takes about two minutes. Navigate to the official download page, download the .dmg file and drag the application to your Applications folder. On first launch, macOS will present a dialog asking for Accessibility permissions — this is required for Rectangle to send resize and reposition commands to other application windows. Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS), navigate to Privacy & Security → Accessibility, find Rectangle in the list and enable it.
Once permissions are granted, a small Rectangle icon appears in your Mac's menu bar. The application is now running and all shortcuts are active. You don't need to configure anything to start using it — the default shortcut set covers every common layout immediately. The menu bar icon gives access to preferences, the ability to quit the app and links to additional resources.
Rectangle is compatible with macOS Catalina (10.15) and later, including Ventura, Sonoma and Sequoia. It runs natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon (M-series) Macs. Updates are delivered through the application itself or via the App Store if you use Rectangle Pro. The free version is available directly from the developer's website.
Core Window Shortcuts
The power of Rectangle mac is its keyboard shortcut system. Every window position is a single key combination away. The default modifier is Control + Option (⌃⌥), paired with directional keys for the most common positions. Here are the shortcuts every user should learn first:
Every shortcut in Rectangle is configurable. If the default combinations conflict with another application's shortcuts or simply don't feel natural for your hands, open Preferences and click any shortcut to reassign it. The rectangle app will warn you if the new combination conflicts with another Rectangle shortcut or a macOS system shortcut.
Real-World Workflows
The most common Rectangle Mac workflow is the two-window split: one application on the left half, another on the right. For a developer, this typically means code editor on the left and terminal on the right. For a writer, it's the research source on the left and the draft on the right. For a video call participant, it's the meeting on the left and the working document on the right. Two keystrokes establish this layout from any starting position.
The three-window layout is the next step up. Using thirds shortcuts, Rectangle divides the screen into three equal columns. Alternatively, using a two-thirds shortcut for the main window and a third shortcut for a secondary window gives the primary application more room while keeping a reference panel visible. This is particularly useful for research tasks where a database, notes and draft all need to be visible simultaneously.
For presentation and video call work, the center float shortcut positions a window in the middle of the screen at a comfortable size — perfect for keeping Zoom or Teams visible while not covering the entire screen. For focus work, the full-screen shortcut maximizes the active window without creating a macOS Space, keeping it accessible to other applications via Cmd+Tab.
Try Rectangle App for Mac
Free, open-source and trusted by millions of Mac users. Download Rectangle and set up your first keyboard-driven layout in under ten minutes.
Get Rectangle App →Pro Tips and Hidden Features
The rectangle app includes several features that most users discover only after weeks of regular use. The "repeated shortcut cycles" option — available in Preferences — means pressing the left-half shortcut twice sends the window to the left two-thirds, and pressing it a third time returns it to the left half. This turns one shortcut into a three-position toggle, eliminating the need to remember separate two-thirds shortcuts.
The "restore previous size" option remembers the original size of a window before Rectangle modified it. Pressing the restore shortcut returns the window to where it was before any snapping occurred. This is useful when you temporarily snap a window for reference and want to return it to its original floating position without remembering the original dimensions.
For users with multiple monitors, Rectangle Mac includes shortcuts to move the active window to the next or previous display. After moving, apply any position shortcut within the new display. This multi-display shortcut system makes it possible to rearrange a full multi-monitor workspace without touching the mouse at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rectangle app free?
Yes. The core rectangle app is completely free and open source. A paid version called Rectangle Pro adds additional features including custom saved layouts, window history and to-do list integration, but the free version covers all standard window management needs.
Does Rectangle work on macOS Sonoma and Sequoia?
Rectangle is actively maintained and fully compatible with all recent macOS versions including Sonoma and Sequoia. Updates are released regularly to maintain compatibility as Apple updates the OS.
Can Rectangle conflict with macOS Split View?
No. Rectangle mac and macOS Split View operate independently. Rectangle manages individual windows on the desktop; Split View creates a separate full-screen Space. You can use both without conflicts.
Does Rectangle slow down my Mac?
No. The rectangle app is extremely lightweight — it uses negligible CPU and memory because it only processes keyboard shortcuts and sends window commands. It has no continuous background tasks beyond listening for its hotkeys.