Display Maid

Save and restore window layouts based on display configuration

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Category
Utility
WM Type
—
License
paid
Open Source
No
Keybindings
Yes
Scripting
No
Last Update
2023-10-15

Features

  • Save window positions
  • Display-based profiles
  • Auto-restore
  • Per-app management

About

Save/restore window positions by display config. Auto-restore on connect/disconnect. Essential for laptop + external display.

Who It's For

Display Maid is for Mac users who frequently plug and unplug external displays. The core problem it solves: when you disconnect an external monitor, macOS dumps all windows onto your primary screen in a disorganized pile, and when you reconnect, they don't automatically return to where they were. Display Maid remembers which windows were where for each display configuration and restores them automatically — no manual rearrangement needed. At $5.99, it pays for itself the first week you use a laptop with an external display.

How It Works

Display Maid runs as a background agent and monitors display connection events. It saves window positions and sizes on a per-display-configuration basis — identified by the combination of connected displays. When that configuration is detected again (display reconnected, or the same set of displays as a previous session), it restores all windows to their saved positions. Manual snapshots can also be saved and restored on demand via a keyboard shortcut. Per-app management lets you exclude specific apps from restoration.

Compared to Similar Tools

Compared to Stay (free), Display Maid is a paid App Store app with slightly different UX but covers the same core use case. Both restore window positions on display change. Compared to Workspace+ ($2.99/mo or $14.99 lifetime), Display Maid focuses specifically on display-triggered restoration; Workspace+ adds browser tab restoration and richer workspace snapshot management. For users who only need display-triggered window restoration, Display Maid's $5.99 one-time price is competitive.

Requirements

  • macOS 10.13 or later
  • Accessibility permission required
  • $5.99 one-time on the Mac App Store

Getting Started

Purchase from the Mac App Store and launch. Grant Accessibility permission. Display Maid immediately starts monitoring display changes. Connect your external display and arrange your windows, then let Display Maid save that state automatically. On the next disconnect/reconnect, your windows will be restored.

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