I am using a MBP with OSX El Capitan. If I need to move a window from one Desktop space to another desktop space, I just need to hold the title bar and press Ctrl + 2 to move the selected window to Desktop space 2. For presentation purpose, I would like to have several desktop ready with the applications and then show respective Desktop space on external monitor/projector. Is there any shortcut key or Automator script, which can do this? In the mission control, I have setting checked "Display have separate Spaces", so I am not able to move the Application from one display to another display.
asked Aug 3, 2016 at 11:36
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3 Answers
I don't know about El Capitan, but on current macOS, Ventura, it is possible to move desktops between displays:
- Open mission control (eg: 3-finger swipe up, or on the F3 key). The "spaces bar" will appear on the top of each display.
- Drag the space from its spaces bar to another display's spaces bar.
However, there is one, sometimes extremely confusing, limitation.
First, some background:
there are two kinds of spaces: full screen spaces, and desktops.
each display (ignoring mirrored displays) has an ordered list of spaces, and one of these is that display's current space. This is the space that is visible when you are not in mission control. When in mission control, it's the space that has a heavy border in the spaces bar.
in addition to a current space, each display also has a current desktop.
The current desktop is not necessarily the current space!
If the display's current space is a desktop, then that is also its current desktop. However, if the current space for a given display is not a desktop, then the display's current desktop is instead its first (ie: lowest-numbered) desktop. When you open mission control, the majority of each display (aside from the spaces bar itself) will temporarily switch to showing the display's current desktop, even though the spaces bar shows the current space as being selected.
The one limitation to dragging spaces between displays is that the current desktop for a display cannot be moved to a different display. (It can, however, be rearranged within its current display's spaces bar.) All other desktops can be moved between displays.
A corollary of all of this is that if a display has only one desktop, you cannot move that space to another display.
As a workaround, if you want to move the first desktop from one space to another, first switch to another desktop on its space (create another desktop first if one does not already exist), and then it will become possible to move the first desktop from that space.
answered May 11 at 19:17
To change this up — for example, if you want the monitor on the right to be your primary display — got to System Preferences > Displays > Arrangement. This window will show you the layout and relative resolution of all monitors currently connected to your Mac with each monitor represented by a blue rectangle icon.
One of the display icons will have a white bar at the top, representing the menu bar. To set the monitor on the right as the primary display, click and hold on the white bar at the top of the right icon and drag and drop it on the left icon.
That's it you're done...... Tell if this helps you.
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1The question is asking about Spaces / virtual desktops, a Mission Control related feature, not multiple screens.– Daniel Beck ♦Aug 3, 2016 at 12:00
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This answer was useful to me on the context of the title, which is what I was looking for: "Move desktop from one display to another", thanks!– maledr53Mar 9, 2022 at 10:40
Not exactly what you're looking for, but I believe "Desktop 1" is the default for external displays. Any additional spaces on external displays get appended to the end of the spaces list.
It may be useful to "reserve" Desktop 1 for your presentation space.
How can I stop OSX from combining spaces when I unplug a monitor?
