What is this?
AeroSpace is an i3-like tiling window manager for macOS: it arranges your windows into a tree-based tiling layout automatically and adds i3-style workspaces you can switch between instantly from the keyboard.
AeroSpace is an i3-like tiling window manager for macOS: it arranges your windows into a tree-based tiling layout automatically and adds i3-style workspaces you can switch between instantly from the keyboard.Does it work on top of native macOS Spaces?No. AeroSpace emulates its own virtual workspaces because macOS Spaces have considerable limitations — that is what enables instant workspace switching with no animations and no SIP changes.
No. AeroSpace emulates its own virtual workspaces because macOS Spaces have considerable limitations — that is what enables instant workspace switching with no animations and no SIP changes.Do I need to disable SIP like with some other tiling window managers?No, and the project promises it will never require that. It sticks to public accessibility APIs — the only private API used is a single call to get a window ID.
No, and the project promises it will never require that. It sticks to public accessibility APIs — the only private API used is a single call to get a window ID.Will Gatekeeper complain when I install it?The app is not notarized — the author openly declines Apple's process. The Homebrew install script strips the quarantine attribute, so it runs out of the box without the 'Apple cannot check AeroSpace for malicious software' warning.
The app is not notarized — the author openly declines Apple's process. The Homebrew install script strips the quarantine attribute, so it runs out of the box without the 'Apple cannot check AeroSpace for malicious software' warning.Is this made for regular Mac users or for tinkerers?For advanced users and developers: it is keyboard-centric, configured by editing text files, and deliberately skips eye-candy like animations, transparency or window borders.
For advanced users and developers: it is keyboard-centric, configured by editing text files, and deliberately skips eye-candy like animations, transparency or window borders.Which macOS versions does it run on?The binary runs on macOS 13 and newer. Compiling from source needs more: macOS 14+ for debug builds, and macOS 15+ with Xcode 26+ for release builds.
The binary runs on macOS 13 and newer. Compiling from source needs more: macOS 14+ for debug builds, and macOS 15+ with Xcode 26+ for release builds.Can I move windows with the mouse too?Yes — hold ctrl+cmd and drag any part of a window, not just its title bar.
Yes — hold ctrl+cmd and drag any part of a window, not just its title bar.Can I customize the look — gaps, animations, a menu bar?Only minimally. AeroSpace offers gaps and a few callbacks for bar integrations; fancy appearance like animations, transparency and window borders is considered impractical, and ricing issues are mostly ignored.
Only minimally. AeroSpace offers gaps and a few callbacks for bar integrations; fancy appearance like animations, transparency and window borders is considered impractical, and ricing issues are mostly ignored.How does it compare to yabai or Amethyst?Those are the alternative macOS tiling window managers: yabai is based on binary space partitioning, Amethyst follows xmonad, while AeroSpace follows the i3 tree paradigm with its own workspace emulation.
Those are the alternative macOS tiling window managers: yabai is based on binary space partitioning, Amethyst follows xmonad, while AeroSpace follows the i3 tree paradigm with its own workspace emulation.What is still on the roadmap?Sticky windows and Dynamic TWM are planned after 1.0. Before that, work continues on performance (thread-per-application) and rewriting the core tree to an immutable structure for stability.
Sticky windows and Dynamic TWM are planned after 1.0. Before that, work continues on performance (thread-per-application) and rewriting the core tree to an immutable structure for stability.Which topics is it in?multi-monitor, tiling, i3, i3wm, beta, toml, workspace, tiling-window-manager, window-management, window-manager, dotfiles, mac
multi-monitor, tiling, i3, i3wm, beta, toml, workspace, tiling-window-manager, window-management, window-manager, dotfiles, mac