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How to fix off-screen apps on macOS

Multiple monitor set ups have come a long way over the years. Users have been able to use external displays and secondary displays with their laptops and desktops for years but the support for it only improved in the past few years. That said, a problem that still seems to occur on multiple-monitor set ups is apps opening off screen. It happens on Windows, and it happens on Macs. Here’s how you can fix off-screen apps on macOS.

Fix off-screen apps

There are several different fixes that you can try. Some are simple, the others are app specific, and there’s also a third-party app solution that’s worth a shot.

Dragging by title bar

Many macOS apps can be dragged by the title bar but this works only if the app is partially visible instead of completely off-screen. If it is partially visible, try dragging it from the title bar back to the middle of the screen.

Zoom menu option

This is one of the more common ways to fix an off-screen app. Open the app and make sure it is the active one. Don’t worry about it opening off-screen or half-way off screen. So long as it is the active app, its menu items will appear on the Menu Bar.

Go to Window>Zoom and it should bring the app to the center of the screen.

The reason this may not work is that some apps do not have the Zoom option under their Window menu.

Use Spectacle

Spectacle is a free window management app for macOS. It does lots of things with regards to moving windows on your screen or on to a secondary display. It can also center apps which makes it a great tool for fixing off-screen apps.

Download and install it. Make sure the app that’s open off-screen is the one that’s currently active. If you’re having trouble bringing it to the front, quit/force quit it, and then open it from Spotlight or the Applications folder.

Click Spectacle’s icon in the menu bar and select the ‘Center’ option, or just use the Option+Command+C keyboard shortcut to center it.

One of these three solutions should do the trick. The app should no longer open off-screen once it’s been forced back to the center. If it still continues to open off-screen, try disconnecting and reconnecting any secondary displays you have. If you experience this problem on a single-display, try changing the resolution on your Mac to something else, and then back to what it originally was. Also, it might be an app-specific bug so look into that as well.

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