Disconnecting a monitor changes the available display area and topology. macOS or a running app may relocate windows so they remain visible. Recall does not block that rearrangement; it saves a stable local baseline so you can review the match and deliberately restore recognized windows after the display returns.
Updated 2026-08-01
Windows that occupied coordinates on the external screen can no longer remain visible in the same place once that screen disappears. macOS and individual apps may move them onto an available display. The exact result can vary with display arrangement, app state, and the windows that are open at that moment.
By the time the monitor returns, windows may already have been resized or relocated for the smaller desktop. An app may also have been closed or reopened. Restoring the physical connection alone therefore does not guarantee that every window will return to its former screen and coordinates.
When the setup looks right, deliberately save it as a Recall workspace. That local record captures the display arrangement and geometry of existing windows. It is a baseline for a later comparison, not a service that continuously locks windows in place or overrides how macOS reacts to a disconnect.
Wait until the monitor is recognized, then open the appropriate workspace and inspect the preflight. If the display setup is different or an important window is absent, fix the current state first. Confirm only when the recognized windows and target displays make sense.
A short disconnect should not require replacing a good workspace. A new monitor, resolution, or long-term division of work may justify a new baseline after the setup is stable. Recall does not manage macOS Spaces and will not open missing apps to imitate an old desktop.
Recall does not lock windows or change how the system maintains a visible desktop during a disconnect.
A missing, closed, or uncertain window is not created or forced into a saved position.
Usually not. Removing a display changes the visible desktop, so the system or an app may relocate windows to keep them accessible.
No. Recall preserves a reusable baseline and helps you review and restore it after the monitor reconnects.
An app may be closed, a window may no longer exist, the monitor arrangement may have changed, or the current window may not match reliably.
Save Mac window positions across multiple displays, review the match after reconnecting an external monitor, and restore only when you confirm.