After reconnecting the external monitor, wait for macOS to recognize the complete display setup. Open the matching Recall workspace and inspect the display and window preflight. Confirm the restore only when the match is correct; Recall does not move windows without approval or open missing apps.
Updated 2026-08-01
Reconnect the monitor and verify that macOS sees every expected display with the intended arrangement. A monitor that is still waking, switching inputs, or negotiating a connection can leave the desktop in a temporary state. Wait until the setup is stable before judging a workspace match.
Select the saved layout whose name and display setup match the desk you have just reconnected. Recall Free supports full manual use of one workspace. An active subscription adds unlimited workspaces and a recognition prompt when a reliable reconnect match is available.
Check both display recognition and the current windows Recall can identify. A closed app, a removed window, or a changed monitor arrangement can make the current state different from the saved baseline. The preview is the place to notice those differences before anything moves.
Recall waits for explicit confirmation. It then works with windows that already exist and have a reliable match. It does not launch a missing application to recreate a saved window, and it does not force uncertain matches merely to make the result look complete.
If some windows remain out of place, verify Accessibility permission and confirm that the relevant app and window are open. When a display change is permanent, save a new stable baseline after the desk is settled instead of overwriting a good workspace during a transient connection problem.
Recognition can surface a likely workspace, but the user still decides whether any windows move.
Recall will not launch an app or construct a window that is absent from the current desktop.
No. A subscription can provide a recognition prompt, but windows move only after you review the match and confirm.
The missing app or window may not exist, Accessibility access may be unavailable, or the current window may not match the saved record reliably.
Review the preflight first. For a lasting change in the display combination, create or update a workspace after the new setup is stable.
Save Mac window positions across multiple displays, review the match after reconnecting an external monitor, and restore only when you confirm.