Arrange the windows you want across your usual Mac displays, then deliberately save that setup as a local Recall workspace. Recall records the display arrangement and the positions and sizes of windows that already exist. A later restore starts with a match review and moves windows only after you confirm.
Updated 2026-08-01
Connect the monitors you normally use and place each important app window on its intended screen. Resize the windows before saving. Temporary dialogs and one-off windows make a poor baseline, because Recall records the windows that exist at the moment you choose to save the workspace.
Use a name that identifies the place or display combination, such as Office Dual Display. Recall writes the display arrangement and window geometry to a workspace file on the Mac. It does not store the text inside windows, user input, or document contents as part of that layout.
macOS requires Accessibility permission before Recall can inspect window geometry or move a window. If expected windows do not appear in a preflight, check Recall's Application Settings and the corresponding macOS privacy setting before replacing a workspace that was previously correct.
Open the restore flow and review which displays and current windows Recall can match. A saved workspace is a reference, not a promise to manufacture missing state. Recall will not launch an app that is closed or force an uncertain window match simply because that window appeared in the saved layout.
A permanent monitor change or a new long-term window arrangement is a good reason to update or create a workspace. A temporary disconnect is not. Keeping a stable baseline makes the next preflight easier to understand and avoids replacing a useful layout with an accidental arrangement.
Recall does not create windows for apps that are closed or promise to recover a window it cannot identify reliably.
The workspace model covers displays and window positions, not creating, switching, or restoring macOS Spaces.
No. Recall stores layout information used to match displays and windows, not window contents or user input.
It is not required, but a clean set of intended windows produces a clearer and more reusable workspace baseline.
No. Saving records the current arrangement. A later restore still begins with a match review and your confirmation.
Save Mac window positions across multiple displays, review the match after reconnecting an external monitor, and restore only when you confirm.