ChainYourMac

A scrolling window manager for macOS that finally makes large displays usable.

Windows live on an infinite horizontal strip, each one stays a readable size, and new windows extend the strip instead of shrinking everything else. Navigate with your keyboard, trackpad gestures, or mouse. Powered by a native Rust engine for buttery smooth performance.

Full Feature List

Arrange windows on an infinite horizontal strip that scrolls naturally - no cramped tiles, no overlapping chaos

Every window keeps a comfortable, readable size regardless of how many are open

New windows extend the strip to the right without resizing existing windows

Keyboard-first navigation - move focus, swap positions, resize, and float windows without touching the mouse

Trackpad gesture support with configurable finger count (3–6 fingers) and continuous or discrete swipe modes

Stack multiple windows vertically in a single column - perfect for reference docs alongside your main work

Focus Follows Mouse - automatically focus the window under your cursor without clicking

Mouse Follows Focus - cursor warps to the center of the newly focused window when navigating via keyboard

Smooth, customisable animations (10–200ms, default 50ms for a snappy feel)

Preset column widths - cycle through configurable size ratios with a single shortcut (e.g. 25%, 33%, 50%, 66%, 75%, and more)

Full-width toggle to expand any window to fill the entire screen

Float any window above the tiled layout - toggle freely between tiled and floating

Multi-monitor support - each display gets its own independent strip

Move windows between displays with a single shortcut

All transcription and window management is done locally - no data leaves your machine

Near-zero CPU usage when idle, smooth 120fps animations when active

Native Apple Silicon and Intel support

Keyboard Shortcuts

All shortcuts are fully customisable. Defaults:

Focus Navigation

ActionDefault ShortcutFocus LeftCmd+H / Cmd+←Focus RightCmd+L / Cmd+→Focus Up (in stack)Cmd+K / Cmd+↑Focus Down (in stack)Cmd+J / Cmd+↓Focus FirstCmd+Shift+HFocus LastCmd+Shift+L

Window Swapping

ActionDefault ShortcutSwap LeftAlt+HSwap RightAlt+LSwap to FirstAlt+Shift+HSwap to LastAlt+Shift+L

Layout & Sizing

ActionDefault ShortcutCenter WindowAlt+CResize (cycle widths)Alt+RFull WidthAlt+FToggle Tiled/FloatCtrl+Alt+TStackAlt+]UnstackAlt+Shift+]Next DisplayAlt+N

System

ActionDefault ShortcutQuit Window ManagerCtrl+Alt+Q

Window Rules

Define custom behavior for specific apps using bundle ID and title.

Available rule options:

• bundle_id — target a specific app
• title — regex pattern to match window titles
• floating — float the window above the tiled strip
• index — pin to a specific position (0 = leftmost)
• horizontal_padding / vertical_padding — custom padding in pixels

Multi-Monitor Setup

ChainYourMac works great with multiple displays. Each monitor gets its own independent horizontal strip.

Required setting for multi-monitor: Enable "Displays have separate Spaces" in System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Mission Control. This requires a logout/login to take effect.

Display arrangement tip: For best results, arrange your displays diagonally (corner-to-corner) or vertically (above/below) in System Settings → Displays → Arrange. Avoid direct side-by-side placement, as it can interfere with the horizontal strip layout.

Single monitor setups work perfectly out of the box with no extra configuration.

App Interface

Overview — Service status, permission indicators, license info, and quick start/stop controls

Controls — Full action palette with click-to-execute shortcuts, action builder, and raw command interface

Shortcuts — Visual shortcut editor with click-to-record keybinding capture

Config — Simple mode for common settings, advanced mode for raw TOML editing, visual preset width editor

Help — Complete documentation including display setup guides, feature explanations, and troubleshooting

Pricing

$19.99 — one-time purchase for one-license. Pay once and use forever.

Includes a 7-day free trial with full functionality. No credit card required to start.

All future updates included at no extra cost.

System Requirements

• macOS 13.0 Ventura or later
• Native Apple Silicon and Intel support
• Accessibility permission required (guided setup in the app)

Permissions

ChainYourMac requires two Accessibility permissions to control windows:

1. ChainYourMac — the main GUI app
2. Window Manager — the background Rust engine

The onboarding flow walks you through granting both permissions step by step.

Support

If you run into any issues, have questions, or want to suggest a feature, reach out and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

👨‍💻 Check out my other macOS utilities:

No Mouse Mode - Control your mouse with your keyboard to boost productivity.