Getting the most out of LanesMac

When LanesMac starts, it gathers the windows you already have open and lines them up side by side. A small indicator in the menu bar, such as “3 of 8”, tells you which window has focus and how many are on the strip.

Normally, Mac windows pile up like sheets of paper, and grid tilers squeeze every window into the same screen. LanesMac does neither. Every window is a full-height column, and all the columns sit in a single row that is wider than your display.

A new window opens right after the one you're using. Nothing else changes size. To reach a window that's off-screen, move focus to it and the strip slides across.

Some windows belong together, like two terminals or a simulator above its debug log. A stack puts two or three windows in the same column, one above the other.

• Make a stack. Press ⌃⌥S to join the column on the left, then again to add the next window, up to three. ⌃⌥[/] stacks into the left or right column directly.
• Move around inside it. ⌃⌥↑/↓ moves focus up and down. ⌃⌥⇧↑/↓ moves the window itself.
• Take a window out. ⌃⌥D pops it back into a column of its own. A stack needs at least two windows, so popping one out of a pair leaves two plain columns.
• Switch to tabs. ⌃⌥⇧T turns the stack into a tabbed column where each window gets the full height, and back again.

Swipe sideways on the trackpad and the strip moves with your fingers, then settles on the nearest window.

Each display has its own strip, with its own focus and scroll position. Swiping on your MacBook moves only the MacBook's strip, and your external display stays exactly where it was.

Press ⌃⌥N to send the focused window to the next display, where it joins that display's strip.

These are LanesMac’s default shortcuts. Every one starts with ⌃⌥ (Control + Option), and you can change any of them in Settings > Shortcuts.

LanesMac is a one-time payment for a lifetime license that works on one Mac. Includes all future updates, free. After the first launch you get 24 hours of free access with every feature included. After that, LanesMac needs a license.

After you buy, your license key arrives by email from Dodo Payments. To activate it:

1. Click the LanesMac icon in the menu bar and choose Settings, or press ⌘, while LanesMac is active.
2. Open Settings → License.
3. Paste your key and click Activate.

Activation happens once online. After that, LanesMac works offline.

The lanesmac command-line tool lets you drive LanesMac from scripts and the terminal.

# Install the command (one time)
lanesmac install-cli

# Focus column 4
lanesmac focus --column 4

# Flag the focused column when tests finish
npm test && lanesmac notify --status success || lanesmac notify --status failure

# Save the current layout, then load it later
lanesmac workspace export ~/my-dev-session.json
lanesmac workspace load ~/my-dev-session.json

You can also trigger actions with lanesmac:// links, which is handy in scripts, Raycast or Alfred:

lanesmac://focus?app=Visual%20Studio%20Code