A different window layout on each monitor
By Guido Crego · Last updated:
A laptop screen, a 27-inch monitor above it, an ultrawide on the side: each one wants a different layout. Shoji gives every monitor its own zones. Drag a window from one screen to another and it snaps into the zones of the screen you drop it on.
Why one layout doesn’t fit every screen
Screens differ in size, shape and where they sit. Halves are right on a 14-inch laptop. On a 27-inch monitor, three columns are better. On an ultrawide, a wide center with narrow sides. On a monitor turned on its side, rows.
macOS’s built-in tiling (macOS 15 and later) uses the same halves and quarters on every display, and has no settings per display. Shoji was built the other way around: you draw a layout for each monitor.
How Shoji handles several monitors
- Each monitor has its own zones. Open the editor, pick a screen, draw. Then the next one.
- Several layouts per monitor. Keep one for focused work and one for calls, and switch from the menu bar.
- Windows move between monitors. Hold fn while you drag a window from the laptop to the monitor: the monitor’s zones light up, and the window snaps into the one you drop it on.
- Unplug a monitor and its layouts wait for it. Shoji recognizes each monitor by the display itself (its hardware identity), not by the order macOS lists screens in. Plug it back in, today or next week, and its layouts are there.
- Edge snap that stays out of the way. If you turn it on, dragging a window to an outer edge or corner snaps it to a half or a quarter. It never fires on the border between two screens, so dragging a window across doesn’t snap it by accident.
One honest limit: Shoji brings back the zones, not the windows. When you reconnect a monitor, your windows stay where macOS puts them, and you drag them back into their zones.
Setups that work
A laptop with a monitor above it
Halves on the laptop for chat and notes, four zones on the monitor for the main work. This is the demo at the top of this page.
Two monitors side by side
Thirds on the one in front of you, halves on the one to the side. Drag a reference from the side monitor into the middle column when you need it.
A laptop and an ultrawide
A wide center with narrow sides on the ultrawide, halves on the laptop. More layouts for ultrawides are in Ultrawide monitor on a Mac.
A vertical monitor
Draw rows instead of columns: a chat on top, a feed in the middle, documents below.
Set it up
- Open Shoji and allow Accessibility when macOS asks. Any app needs it to move other apps’ windows.
- From the Shoji menu in the menu bar, choose Edit Zones.
- Pick a screen. Start from a quick start (Halves, Thirds, Center + sides) or drag to draw your own zones. Save, then do the same on the next screen.
- Hold fn while you drag any window, on any screen, and let go over a zone.
Questions
Does Shoji put my windows back when I reconnect a monitor?
No. It keeps each monitor’s layouts and brings them back, but it doesn’t move windows on its own. You drag them into their zones.
Can each Space have its own layout?
No. Layouts belong to monitors, not to Spaces.
Can I move windows between monitors with the keyboard?
No. Shoji works by dragging. If you move windows with the keyboard, Rectangle (free) is a better fit.
Does it work with every app?
With any window macOS lets other apps move and resize. A few windows have a fixed size, and full-screen apps live in their own space.
How much is it?
US$4.99 once, for one Mac, with a 14-day refund. macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
Shoji · window zones for Mac
Draw zones on each monitor, drag a window over one, and it snaps in. $4.99 once; if it isn't for you, your money back within 14 days.
$4.99 once · one Mac · macOS 15 or later