Stage Manager is designed to let you manage and switch app windows with utmost ease on your Mac, while still keeping your desktop clutter-free. Ever since it came in macOS 13, I have loved using this productivity-defining windows manager. With the desktop widgets taking center stage in macOS Sonoma, I was looking for a way to strike a fine balance between these two macOS features. Guess what, I found exactly what I wished for. Thankfully, there is a way to show or hide desktop widgets when Stage Manager is active on Mac running macOS Sequoia/Sonoma/Ventura.
Show/Hide desktop Widgets When Stage Manager is Enabled on Mac
Desktop widgets in macOS automatically fade in accordance with the wallpaper you have set when you are working in a window. Hence, you won’t find them distracting while you are into something serious. Better still, you can even fine-tune the Desktop widget style on your Mac so that your widgets can always stay in sync with your preference.
While I don’t mind allowing the desktop widgets to remain visible when the Stage Manager is active on my Mac, some of you might want to go in the reverse direction and would like to keep them all under wraps for zero distraction. After all; your Mac, your rule!
- First off, click on the “Apple menu” at the top left corner of the screen.
- After that, choose “System Settings” in the contextual menu.
- In the Sidebar, choose “Desktop & Dock“.
- Head over to the “Stage Manager” section and click on “Customize”.
- Now, turn on the toggle next to “Widgets” to show the desktop widgets when you are the Stage Manager on your Mac.
- Later, if you ever find the presence of the desktop widgets distracting when using the Stage Manager, return to this very setting and turn off the toggle.
- In the end, make sure to click on “Done” at the bottom right corner of the window to confirm the change and you are good to go!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are my desktop widgets not working on Mac?
There could be many reasons why the desktop widgets are not working on your Mac. Some of the usual suspects of this issue could be wrong configuration, outdated apps, and software bugs. Hence, fixing these culprits will help you bring the ill-functioning desktop widgets back on track.
2. Why are my iPhone widgets not showing up on Mac?
Slightly buried in the System Settings exists an option to sync iPhone widgets with Mac. Hence, head over to the System Settings app on your Mac -> Desktop & Widgets -> navigate to the Widgets section and then make sure that the toggle next to Use iPhone Widgets is turned on.
3. Why are my desktop widgets blank on Mac?
If you are yet to set the associated apps, their widgets may show nothing but a blank page.
