With macOS Ventura, Apple launched the Stage Manager feature to improve multitasking for Mac users. With Stage Manager, navigating between different application windows becomes easier. It is an extension of Mission Control and is available for Macs running on Intel and Apple M-series processors.
Some users may need help using Stage Manager as it will not work properly on their Mac. We have compiled working solutions to fix Stage Manager not working on Mac.
Before we start with the solutions, note that Stage Manager is part of the macOS Ventura update. Thus, the feature will not work on a Mac running macOS Catalina or earlier versions.
1. Check if more than four application windows are open
Stage Manager only supports four application windows displayed in the left panel when you enable the feature. So the first basic solution is to make sure you don’t have more than four application windows open on your Mac. You can close an application window that you no longer need. Alternatively, you can switch to using Spaces on your Mac, which allows you to create multiple desktops.
2. Check Mission Control Settings
You can activate Stage Manager from Control Center on your Mac. But if you don’t see the Stage Manager icon or it appears grayed out in Control Center, here’s how you can fix it on your Mac from Mission Control settings.
Step 1: Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search, type System settings, and press Return.
2nd step: In the System Settings window, scroll down the left menu and click Desktop and Dock.
Step 3: Scroll down on the right side and find Mission Control.
Step 4: Under Mission Control, tap the toggle next to “Screens have separate spaces” to enable the feature.
Step 5: Close the window and check if you can activate Stage Manager from the Control Center.
3. Restart your Mac
You can restart your Mac to reset all apps and the operating system. This is a common solution that fixes most software-related issues for Mac users.
Step 1: Click the Apple icon in the upper left corner.
2nd step: Select Restart from the list of options.
Step 3: After your Mac restarts, check if Stage Manager is working.
4. Start your Mac in Safe Mode
If you still can’t get Stage Manager to work on your Mac, you can try starting it in Safe Mode. This will prevent interference from third-party apps and start running your Mac with only system apps. You can follow the steps below.
For Macs with M-series chip
Step 1: Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner.
2nd step: Click Stop.
Step 3: After your Mac shuts down, press and hold the power button until you see the two startup options – Macintosh HD and Options.
Step 4: Select Macintosh HD while holding down the Shift key and select “Continue in Safe Mode”.
Step 5: After your Mac boots up, check if Stage Manager is working.
For Mac with Intel chip
Step 1: Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner.
2nd step: Select Restart from the list of options.
Step 3: When your Mac restarts, hold down the Shift key. Release the Shift key when you see the login window.
Step 4: Log in and check if Stage Manager is running on your Mac.
5. Check macOS Update
With the macOS Ventura update, Stage Manager is still in its infancy. Apple continues to improve functionality with regular software updates to remove bugs and issues. If the feature still doesn’t work despite deploying the previous solutions, we recommend checking for the latest macOS update.
Step 1: Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search, type System settings, and press Return.
2nd step: Scroll down the left menu and click on General.
Step 3: Click Software Update on the right side.
Step 4: If an update is available, download and install it.
After installing the update, try launching Stage Manager on your Mac.
Get back to multitasking
These solutions will help you fix problems with Stage Manager if it stops working properly on your Mac. You can also check out our article suggesting useful macOS apps to optimize your Mac. These apps will improve the overall usability of your Mac.
