If you own a desktop computer, you’ve likely encountered the concept of a “virtual desktop.” This term refers to the use of a user interface that allows for the organization and management of multiple desktop environments on a single computer, expanding beyond the physical limitations of the screen with the aid of software.
As a Mac user, you may be curious about how to fully utilize your screen’s real estate and enjoy an immersive experience on your device, including understanding how to full screen on Mac. Mac computers, like all Apple products, have gained popularity and carved a niche for themselves in the computing world, much like iPhones in the smartphone realm and Apple Watches in the wearables market.
Fortunately, optimizing your workflow and maximizing your Mac’s capabilities with multiple desktops is achievable. In the following sections, we will discuss how to set up and use multiple desktops on your Mac, as well as how to full screen on Mac for a more immersive experience.
Setting Up Multiple Desktops
If you feel you should set up multiple desktops on one device, it’s relatively easy. Again, let’s say you have a Mac.
If so, you can go to the taskbar. There, you will see the “task” view icon. You can select it. Then, you can choose the option that says “new desktop.”
You can now open any of the apps you want to use on that desktop. If you want to go to another desktop that you have open on that same Mac, you can do that by going back to the “task” option and toggling from one to another.
You might practice doing this to get the hang of it. It’s not particularly difficult, though, even for those who don’t use desktop computers all that much. Macs remain one of the most intuitive desktop computer varieties.
Why Do This?
You might set up this system because you want several applications open at once. If you’ve got a home office where you do your work, you may set up a command station with multiple desktops on your Mac.
You can use this setup and switch quickly between unique environments. This way, you needn’t hunt for the app you need. You can jump back and forth in real time as you work on a project. You might have a spreadsheet open in one app, a mailing list open in another, and an email message in a third.
What Other Purpose Might This Have?
You can also set up multiple desktops if you have more than one monitor. Some at-home workers like having this setup. They can have multiple desktops and monitors going at once.
Some individuals who do sound engineering or mixing like this setup. You may also utilize it if you’re creating a cartoon, movie, TV show, etc. You can use this setup to splice together clips you shot.
The Mission Control Feature
You should also know that Apple encourages this behavior. You can do fine with a single Mac and just one desktop if that works for you, but you can use a feature called Mission Control that will guide you through the multiple desktop and monitor setup process.
Let’s say you have a desktop on your Mac, and you clutter it with apps. You might have several open that you need at once, and it’s becoming too complex. You can simplify things with Mission Control. There, you can create more desktops, which the program calls “spaces.”
You can easily organize your windows this way. When you work within a space, now, you will only see the windows that you opened in that space.
Whenever you have multiple unrelated projects, you should look into setting up multiple desktops. However, some workers even use this setup with related projects if they’re skilled multitaskers.
Some Additional Considerations When Setting Up Multiple Desktops
Consider how many apps you have open at any given time. If you have half a dozen or more, that is when you should at least consider implementing the multiple-desktop policy. Maybe when you’re humming along on a big project for work, you use even more apps than normal.
You’ll feel glad you have multiple desktops so you can switch quickly from one to another. You can more easily complete your work this way if you’re operating under a tight deadline.
If you keep minimizing apps to save space on a Mac’s screen, you should know there’s a better way. If you have apps open on a screen because you forgot about them, you can try multiple desktops as well.
This technique isn’t for everyone, but it’s a strategy that works for many individuals who do constant busy work with desktop computers, and Macs in particular.