Stop Mac windows snapping to the edges of the screen

Quick answer

Open System Settings > Desktop & Dock and, under Windows, turn off Drag windows to left or right edge of screen to tile and Drag windows to menu bar to fill screen.

Why it happens

Your Mac can tile windows: drag one to the left or right edge and it fills that half, drag it to the top and it fills the screen. It's handy on purpose and annoying by accident, especially when you only meant to move a window near the edge. Two switches control it.

How to fix it

Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, and click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar.
Scroll down to the Windows section and turn off Drag windows to left or right edge of screen to tile. Windows stop snapping to the sides.
Desktop & Dock›Windows›Drag windows to left or right edge of screen to tile
Just below it, turn off Drag windows to menu bar to fill screen. Windows stop filling the screen when you drag them to the top.
Desktop & Dock›Windows›Drag windows to menu bar to fill screen
Drag a window to an edge to check. It should move without changing size.

Still not fixed?

Still want tiling sometimes? Turn on Hold ⌥ key while dragging windows to tile in the same section. Windows then snap only while you hold Option.
Desktop & Dock›Windows›Hold ⌥ key while dragging windows to tile
If dragging a window to the top opens Mission Control instead, turn off Drag windows to top of screen to enter Mission Control.
Desktop & Dock›Mission Control›Drag windows to top of screen to enter Mission Control
If windows still snap with both switches off, a window-management app you installed may be doing it. Check its settings or quit it from its menu bar icon.
If nothing above stops it, restart your Mac and test again. If the snapping carries on, contact Apple Support.

Terminal

Open Terminal (Applications › Utilities), paste this line and press Return.

defaults write com.apple.WindowManager EnableTilingByEdgeDrag -bool false && defaults write com.apple.WindowManager EnableTopTilingByEdgeDrag -bool false

To undo:

defaults write com.apple.WindowManager EnableTilingByEdgeDrag -bool true && defaults write com.apple.WindowManager EnableTopTilingByEdgeDrag -bool true

Pro details

Turns off snapping to edges and to the menu bar.

Questions people ask

How do I stop windows from snapping on my Mac?

In Desktop & Dock, turn off Drag windows to left or right edge of screen to tile, and Drag windows to menu bar to fill screen.

Can I keep window tiling but only when I want it?

Yes. Turn on Hold ⌥ key while dragging windows to tile, and windows snap only while you hold Option.

How do I put a tiled window back to its old size?

Drag it away from the edge, or choose Window > Move & Resize > Return to Previous Size in the menu bar.

Related fixes

Glad it worked.

Sorry it didn't. Tell us what happened and we'll fix this page.

Email hello@getpinset.com

Get there in one click with PinSet.

Press ⌃ ⌥ Space and type “windows keep snapping to the screen edges”. PinSet opens Desktop & Dock › Windows in System Settings and rings Drag windows to left or right edge of screen to tile. One of 2,400+ checked Mac fixes. Works offline.

Download free Buy for $9.99

7 fixes free · Works offline · macOS 26 and 27