Contents
The six to learn first
Adoption fails when people try to memorise thirty bindings in an afternoon. Learn these, use them for two weeks, and add more only when you notice the absence of one.
| Command | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Left half | ⌃ ⌥ ← |
| Right half | ⌃ ⌥ → |
| Maximize | ⌃ ⌥ ↩ |
| Restore | ⌃ ⌥ ⌫ |
| Centre | ⌃ ⌥ C |
| Next display | ⌃ ⌥ ⌘ → |
It returns a window to the exact geometry it had before the last snap. Once you know a snap is reversible you stop arranging cautiously and start using the shortcuts reflexively — which is the difference between a tool you installed and a tool you use.
Halves and thirds
| Command | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Left half | ⌃ ⌥ ← | Cycles to 2/3 then 1/3 if cycling is on |
| Right half | ⌃ ⌥ → | |
| Top half | ⌃ ⌥ ↑ | |
| Bottom half | ⌃ ⌥ ↓ | |
| First third | ⌃ ⌥ D | |
| Centre third | ⌃ ⌥ F | |
| Last third | ⌃ ⌥ G | |
| First two thirds | ⌃ ⌥ E | The most used shortcut on large displays |
| Last two thirds | ⌃ ⌥ T |
Thirds are consistently the most underused family. On any display 24 inches or larger, a two-thirds working area with a one-third companion beats an even split for anything involving reading while writing.
Quarters
| Command | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Top left | ⌃ ⌥ U |
| Top right | ⌃ ⌥ I |
| Bottom left | ⌃ ⌥ J |
| Bottom right | ⌃ ⌥ K |
The four keys form a rectangle on the keyboard that maps to the four regions of the screen, which is why they are easy to retain. Quarters earn their place on 27-inch displays and above; on a laptop panel a quarter suits glanceable content rather than anything you read.
Sizing, centring and displays
| Command | Shortcut | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maximize | ⌃ ⌥ ↩ | |
| Maximize height | ⌃ ⌥ ⇧ ↑ | Full height, unchanged width |
| Almost maximize | unbound by default | 90% by default; both dimensions configurable |
| Centre | ⌃ ⌥ C | Can be made to cycle thirds |
| Make larger | ⌃ ⌥ ⇧ = | 30 pixels per press by default |
| Make smaller | ⌃ ⌥ ⇧ - | Floor is 25% of the screen |
| Restore | ⌃ ⌥ ⌫ | |
| Next display | ⌃ ⌥ ⌘ → | |
| Previous display | ⌃ ⌥ ⌘ ← |
Defaults have shifted slightly across versions, and the alternate set below changes many of them. The settings window is the authority for the build you are running; this table is a map, not a contract.
The alternate default set
Two default schemes ship with the app. The recommended set is modelled on Magnet's bindings; the other reproduces Spectacle's, which matters for anyone migrating from it. Switch between them from the terminal or with the restore-defaults button in settings:
# Magnet-style recommended set
defaults write com.knollsoft.Rectangle alternateDefaultShortcuts -bool true
# Spectacle-style set
defaults write com.knollsoft.Rectangle alternateDefaultShortcuts -bool false
killall Rectangle && open -a RectangleIf you are coming from Magnet or Spectacle, switching to the matching set is worth far more than it sounds — keeping existing muscle memory removes the main reason people abandon a replacement in the first week.
Commands with no default binding
A significant amount of functionality ships unbound, and some of it is not even listed in the settings window. Ninths, eighths, corner two-thirds, doubling and halving, width-only and height-only resize, exact-size centring, prominent centring, and the bulk tile and cascade commands all fall into this category.
Each is bound from the terminal by keycode. The hidden sizes guide covers the families, and the keycodes reference has the numbers.
Get the current build
Rectangle is free and open source. Everything documented here works in the standard build.
Download from rectangleapp.comQuestions
Can I print this page?
Yes — the tables are laid out to print cleanly.
Do these work on a non-Apple keyboard?
Yes. Option may be labelled Alt and Control as Ctrl; the combinations are identical.
How do I get the defaults back after customising?
Restore Default Shortcuts in the settings tab, or set alternateDefaultShortcuts and restart.
Why does my second press change the width?
Size cycling is enabled. See the cycling modes guide.