Move windows off an external monitor you can't see on a Mac
Short answer: hover over the window's green button and choose to move it to your other display, or use Window → Move to in the app's menu bar. If the monitor is on but you do not want to use it, turning it off with Okie Dockie moves every window from it onto the screens that stay on, in one step.
On this page
Why windows get stranded
A Mac treats a monitor as in use for as long as it is connected. If you switch the monitor off at its power button, turn it to another input, or it sits out of sight, many monitors stay connected — and macOS carries on placing windows on a screen you cannot see. Apps you open may appear there too, because they reopen where they were last closed.
Move one window
- The green button: hover the pointer over the green button at the top left of the window; on recent versions of macOS the menu includes moving the window to your other display.
- The Window menu: many apps offer Window → Move to followed by the display's name in the menu bar.
Both need the window to be the frontmost one, which is the hard part when you cannot see it.
Find a window you cannot see
- Click the app in the Dock so it comes to the front, then use the Window menu above.
- Press Control-Down Arrow for App Exposé to see all of that app's windows.
- With Okie Dockie, hold Option and tap Tab to pick the exact window by its title, even one on a screen you cannot see.
Move everything at once
If the monitor is connected but you are not using it, the cleanest fix is to stop the Mac using it. Unplugging does that. So does Okie Dockie's Displays → Turn off: the Mac stops using that monitor as if it were unplugged, and every window on it moves to the screens that stay on. Turn it back on later from the same menu.
Get every Chrome profile into your Dock
Okie Dockie builds a real Dock icon for each Chrome profile you use, badged with that profile's own picture. Click one and you land back in the window it already had open.
Everything except Chrome profile icons is free forever, and the profile icons come with a 7-day free trial that starts on its own — no sign-up, no card. macOS 13+, Apple Silicon and Intel.
Frequently asked questions
How do I move a window to my MacBook screen from an external monitor?
Hover over the window's green button and choose to move it to the other display, or use the app's Window menu and choose Move to your MacBook's screen.
Why do my windows open on a monitor that is switched off?
Many monitors stay connected when switched off at the power button, so macOS keeps using them and apps reopen where they were last.
How do I move all windows off a second monitor at once?
Unplug it, or turn it off with Okie Dockie's Displays menu, which moves every window to the screens that remain on.
Was this guide helpful?
Thank you — that tells me what to write next.