I Keep Losing My Whole Window Setup Every Time I Switch Tasks on My Mac. Is There an App That Saves and Restores Everything?
Yes. Ikuna is a macOS context manager that saves your complete workspace environment (apps, browser tabs, window positions, and Focus Mode settings) and restores everything in under three seconds when you switch back.
You close one project and your Mac has no idea which apps, tabs, or windows belonged to it. Next time you switch back, you rebuild everything from scratch. That's not a window management problem. It's a context-switching problem. macOS doesn't save context per project; it just keeps everything running in a pile.
Ikuna fixes this by letting you create named contexts that capture exactly what was open and how, then restoring the full environment instantly.
What Does Ikuna Actually Do?
Ikuna is a context manager, not a window manager. The difference matters.
A window manager arranges what's already on your screen. A context manager controls what should be on your screen in the first place. Ikuna saves your complete project environment: which apps you need open, which browser tabs belong to that project, where each window sits, and which Focus Mode should be active. When you switch contexts, Ikuna closes what doesn't belong and opens what does, in the exact configuration you saved.
What Ikuna captures in each context:
Which apps are open (and which are closed)
Browser tabs for each project (Chrome, Safari, Arc, Brave)
Window positions and sizes
macOS Focus Mode settings
Optional: Spotify playlist, ambient audio, launch scripts
What Ikuna does NOT do:
Window tiling or snapping (that's Rectangle's job; they work well together)
BetterStage-style window management
Virtual desktop creation (that's macOS Spaces)
Ikuna and Rectangle aren't alternatives. Rectangle arranges windows. Ikuna manages which windows should exist in the first place.
How Is This Different from macOS Spaces or Stage Manager?
macOS has built-in tools for managing windows, but none of them manage project contexts.
| Feature | macOS Spaces | Stage Manager | Ikuna Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Creates virtual desktops | Groups windows visually | Saves complete project environments |
| Remembers apps | No, you manually open apps on each Space | No, you manually arrange windows | Yes, opens and closes apps per context |
| Remembers browser tabs | No | No | Yes, restores exact tabs per project |
| Restores on switch | No, everything stays open | No, manual rearrangement | Yes, full environment in about 3 seconds |
| Focus Mode integration | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | Separating work types visually | Reducing window clutter | Switching between complete project setups |
Spaces and Stage Manager organize what's already open. They don't know what should be open for a given project, so every time you switch, you're still hunting for tabs, opening apps, and repositioning windows.
Ikuna closes that gap. It remembers the complete environment for each project and restores it automatically.
How to Create Your First Ikuna Context
Setting up your first context takes about 5 minutes. After that, switching is instant.
Step 1: Set Up Your Workspace Manually
Open everything you need for one specific project:
The apps you use for this work (Figma, Slack, VS Code, etc.)
Browser tabs for this project only
Position windows where you want them
Set your preferred Focus Mode
This is the last time you'll do this manually.
Step 2: Save the Context in Ikuna
Open Ikuna from the menu bar
Click "Create New Context"
Name it (e.g., "Client A Design Review" or "Deep Writing Mode")
Ikuna captures everything: apps, tabs, window positions, Focus Mode
Step 3: Switch to a Different Project
When you need to work on something else:
Open Ikuna
Select a different context (or create a new one)
Ikuna closes the previous project's apps and tabs, opens the new project's environment, and restores window positions
Switch time: 3 seconds. No manual cleanup. No hunting for tabs.
Step 4: Return to the Original Project
When you're ready to switch back, select the original context in Ikuna and everything returns exactly as you left it.
The cognitive overhead of context switching drops from 15 minutes of manual reconstruction to 3 seconds of automated restoration.
Why Context Switching Costs So Much (and How Ikuna Reduces It)
Research from Gloria Mark at UC Irvine found it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully regain focus after an interruption. Manual workspace reconstruction is a slower version of the same problem: you're not disrupted by a notification, but you're spending cognitive budget rebuilding your environment before actual work can begin.
The hidden cost adds up fast. You spend 5–10 minutes hunting through 47 browser tabs, a few more reopening apps you'd closed to reduce clutter, another couple repositioning windows, then however long it takes to remember where you actually left off. That's 15–30 minutes of overhead per switch. Move between projects three times a day and you're losing over an hour just to environment reconstruction.
Ikuna cuts that down to 3 seconds. More importantly, it makes switching deliberate. You decide when to switch, not your scattered tabs. And you stop burning mental energy on "should I close this tab?" decisions every time you change gears.
Ikuna doesn't eliminate context switching. It just makes it fast and intentional.
Ikuna vs. Other Mac Productivity Tools
Tool
What It Does
Works With Ikuna?
Rectangle / Magnet
Snaps and resizes windows with keyboard shortcuts
Yes, use Rectangle for quick adjustments and Ikuna for full context switching
BetterStage
Advanced window tiling and Stage Manager enhancements
Yes, complementary tools
macOS Spaces
Virtual desktops for visual separation
Yes, Ikuna can work within Spaces
Focus / Freedom
Blocks distracting websites and apps
Yes, Ikuna integrates with Focus Modes
Alfred / Raycast
App launchers and workflow automation
Yes, use for quick actions and Ikuna for project environments
Most Mac productivity tools manage windows or block distractions. Ikuna manages the complete project environment. It's the only Mac app purpose-built to eliminate context-switching overhead at the environment level.
Real-World Example: A Knowledge Worker's Context Setup
Here's how a typical knowledge worker uses Ikuna across three distinct work modes:
Context 1: Client Work
Apps open: Figma, Slack, Chrome (3 tabs: client dashboard, project doc, design system). Focus Mode set to Work. Figma full screen on the left monitor, Slack on the right.
Context 2: Deep Writing
Apps open: iA Writer, Safari (1 tab: research doc), Spotify. Do Not Disturb on. iA Writer centered, Safari minimized, focus playlist running.
Context 3: Admin and Email
Apps open: Mail, Calendar, Chrome (5 tabs: inbox, CRM, invoicing, bank, Notion). Focus Mode off. Mail on the left half, Calendar on the right, Chrome tabs in the background.
Without Ikuna, switching between these three modes means manually closing 8+ apps, hunting through dozens of browser tabs, repositioning windows, and toggling Focus Modes. Somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes per switch.
With Ikuna, you click "Deep Writing" in the menu bar and 3 seconds later the environment is ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ikuna work with multiple monitors?
Yes. Ikuna saves window positions across all connected displays. When you restore a context, windows return to the correct monitor and position.
What happens if I don't have an app installed that's part of a saved context?
Ikuna skips apps that aren't installed and restores everything else. You'll see a notification listing which apps were skipped.
Can I use Ikuna with macOS Spaces?
Yes. Ikuna works within Spaces. You can create contexts that open apps on specific Spaces, or use Ikuna independently of Spaces.
Does Ikuna close apps when I switch contexts?
Yes, by default. Ikuna closes apps that don't belong to the new context. You can configure this behavior in settings if you prefer to leave certain apps always open.
How is Ikuna different from session managers in browsers?
Browser session managers like OneTab or Session Buddy only save browser tabs. Ikuna saves your entire workspace: apps, tabs across all browsers, window positions, and Focus Modes. It's environment-level, not browser-level.
Can I automate context switching based on time or location?
Yes. Ikuna supports automation via AppleScript and Shortcuts. You can trigger context switches based on calendar events, time of day, or location.
Does Ikuna work with Arc, Brave, or other Chromium browsers?
Yes. Ikuna supports Chrome, Safari, Arc, Brave, Edge, and Firefox. It captures and restores tabs for all supported browsers.
What's the performance impact?
Minimal. Ikuna runs in the menu bar and uses less than 50 MB of RAM. Context switching takes 2–4 seconds depending on how many apps need to open.
Wrapping Up
macOS doesn't save context per project. It keeps everything running in a pile, and every time you switch tasks, you rebuild your environment from scratch.
Ikuna saves named contexts that capture your complete workspace (apps, tabs, window positions, Focus Modes) and restores everything in 3 seconds. If you switch between projects more than once a day, it pays for itself in the first hour.
Get Ikuna:brnsft.com
