Skip to main content

How to use desktop Stacks to stay organized

One place that many computer users take for granted is the desktop. It can be so simple to save an image from the web or a file from an email to the screen you see most. But with this can come clutter, and before you know it, you can have 20 to 30 icons filling your screen.

One way to clean up your desktop but still keep your items organized is by using Stacks. On MacOS, Stacks are groups of files. So, if you regularly save items to your desktop, each time you do, the item will be automatically placed in a Stack.

Let’s walk through how to turn on Stacks, choose how they’re grouped, browse or open the files, and change the appearance of Stacks.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Mac computer

how to use desktop stacks stay organized mac

Turn on Mac desktop Stacks

You have three quick and easy ways to enable Stacks on your Mac desktop.

  • Click your desktop, select View in the menu bar, and pick Use Stacks.
  • Right-click your desktop and pick Use Stacks.
  • Press the key combination Control + Command + 0 (zero).

As soon as you enable Stacks, you’ll see your icons move and your files placed into groups.

To stop using Stacks, use one of the above options to deselect Use Stacks or press the above-mentioned keyboard shortcut.

how to use desktop stacks stay organized mac group by

Choose how to group Stacks

The nice thing about using Stacks to stay organized is that you can group them in a way that makes sense for you.

  • Kind: This places the same types of items in Stacks, like images, PDF files, screenshots, and so on.
  • Date: You can choose from Last Opened, Added, Modified, or Created to group by date.
  • Tags: If you use Tags to keep files and folders organized on Mac, this is a handy way to go.

To change how you want your Stacks grouped, click the desktop and select View in the menu bar or right-click the desktop. Move to Group Stacks By and pick an option.

how to use desktop stacks stay organized mac expand stack

Browse, expand, and collapse Stacks

With your Stacks set up on your desktop, you can browse through the files or expand a Stack to view and open a file.

To browse, place your cursor over the Stack and then swipe to the right or left with two fingers on your trackpad or one finger on your Magic Mouse. When you land on the file you want, double-click to open it.

To expand, simply click the Stack and then double-click to open a file. To collapse the Stack again, click the Arrow.

Change the appearance of Stacks

Just like other file and folder icons you have on your desktop, you can change the way that Stacks appear. You can increase the size of the icons, move the labels, adjust the spacing, and more.

Step 1: Click your desktop and open View in the menu bar or right-click the desktop.

Step 2: Select Show View Options.

how to use desktop stacks stay organized mac show view options

Step 3: Use the various sections of the window that appears to change the appearance of your Stacks.

  • Stack By and Sort By: Choose how the Stacks are grouped or rearrange them in a particular order with your other icons.
  • Icon Size and Grid Spacing: Use the sliders to adjust the size of the icons and the spacing between them on the desktop.
  • Text Size and Label Position: Increase or decrease the size of the label text or choose to show the labels in a different position.
  • Show Item Info: To display more details for a Stack, such as the number of items within a Stack or sizes of images, check the box for Show Item Info.
  • Show Icon Preview: To display the first file in a Stack as the icon, check the box for Show Icon Preview.
how to use desktop stacks stay organized mac change view options

Whether you’re looking for a new way to organize your desktop or simply tidy it up, Stacks are a terrific option on Mac.

Editors' Recommendations

Sandy Writtenhouse
Sandy has been writing about technology since 2012. Her work has appeared on How-To Geek, Lifewire, MakeUseOf, iDownloadBlog…
The one thing the next version of macOS needs to address
The MacBook Pro open on a wooden table.

Every year we get a new version of macOS, and that usually comes with an assortment of tweaks and features. But with the massive uptick in interest in generative AI, 2023 isn't like any other year in the world of tech.

Apple hasn't commented on or announced anything in response to tools like ChatGPT or Midjourney, making it one of the few big tech companies that haven't dipped their toe in yet. But WWDC 2023 is just around the corner, and rather than focus on all the iterative features Apple likely has in the works, generative AI will feel like the elephant in the room if it isn't addressed in macOS 14.

Read more
Here’s why WWDC could be a ‘critical event’ for Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook looks at a display of brand new redesigned MacBook Air laptop during the WWDC22

Apple is planning a packed line-up for its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 5, which could become “one of the most critical events in the company’s history.” Aside from the company’s upcoming Reality Pro headset, there will be major updates to Apple’s software systems, including the biggest watchOS revamp since the Apple Watch launched in 2015.

That’s according to a new report from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who has a history of accurate predictions and leaks surrounding Apple products. It suggests that WWDC will be a chance for Apple to set out its future ambitions for a “post-iPhone era.”

Read more
This little-known feature is my favorite part of using a Mac and iPhone together
Person using iPhone and MacBook.

Apple’s ecosystem attracts plenty of praise for how all the company’s devices work seamlessly together -- and rightly so. But among all the admiring glances cast toward AirDrop, Continuity Camera and Sidecar, there’s another feature that feels a little unloved -- yet it’s a superb perk of using multiple Apple devices together.

That feature is Universal Clipboard, a handy little timesaver that shuns the spotlight and simply works diligently in the background. Yet that simple nature -- it just works, as the saying goes -- is part of what makes it so great to use.

Read more