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Panes

Release notes

What changed, and when.

Panes 0.1.15

  • Pressing a snap key while a Panes window is in front no longer makes Panes quit.

Panes 0.1.14

  • The unlock screen says what Panes promises: free updates for life.

Panes 0.1.13

  • Clicking a window in a taskbar preview, or closing one from it, no longer makes Panes quit.

Panes 0.1.12

  • Windows keep clear of the taskbar, like they do of the Dock: zoom and maximize stop above it, and a window that reaches under it is moved up or made shorter when you let go. Turn it off in Settings, Taskbar.
  • Snapping, Snap Assist and layout restore leave room for the taskbar too.
  • Later on the update prompt closes it.

Panes 0.1.11

  • Pin apps to the taskbar: right click a button and choose Pin to taskbar. A pinned app stays on the left and opens with a click; its windows take its place while it runs. Manage pins in Settings, Taskbar.
  • Drag taskbar buttons to put them in the order you like.
  • Ctrl+Option+1 to 9 also opens pinned apps.
  • Snap Assist reuses one panel, and the support log no longer shows harmless window errors.

Panes 0.1.10

  • Panes tells you when an update is out and installs it in one click. It checks every few minutes by downloading a small version file; turn it off in Settings.
  • Snap Assist follows quarters and thirds too: after a quarter it offers the next quarter, then the other half; after a third, the space that's left.
  • Hiding the Dock for the taskbar no longer asks for Automation permission, and the taskbar stays off full-screen apps.
  • A support log: About has a Show log file button. The log stays on your Mac and never records window titles, file names, what you type or your key.
  • The unlock screen no longer mentions refunds.

Panes 0.1.9

  • Fast Cmd+Tab or Option+Tab taps switch without the panel flashing on screen.
  • When you hold the keys, the switcher appears already drawn, with the window you're leaving shown as it is now.

Panes 0.1.8

  • The switcher is instant: it appears, moves and closes at once, like the Mac's own, and opens with current previews instead of swapping old ones in.
  • Windows closed with Cmd+W by apps that keep running, like Slack or Claude, no longer linger in the switcher. A busy app no longer makes its windows go missing.
  • Windows go back to their display when you reconnect it. Anything you moved on purpose stays where you put it.
  • Snap Assist keeps the snapped app in front, fills the half with larger previews, and stays away when the other half is already taken.
  • Press Space in the switcher to show windows from everywhere, this desktop or this screen, just for that time.
  • The Dock comes back if Panes quits or crashes while the taskbar hides it, and Settings explains a denied Automation permission.

Panes 0.1.7

  • Option+` cycles the windows of the app in front. Tap it to jump to the previous window, or hold Option to pick. With the Cmd+Tab style it's Cmd+`.
  • Snap Assist: after you snap a window to one half, Panes offers your other windows for the empty half. Pick one with the arrows or the mouse, or press Escape to skip.
  • Show windows from: the switcher can list windows from everywhere, this desktop only, or the screen it opens on. Your old desktops setting carries over.
  • The cheat sheet and Home show the snap keys you chose, such as Cmd+Option.
  • Switching apps with the taskbar on no longer refreshes the taskbar twice.

Panes 0.1.6

  • Taskbar previews: hold the pointer over a taskbar button to see the window. Click the preview to switch, or close the window from it. Grouped buttons show up to four windows.
  • Right click a taskbar button to hide or quit the app.
  • Ctrl+Option+1 to 9 picks a taskbar window, left to right.
  • Explorer keys in Finder: Enter opens, F2 renames, Delete moves to the Trash and Option+Up goes to the enclosing folder. Rename fields, search and dialogs work as before.
  • Hover a window in the switcher to close it with the mouse.
  • Faster and lighter: Panes now hears about new, closed and renamed windows from macOS instead of checking every two seconds, and the switcher reuses its window list when nothing changed.

Panes 0.1.5

  • Previews are always there: windows on other desktops and minimized windows now get live previews, and every window keeps its last image, so the switcher never opens to empty tiles.
  • Typing to search in the switcher no longer triggers quick actions. Q, W, M and H act only before you start typing, never with Shift, and never when quick keys are off.
  • Picking a window on another desktop now switches to that desktop.
  • Finder: New file stops instead of falling back to the Desktop when Panes can't read the current folder, and keys are only sent while Finder is still in front.
  • The Finder Services (New file, Copy path) follow their switches. Include windows on other desktops and Cycle thirds now work. Settings that did nothing were removed.
  • Taskbar buttons keep their place instead of reordering on every focus change, and the window list scrolls instead of stopping at twelve.
  • Ctrl+Backspace no longer turns on Ctrl+arrow word jumps, which took over switching desktops.
  • Lighter: fewer captures while the switcher is open, no accessibility work on plain clicks, fewer redraws.
  • Previews of other desktops use a macOS system interface. A future macOS update may switch that off; the switcher then shows the last image instead.

Panes 0.1.0

  • Option+Tab shows every open window with a live preview. Type to filter; press W to close, Q to quit or M to minimize without leaving the switcher.
  • Cmd+Tab can replace the Mac's app switcher instead, if you prefer.
  • Ctrl+Option and an arrow key snaps a window: left or right half, maximize, restore. Press again to cycle thirds. Drag to an edge to see where it will land.
  • Cmd+X then Cmd+V moves files in Finder. New file and Copy path are in the right click menu under Quick Actions.
  • Home and End jump to the start and end of a line. Ctrl+arrow word jumps are available and off by default.
  • Mouse and trackpad scroll directions can be set separately.
  • An optional taskbar, a cheat sheet on Option+F1, and a welcome that walks through the two Apple permissions.