You size a window the way you like it, quit the app, and open it again. On macOS Tahoe, it comes back filling the whole screen. Mail and Calendar are the ones people notice most, and it happens every time.
What's happening
On Tahoe, some apps don't remember the window size and position you left them at. Instead they reopen in the "fill" layout. It isn't full screen mode, and it happens whether or not Stage Manager is on.
Is there a setting for it?
No. There's no switch in System Settings that turns this off, and Apple hasn't posted a fix. On Apple's own support forum, the thread on this problem ended with no answer from Apple.
Workarounds people have tried
- Window → Center, then resize. Choose Window → Center first, then drag the window to the size you want. The person who first reported the problem found the size then stuck after quitting and reopening. If you choose Fill first and then resize, the problem comes back.
- Open with Shift held down. Quit the app with ⌘Q, then hold Shift while you open it. This opens it without restoring its old windows. Results are mixed.
- Check Window tiling settings. In System Settings → Desktop & Dock, try turning off the window tiling options, then resize and quit again.
These have to be done app by app, and none of them is a setting that sticks for every app.
Reopen puts your windows back
Reopen is a small Mac app from Pushbuild. It remembers the size and position of each app's main window and puts the window back when the app reopens, so Mail, Calendar and the rest open the way you left them.
- Works on macOS 12 and later, including Tahoe, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs
- Lives in the menu bar, with no Dock icon
- Turn it off for any app from the menu
- $5 one-time, 7-day free trial
Download link: https://pushbuild.com/account/static/Reopen.zip
Keep it after the trial: https://buy.stripe.com/3cIbIO75t2XQ3ZLef17EQ00 (your license key is emailed after payment)
Questions
**Does it change my system settings?** No. It asks for Accessibility permission so it can move windows, reads only window sizes and positions, and sends nothing anywhere.
**Which apps does it work with?** Any regular app. It puts back the app's front standard window.
**Can I uninstall it?** Yes. Quit it and drag it to the Trash.