When Cursor updates, restarts, or is relaunched with multiple windows open across different macOS Spaces/desktops, all restored windows reopen on the current Space instead of returning to the Spaces where they were before restart.
This disrupts workflows where each project has a dedicated Space with its own Cursor window and related browser/terminal/etc. windows.
Steps to Reproduce
Open multiple Cursor windows.
Move them to different macOS Spaces/desktops, optionally across multiple monitors.
Restart Cursor or let Cursor update and restart.
Observe that restored windows collect onto one Space.
Expected Behavior
Each Cursor window should reopen on the same macOS Space/desktop, and ideally the same monitor, where it was before restart/update.
You’ve got it exactly right: on relaunch we restore each window’s position, size, and monitor, but macOS Space assignment isn’t something Electron exposes a way to read or restore, so all restored windows land on the current Space. That’s the same platform limitation behind the behavior, and it applies to any Electron-based app.
The VS Code PR you linked is the interesting part. It’s the first concrete, upstream attempt at AppKit-based Space restoration I’ve seen, and because it’s upstream it’s a path we could adopt rather than something that needs to be solved from scratch on our side. I can’t promise a timeline, but we’ll track this thread to gauge interest, which is exactly what helps us prioritize picking it up if that work lands. If others rely on per-Space window layouts, chiming in here is the most useful thing you can do.
+1, this hits my workflow exactly. I keep a dedicated Space per project and having everything collapse onto one Space after an update means I have to manually re-sort all my windows each time Cursor restarts.
Thanks for the clear explanation of the Electron limitation, Mohit, and for flagging the VS Code PR as a possible upstream path. Would love to see Cursor pick this up.
The window with the compiler internal libraries moved to Desktop 2
My primary work window moved to Desktop 3
The window where I do interviews moved to Desktop 5
I know it only takes a minute or two to do this shuffle, but I do the same dance after every update. It makes me more hesitant to take upgrades because they are more disruptive than they need to be.
And since I am just an evolved hairless ape, I often get it wrong. Then I go to do an interview and find myself looking at compiler libraries, and have to go chase down the right window.
The closest analogy I can think of is:
“Good news! We updated your filing cabinet to this week’s best version. All your documents are still there, but they have been moved into the first folder of the first drawer. Please re-sort them (again) before continuing your work.”
“Oh.. Um, Thanks?”
And I am left to wonder if the slightly more comfortable drawer handles were really worth it…
