Keeping multiple apps in view is hard when macOS still doesn’t ship a native macOS always on top toggle. Every week people search “keep window on top mac,” only to discover there isn’t a buried checkbox or hotkey inside System Settings. This 2025 guide explains why Apple hasn’t added the feature, which always on top mac tool options actually work, and how to assemble a reliable pin window on top mac workflow.
Here’s what a pinned window looks like using a lightweight tool such as Floaty:
1. Why doesn’t macOS ship Always on Top?
macOS routes every window through WindowServer and heavily relies on Spaces and Stage Manager to isolate desktops. When you enter fullscreen, macOS literally moves other apps to a different space, so there’s no sanctioned API for a window always-on-top utility to float above everything. Apple tends to avoid platform-wide floating UI elements because of distraction and privacy considerations, so a persistent overlay is unlikely to become a default feature. In short, macOS was never designed with a system-wide “pin window” feature in mind, so we need third-party help.
2. Popular alternatives that still work in 2025
| Tool | Can keep window on top? | Highlights | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetterTouchTool | ✅ | Deep automation, custom gestures, flexible triggers | Requires building your own action to pin window on top mac, so ramp-up time is higher |
| Rectangle Pro | ✅ (paid) | Combines mac window manager shortcuts with Always on Top | Pinning is basic; best if you already live in Rectangle |
| Magnet | ❌ | Super simple snapping grid | Still appears in “Magnet always on top” searches, but it cannot float windows |
| Afloat | ⚠️ Legacy | Early free always on top mac tool | No longer maintained; modern macOS releases break it |
| Floaty | ✅ | Native permissions, opacity and click-through controls, multi-window support | Needs Screen Recording + Accessibility access, but everything stays local |
3. Which approach fits different users?
| User type | Recommended setup | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Casual users | Rectangle Pro or Floaty | Minimal configuration, quick “pin window mac” experience |
| Multi-window office work | BetterTouchTool + Floaty | BTT automates context switching, Floaty keeps dashboards or docs floating with opacity control |
| Developers | Floaty + custom hotkeys | Frequent log/terminal overlays benefit from Floaty’s click-through and shortcut support |
| Content creators | Floaty | Ideal float window mac workflow for tutorials, recordings, or livestream monitoring |
4. Final thoughts
Because of macOS’s architecture, you’ll always need a third-party window always-on-top utility to keep critical windows visible. Whether you script in BetterTouchTool, rely on a mac window manager like Rectangle, or prefer Floaty’s one-click approach, the right combo will pin what matters without constant Command+Tab gymnastics.
Related reading: explore how Floaty pins multiple overlays on the homepage and follow upcoming changelogs on the blog index.