Tips

Name your workspaces

Create named workspaces in Settings to organize by project or context — emojis work too 🥳.

Tame problem apps with rules

Use App Rules to exclude problematic apps from tiling or assign them to specific workspaces.

Swap windows by dragging

On the Niri desktop, hold the configured mouse-move modifier and drag to swap tiled windows; add Shift to insert into a column. The modifier defaults to Option and can be changed or disabled in Settings → Mouse & Trackpad. In Overview, Option + drag targets a workspace, window position, or Niri column gap.

Resize with a right-drag

Hold the configured right-mouse resize modifier (Option by default) and right-drag a tiled window to resize it in either layout.

Scroll the strip with a mouse wheel

Hold Option + Shift + Mouse Scroll Wheel (default, configurable) to scroll along the active Niri primary axis: left/right in horizontal orientation or up/down in vertical orientation.

Trackpad gestures

Use 2/3/4-finger gestures (configurable) along the active Niri primary axis; direction can be inverted (local hardware validation is limited).

The Trackpad Scroll Style picker in Settings → Mouse & Trackpad chooses how the strip responds:

• Snap to Columns (default) — the scroll snaps to the nearest column.
• Momentum — free inertial scrolling with rubber-band edges.

Workspace swipe (opt-in)

Opt in under Settings → Mouse & Trackpad: swipe with a configurable finger count (2/3/4) and axis (horizontal/vertical) to switch to the next/previous workspace on the monitor under the cursor, one switch per swipe. Sharing the column-scroll finger count locks the axis to vertical.

Mission Control can intercept vertical swipes

For vertical swipes with three or four fingers, first turn off Mission Control in System Settings → Trackpad → More Gestures so macOS does not intercept the gesture.