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

Hold the configured mouse-move modifier and drag a tiled window onto another to swap them; this works in both layouts. On Niri, add Shift to insert into a column instead. In Dwindle the drag swaps whole tiles, so a tab group moves with all of its members, the drop target is outlined while you hover it, releasing anywhere else changes nothing, and Shift has no effect. The modifier defaults to Option and can be changed or disabled in Settings → Mouse & Trackpad. In Overview, dragging a thumbnail needs no modifier and 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.

The Trackpad scroll style picker under Settings → Mouse & Trackpad → Trackpad Gestures → Scroll columns chooses how the strip responds:

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

All five gesture assignments appear together in Trackpad Gestures. You can select fingers while a gesture is off. If an assignment conflicts, Set Up… shows exactly which gestures would turn off and lets you choose before applying. Turning off Scroll columns also turns off modifier + mouse-wheel column scrolling.

Move and resize with the trackpad (opt-in)

Enable Move windows or Resize windows in Settings → Mouse & Trackpad → Trackpad Gestures to drag without clicking. The gesture targets the tiled window under the cursor in either layout; lift all fingers to finish. Move swaps with the window under the drop position and stays on the starting monitor. Resize adjusts the nearest movable edges. The pointer itself stays in place.

Choose two, three, or four fingers for each action. Defaults are four fingers to move and three to resize, with both actions disabled. Column scrolling is on by default with three fingers, so the Resize row first offers Set Up…; pick another finger count (two fingers can intercept normal scrolling in apps) or turn off Scroll columns. A window gesture needs a finger count unused by other enabled OmniWM gestures, including column scrolling, workspace switching, and Overview. Set Up… previews which conflicting gestures would turn off and lets you choose before applying the assignment. You can also reassign or disable those gestures yourself. At 1.0x sensitivity, a full trackpad sweep travels across the starting screen.

Turn off matching macOS gestures in System Settings → Trackpad → More Gestures to prevent Mission Control, App Exposé, or full-screen app switching from firing alongside window gestures.

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. When sharing fingers with enabled column scrolling in Niri, workspace swipes use the perpendicular axis on each display: vertical for horizontal Niri containers, horizontal for vertical containers. Otherwise, they use the selected axis.

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.