iSpace

iSpace is a macOS menu bar app that creates lightweight app-based workspaces.

It does not create/delete Mission Control Spaces. Instead, it shows or hides running apps based on the selected workspace.

What It Does

• Shows a menu bar icon with the current workspace symbol and index.
• Lets you switch between named workspaces from the menu or keyboard shortcuts.
• Lets you assign running apps to a workspace.
• Hides apps assigned to other workspaces and unhides apps assigned to the selected workspace.
• Leaves unassigned apps visible in all workspaces.
• Saves configuration to ~/.config/ispace/config.json.

Requirements

• macOS 13.0 or later (per app Info.plist).
• Accessibility permission (prompted at launch).
• Apple Events permission may be requested by macOS, depending on fallback visibility control paths.

Build

cd iSpace
swift build -c release

Binary output:

.build/release/iSpace

Run

Run directly:

.build/release/iSpace

Or package as a simple app bundle:

mkdir -p iSpace.app/Contents/MacOS iSpace.app/Contents/Resources
cp .build/release/iSpace iSpace.app/Contents/MacOS/iSpace
cp Sources/Info.plist iSpace.app/Contents/Info.plist
chmod +x iSpace.app/Contents/MacOS/iSpace
open iSpace.app

Note: the existing build.sh script still references the old SpaceCleaner name and is not aligned with the current binary target.

Default Workspaces

On first launch, iSpace creates a default config with these workspaces:

• Main
• Code
• Communication
• Browse
• Creative
• Productivity

Each workspace has a color, icon, and a default app-name allowlist.

Menu Actions

• WORKSPACES: select active workspace.
• Assign Apps: map running apps to a workspace, or unassign them.
• New Workspace...: create a workspace.
• Delete Workspace: remove any workspace except the first one.
• Edit Config File...: open config.json.
• Open Config Folder: open ~/.config/ispace/.
• Reload Config: reload config from disk.
• Reset to Defaults...: replace in-memory workspaces with defaults and switch to workspace 1.
• Pause iSpace / Resume iSpace: disable/enable workspace visibility switching.
• Quit iSpace: unhides hidden apps, then exits.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+1 ... Ctrl+9: switch to workspace index 1-9.
• Ctrl+Option+Left: previous workspace.
• Ctrl+Option+Right: next workspace.
• Ctrl+Option+D: pause/resume iSpace.

Configuration

Config file location:

~/.config/ispace/config.json

Template file written on first run:

~/.config/ispace/config.template.json

Current schema:

{
	"version": 1,
	"currentWorkspaceIndex": 0,
	"workspaces": [
		{
			"name": "Main",
			"appNames": [],
			"color": "blue",
			"icon": "house.fill"
		}
	]
}

Supported color values:

• blue
• indigo
• purple
• pink
• red
• orange
• yellow
• green
• mint
• teal
• cyan

icon uses an SF Symbols name.

Behavior Notes

• Switching workspaces only affects currently running regular apps.
• iSpace itself is never hidden.
• When paused, all hidden apps are unhidden.
• App assignment is by localized app name string.
• An app can only be assigned to one workspace at a time from the UI flow.

Troubleshooting

iSpace cannot control app visibility

• Ensure Accessibility is enabled for iSpace in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility.
• If prompted, allow automation/Apple Events access for System Events.

App assignments seem ignored

• Confirm the app is currently running (assignment menu only lists running regular apps).
• Check for exact app name matching in config.json.
• Use Reload Config after manual edits.

Apps stay hidden after testing

• Use Resume iSpace or Quit iSpace (quit explicitly unhides apps first).

License

No license is currently declared in this repository.