Capture full workspace sessions
Save a complete macOS workspace as a named Session, including apps, windows, tabs, files, Focus Mode, and linked Reminders or Notes.
Cove
Cove is a macOS workspace manager that saves complete sessions and restores them in one click. It is built for people who switch between projects and want to preserve apps, tabs, files, and related context without rebuilding their setup.
Overview
Cove is a macOS workspace manager that captures the state of your open apps, windows, tabs, files, and a few related system elements, then restores that setup in one step. The site describes it as a save/load system for work rather than a window manager.
It is built for people who switch between projects repeatedly and want to save a workspace once, park the current context, and bring it back without rebuilding everything by hand. Cove supports macOS 15 and later on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Features
Park and restore context cleanly
Cove can park the current session before switching, saving its state and closing apps that are not part of the next session.
Auto-detect likely sessions
The app watches what you open and suggests a matching session using weighted scoring, while ignoring ambient apps such as Mail or Spotify.
Browser-aware restore
Native browser adapters support Safari, Chrome, Brave, Edge, and Arc, preserving tab order and active state when reopening pages.
Terminal session support
Terminal and iTerm adapters preserve the working directory for each window so you can return to the same project location.
Templates and Focus Mode actions
Sessions can act as reusable templates, and can also trigger a macOS Focus Mode through Shortcuts when restored.
Use cases
Project-based work sessions
Save a full setup for a specific project so you can reopen the same mix of apps, browser tabs, files, and notes without recreating it manually.
Frequent context switching
Park one workspace before moving to another, then restore it later when you return to the original task.
Reusable work templates
Create repeatable setups for recurring rituals such as weekly reviews or deep-work blocks by using sessions as templates.
Browser and terminal continuity
Restore a browser and terminal environment with the same tab order and working directory, which is useful for development or research work.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Captures a broad workspace state, not just window layouts.
- Supports multiple browsers and terminal apps through native adapters.
- Can park the current session before switching, which helps preserve context.
- Stores sessions locally on the Mac with no backend according to the site.
- Includes lifetime updates and two activations per license.
Cons
- The product is limited to macOS 15 and later.
- The source does not provide a working pricing page or plan breakdown beyond the launch offer.
- Some integrations and advanced capabilities are only described at a high level on the homepage.
FAQ
Will Cove work on my Mac?
Cove runs on macOS 15 (Sequoia) and later, on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. It works best when Accessibility and Automation permissions are granted so it can capture window positions and instruct apps to reopen tabs at restore time.
Why isn’t Cove on the Mac App Store?
Cove uses AppleScript and Accessibility APIs to capture and restore the state of other apps, which is why it is distributed directly instead of through the Mac App Store. The site says App Store sandboxing would restrict these capabilities.
How do updates work?
Cove uses Sparkle for updates. It checks for updates daily in the background, signs updates with EdDSA, and verifies them before install. Updates are included for the lifetime of the purchase.
Where is my data stored?
Sessions are stored locally on your Mac in Cove’s app data folder using a SwiftData database. The site says they are never sent to a server or analyzed, and optional iCloud sync is planned for the future.
Can I use one license on multiple Macs?
Each license includes 2 activations, so the app can be used on two Macs at the same time. The site also notes that additional activations may be granted in legitimate cases.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Productivity
- Platform
- macOS 15+ (Apple Silicon and Intel)
- Primary workflow
- Capture, park, and restore named workspace sessions
- Source domain
- covemac.app
- Pricing model
- One-time payment with lifetime updates
- License
- 2 activations included
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