How to rename desktops on Mac

Short answer: macOS doesn't let you. Your desktops are called "Desktop 1, Desktop 2, Desktop 3" and Apple has never added a way to change that, despite users asking since 2011.

There are workarounds, though. Some free, some paid, some clever, some annoying. I've tried most of them. Here's what each one actually does and where it falls short.

Last updated: April 2026 (macOS Sequoia)

Why people want this

If you have two desktops, numbering is fine. But once you get to four or five, "Desktop 3" stops meaning anything. A user on Apple's forum put it well: imagine your house had rooms labeled "Room 1, Room 2, Room 3" instead of "kitchen, bedroom, bathroom."

The most-upvoted thread on this topic has 782 "Me Too" votes. A thread from 2011 has accumulated over 28,000 views. People have been waiting 15 years for Apple to add this. Windows has had it since Windows 10.

If you use multiple desktops for different projects or clients, the lack of names is a real friction point. You end up swiping through them to find the right one, or memorizing which number goes with which task.

Every method I know of

Different wallpaper per Space

Set a unique wallpaper on each desktop. Your "code" Space gets a dark wallpaper, your "email" Space gets a light one, etc. Free, no tools needed.

It helps with recognition once you're on the right desktop, but doesn't help in Mission Control. The thumbnails at the top are tiny and wallpaper differences are hard to see there. There's no text label, so you're still guessing from small previews.

Stickies app with labels

Open the Stickies app, create a large sticky note saying "WORK" or "PERSONAL" on each desktop.

This gets covered by any window you open, which defeats the purpose. After a reboot they sometimes all end up on one Space. And like wallpapers, they're not visible in the Mission Control overview where you actually need labels.

Spaces Renamer (open source, free)

A GitHub project with 1,200+ stars that actually renames the labels in Mission Control. The real deal, in theory.

The problem: it requires disabling System Integrity Protection (SIP), which is a security feature Apple strongly recommends keeping enabled. And as of macOS 14.4+, it's broken on Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4). If you're on an older Intel Mac and comfortable disabling SIP, it works. For everyone else, it doesn't.

Spaceman (open source, free)

A small menu bar app that shows which Space you're on using dots or short codes in the menu bar.

Limited to 3-character labels (so "WRK" instead of "Work"). The labels aren't clickable, so you can't use it to switch Spaces. It's a read-only indicator, not a full naming solution. Free, though.

Desktop Space Renamer (Mac App Store)

An App Store app for renaming Spaces.

Reviews are mixed. The names show in the app itself but not in Mission Control or the menu bar. Some users report it doesn't persist names after restarts. The concept is right but the execution has limitations.

SpaceJump (menu bar app)

Full disclosure: I built this. It shows the current Space name in the menu bar, lets you assign names, icons, and colors, and has a quick switcher where you type a name and press Enter. Also tracks time per Space if you want that.

As of 2026, SpaceJump is the first and only app that shows custom Space names directly inside Mission Control on Apple Silicon Macs, without disabling SIP. Names also show in the menu bar and in the quick switcher. Works on Apple Silicon, no SIP changes needed. 14-day free trial, $9.99 one-time after that.

Quick comparison

Until recently, no tool could show custom names inside Mission Control itself. Apple's API doesn't expose that. SpaceJump found a way to do it anyway and is now the only app that displays custom Space names directly in Mission Control on Apple Silicon, without requiring SIP to be disabled. Every other solution is either a visual workaround (wallpapers, stickies) or shows names somewhere else (menu bar, a separate window).

Two settings to change either way

Regardless of which method you use, change these in System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Mission Control:

Turn off "Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use." This shuffles your desktop order constantly. If you name Desktop 2 "Work" today, it might be Desktop 4 tomorrow. With this off, your Spaces stay where you put them and keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+5) stay predictable.

Turn off "When switching to an application, switch to a Space with open windows for the application." Otherwise, clicking an app in the Dock can teleport you to a different desktop unexpectedly.

Questions