--- title: "Alt + Tab on Mac: How to switch between windows on Mac" description: "Use this Mac shortcut to mimic Alt + Tab and switch between windows on a Mac." image: "https://images.ctfassets.net/lzny33ho1g45/4G9KFIlv9ViRTUq1nn9Ia0/8908162b925f6de5d613916c8cb96378/Best_Mac_productivity_apps.jpg" --- # Alt + Tab on Mac: How to switch between windows on Mac Use this Mac shortcut to mimic Alt + Tab and switch between windows on a Mac. I love my Mac, but I have one big complaint: the keyboard shortcut `command + tab`. On Windows and most Linux systems I've used, there's a similar shortcut, `Alt + Tab`, which allows you to switch between every open window. `command + tab `on the Mac doesn't quite do this: instead, it allows you to switch between applications.  Here's how it looks. There's no way to tell, in this view, how many windows are open in each app. You also can't switch between windows in the same app here—for that, you need to use a different keyboard shortcut, `command + `` (backtick, the key above `tab` on your keyboard).  This all works well enough, but Windows' version is nicer in a few key ways. First: you can switch between _all_ windows in _all _apps using a single keyboard shortcut. Second, you can see previews of all open windows. [AltTab](https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/) is a free app that solves this annoyance by giving you a Mac `Alt + Tab` equivalent. Here's how to use it. **Table of contents** - [How to switch windows on Mac with the AltTab app](#how) - [Customizing AltTab](#customizing) - [Alt + Tab on Mac FAQ](#faq) ## How to switch windows on Mac with the AltTab app To get started, you need to [download AltTab](https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/). (It's an [open source](https://zapier.com/blog/what-is-open-source-software/) app, which means it's maintained by a community of volunteers and is generally trustworthy.) After downloading the app and moving it to your _Applications_ folder, you'll be asked for some permissions: the software needs access to _Accessibility_ features in order to take control of window management, and access to _Screen Recording_ in order to take screenshots. Once that's all set, you're good to go. By default, you can now use the keyboard shortcut `option + tab` to switch between your open windows. There will be a preview for each open window. You have a few options: - Keep pressing `tab` while holding `option` to cycle between windows; then let go of `option` to jump to the currently selected window. - Hold down `option`, and you can use the arrow keys to select a window. - Hold down `option`, and you can use the `W` key to close a window, `M` to minimize it, or `H` to hide it. In short: you can manage all of your open windows in just a few keystrokes. ## Customizing AltTab If this doesn't sound _quite_ like what you want, you can customize how it works. To get started, click the AltTab icon in the menu bar, and select **Preferences**.  In the _Controls_ tab, you'll find the ability to configure up to three different sets of keyboard shortcuts, plus a gesture shortcut. You could, for example, change the initial shortcut to `control + tab`. Or you could make a keyboard shortcut that only switches between windows that are open in the current space. Or you could decide not to include hidden windows. Under _Appearance_, there's also the ability to customize the look of the pop-up window: you can change how big it is, for example, and how many rows of thumbnails there should be. This is also where you can hide apps that don't currently have an open window, which I recommend doing—the switcher can feel quite cluttered if you don't. I recommend you spend some time [clicking all of the buttons](https://zapier.com/blog/experimentation-technology-automation/) to really get a feel for how everything works. Then, when your Mac works exactly the way you want, you can really start getting things done.  ## Alt + Tab on Mac FAQ ### How do I see all open apps on Mac? Use `control + up arrow` to open Mission Control. This shortcut lets you see every window you have open on your computer. From there, you can click on one to bring it to the front.  ### Which is the Alt key on Mac? The closest `Alt` key equivalent on Apple keyboards is the `option (⌥)` key. It's found between the `control (⌃)` and `command (⌘)`** **keys. Technically, though, the `option` key isn't an exact equivalent; you can't replicate the same keyboard shortcuts from Windows to Mac just by replacing `Alt` with `option`. ### How do I switch tabs on Mac? - To switch between open apps, use `command + tab`, and keep pressing tab until you get to the one you want. - To toggle between all your open windows, download an app like [AltTab](https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/) so you can use the `option + tab` shortcut. - To switch tabs inside a browser window, use `option + command + left/right arrow`. (This shortcut also works in apps that let you open multiple tabs, like Notion.) - To toggle between open windows of the same app, use `command + ``. **Related reading:** - [Your keyboard doesn't have an em dash key—here's what to do](https://zapier.com/blog/em-dash-on-keyboard/) - [Quick Look is the best Mac feature. Here's how to add it to Windows.](https://zapier.com/blog/quicklook-windows/) - [How to make Mac dark mode automatically](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-make-mac-dark-mode-automatically) - [Use PowerToys Run to mimic Mac's Spotlight in Windows](https://zapier.com/blog/powertoys-run-windows/) - [How to automatically quit apps on Mac when you're not using them](https://zapier.com/blog/how-to-quit-apps-on-mac/) _This article was originally published in March 2023. The most recent update, with contributions from Nicole Replogle, was in May 2025._