Download the latest release

Purpose

alt-tab-macos brings the power of Windows "alt-tab" window switcher to macOS.

How to use

• Press ⌥ option + ⇥ tab to shows the thumbnails
• Hold ⌥ option and press ⇥ tab to select the next thumbnail
• Hold ⌥ option and press ⇧ shift + ⇥ tab to select the previous thumbnail
• Release ⌥ option to switch focus to the window

Extra:

• You hover and click with the 🖱️ mouse
• You cycle with ⇦ left arrow and ⇨ right arrow
• You can cancel with ⎋ escape

Configuration

• Change the shortcut key, switch to a Windows theme, and more, using the Preferences window
• If you like scriptable/portable configuration, you can edit ~/Library/Preferences/alt-tab-macos.json

Alternatives

Before building my own app, I looked around at similar apps. However, none was completely satisfactory so I rolled my own. Also the almost-good-enough apps are not open-source.

Alternative	Differences
HyperSwitch and HyperDock	Closed-source. Thumbnails are too small. App icon is on top of the thumbnail
WindowSwitcher	7$. Thumbnails are small and blurry. App icon is on top of the thumbnail
Switch	Open Source. Thumbnails are small. Very little customization. Latest release is from 2016
Witch and Context	10-15$. Closed-source. Focus on text. No thumbnails
Built-in MissionControl	No keyboard support
⌘ command + ⇥ tab	Only shows apps, not windows (note: can press down to see window of selected app)
⌘ command + `	Cycles through tabs and windows, but only of the same app. Only cycling, no direct access

Screenshots

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2 rows

Windows theme