ESC for quitting app switcher

[lordthistle]

With previous OS versions, I could press ESC while using the App Switcher (CMD+TAB) for quitting the switcher while staying in the current app.

Now, on MacOS 26, ESC does not have any effect. To quit the App Switcher and stay in the current app, I need to select the first app in the list, then depress the two keys CMD and TAB.

Is there a way to bring back the old behavior?

 

[MacGizmo]

Hitting ESC quits the App Switcher for me (multiple Macs, both desktops and laptops). Perhaps your ESC key has some dirt under it or something?

 

[lordthistle]

Are you on MacOS 26?

 

[ebika]

ESC won't abort the App Switcher for me either in Tahoe (26.1b1 currently). A clunky way to do it is to press either the up or down arrow which moves you from App Switcher into App Exposé. Hitting ESC from App Exposé drops you back to your original window before you started App Switcher. It's not how I'll do it since it's quick to just fire App Switcher a second time to end up back where you started.

 

[MacGizmo]

Are you on MacOS 26?

Yes. macOS 26.0 (not the recently released 26.1 Developer beta)