Mastering the Mac App Switcher: Essential Tips and Hidden Tricks

[decksnap]

Nice writeup. One thing missing though: how do I switch between windows? I just returned to the Mac after 20 years, and I was shocked not to be able to switch back and forth between two windows. Alt-Tab and all that - fine! But I want to increase my productivity substantially just by switching between the last two windows regardless of which app they belong to. How do I do that??

Command+tab and command+~ accomplish this with finer control. If the last used window is in another app use tab, and if it’s in the same app use ~.

 

[Bayoujetta]

How have I been using MacOS X for twenty years and never known you could do this.

agree!

 

[tennisproha]

I wish Apple user guides were this detailed! The only place I've seen it thus far is all the ways to launch the Camera app on the iOS guide.

Anyway, great writeup!

 

[SamSwede]

Right, but I don't want two switch between apps - I want to switch between windows regardless of which app they belong to. Could be between an Outlook calendar windows and an email I am editing. The concept of grouping windows per app looks good but it is not very productive.

 

[MasterControlProgram]

Right, but I don't want two switch between apps - I want to switch between windows regardless of which app they belong to. Could be between an Outlook calendar windows and an email I am editing. The concept of grouping windows per app looks good but it is not very productive.

Give this app a try, it lets you cycle all windows and doesn’t group things: https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/

 

[paulcons]

Right, but I don't want two switch between apps - I want to switch between windows regardless of which app they belong to. Could be between an Outlook calendar windows and an email I am editing. The concept of grouping windows per app looks good but it is not very productive.

Have you ever given Mission Control a try? I even set it up with a hot corner, so a mouse move shows me ALL open windows not apps. I single click the window I want and boom, it's app and it comes to the forefront. It was not that long ago when I was griping about something or other and someone said to use it. OTOH, I had been using High Sierra so these kinds of issues only started with getting a 4 Mini in December.

 

[decksnap]

Right, but I don't want two switch between apps - I want to switch between windows regardless of which app they belong to. Could be between an Outlook calendar windows and an email I am editing. The concept of grouping windows per app looks good but it is not very productive.

This was historically the core philosophy difference between MacOS (app centric) and Windows (Document centric). Regardless, Apple+tab and Apple+~ give you finer control.