HopTab
How to switch between windows on Mac
If you came from Windows, the Mac's Cmd+Tab feels broken — it switches apps, not windows, and shows every app you have open. Here are the built-in shortcuts that actually exist, and how to get a switcher that shows only the apps you care about.
⌘+Tab switches apps. ⌘+` (backtick) switches between windows of the current app. ⌃+↓ fans out all windows of the front app. If you want a switcher that only cycles a handful of apps you pick, you need a dedicated tool.
Why Cmd+Tab feels wrong
macOS is app-centric, not window-centric. Cmd+Tab was designed to cycle applications — so a single browser with eight windows shows up as one icon, and your rarely-used menu-bar apps clutter the list. That's the source of nearly every “Mac window switching is frustrating” complaint.
The built-in shortcuts
- Switch apps: ⌘+Tab, then keep tapping Tab (or ⇧+Tab to go backward). Release to switch.
- Switch windows of the same app: ⌘+` (the key above Tab). Cycles the front app's windows on the current Space.
- See all windows of the front app: ⌃+↓ (App Exposé) fans them out so you can click one.
- See every window everywhere: ⌃+↑ (Mission Control).
A focused app switcher (the fix)
The real fix isn't a different keystroke — it's a switcher that shows fewer things. HopTab lets you pin only the apps you actually use (say, your editor, terminal, browser, and Slack) and cycle just those:
- Press ⌥+Tab to cycle your pinned list; release ⌥ to switch, Esc to cancel.
- For multi-window apps, a Space-aware window picker shows only windows on your current desktop — so you never get yanked to another Space.
- While the switcher is open, ⌘+Q/H/M quits, hides, or minimizes the highlighted app.
- Prefer to keep one switcher? A one-click preset lets HopTab replace
Cmd+Tabentirely.
Switch only the apps you use
Pin your real apps and cycle them with Option+Tab — no clutter, no wrong Space. Free and open source, macOS 14+.
FAQ
Why does Cmd+Tab switch apps instead of windows on Mac?
macOS is app-centric: Cmd+Tab cycles applications, not individual windows. To move between windows of the same app, use Cmd+`; to see all of an app's windows, use Control+Down (App Exposé).
How do I switch between two windows of the same app on Mac?
Press ⌘+` (the backtick key, above Tab) while that app is focused to cycle through its windows on the current Space.
Can I make Cmd+Tab only show certain apps?
Not with the built-in switcher. HopTab lets you pin a short list of apps and cycle just those with Option+Tab, and it can replace Cmd+Tab entirely with a one-click preset.