100 Tips #10: How To Quickly Switch Between Apps

Giles Turnbull (8:51 am PDT, Apr 20 2010)

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Some of our previous tips have guided you around the Dock, but you might not always want to use that.

Sometimes, you just want to quickly flit between applications, and constantly taking your hands off the keyboard to use the mouse or trackpad can be annoying.

This tip shows you a quick way to switch from one app to another, without taking your hands off the keyboard at all.

All you need is the Command key, and the Tab key. Hold down Command, and repeatedly press Tab until the App Switcher highlights the application you wish to switch to. Then let go.

This short screencast shows you what I mean:

Two extras:

  • Keep holding down Command, and tap Q to quit an application in the background.
  • Keep holding down Command, and tap the backtick key (`) to switch between different windows inside one application.

Taking a few minutes to learn these simple keyboard controls will greatly speed up your day-to-day use of OS X.

(You’re reading the 10th post in our series, 100 Essential Mac Tips And Tricks For Windows Switchers. Find out more.)

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7 comments »

  • eric

    While slightly OT, if you install the Witch preference pane, you get to use Option-Tab to switch between open windows (not just applications running or windows in an open application.

    http://manytricks.com/witch/

  • Javier

    The two extra tips are really nice. I wasn’t aware of them and I’m not precisely a newbie . Thanks!

  • Poppa

    I have only been a Mac user for just over twelve months, and you are still learning me new things, Thanks!

  • http://andyjmoore.co.uk/ Andy

    Also, ctrl and tab will switch between open tabs in Safari.

  • http://andyjmoore.co.uk/ Andy

    And ctrl + shift + tab will switch open tabs in Safari in reverse order.

  • Steve Ballmer

    ctrl + shift + tab: will ask you if you have ever farted so hard you ended up in another zip code?

  • http://www.tinbert.com Robert Fischer

    There are several more tricks with the app bar open:
    - Escape closes the bar without activating the selected app
    - ‘H’ hides the selected app
    - Command-Shift-Tab cycles from right to left
    - Use of cursor/page keys to cycle is also possible
    - Cursor down with selected app shows all windows of the app

About the author

gilest

Giles Turnbull is a freelance writer in England. He writes for the Press Association and The Morning News. He has a website you can ignore and a Twitter account you needn't follow.

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