A Beginner’s Guide To the Mac App Switcher

You can use the App Switcher to quickly and easily switch between running apps. It is a keyboard shortcut, but not as simple to use as just pressing the keys. You can use it to see which apps are running and pick which one to bring to the front, all without lifting your fingers off of the keyboard. You can also use it to quit apps.

Comments: 8 Responses to “A Beginner’s Guide To the Mac App Switcher”

    Mark D.
    7 years ago

    When you a bunch of apps running, you can also use the mouse pointer to select once of the apps in the App Switcher (while still holding down the Command key), as that can be faster than pressing the Tab key multiple times if the app you want to switch to is towards then end.

    Dennis Craig
    7 years ago

    I have been a user of the App Switcher for a long time...however, I sometimes have a problem getting Safari to open when I highlight it in the Switcher—I have to use the mouse to select it from the dock to open it. It seems that Safari is the only one that does that. Is there a reason? Thanks!

    7 years ago

    Dennis: Perhaps Safari is running, but there is no open window? In that case, if you "switch" to Safari, it will switch to it and you can see "Safari" in the menu bar since it is now the frontmost app, but it still doesn't have an open window. You'd need to use File, New Window to open a window. However, in the same situation, if you click on the Dock icon for Safari, it switches to Safari and also recognizes that no Safari window is open and automatically opens a new one.

    John Bedrossian
    7 years ago

    Hi Gary,
    When I hold down command and hit the tab key I get the app switcher on the screen, but when I release the command key I go back to the original app not the new one??

    7 years ago

    John: Have you tried it in different circumstances? Are you sure the app is not changing -- look at the top left corner of the menu bar to see the name of the frontmost app.

    John Bedrossian
    7 years ago

    yes, OK, the menu bar changes but what's on the screen doesn't change. ??

    7 years ago

    John: It sounds like the app you are switching to simply doesn't have any open windows/documents. So open/start one.

    John Bedrossian
    7 years ago

    Gary,
    thank you, yes I guess I didn't have open windows in the apps I was trying to switch to. thanks

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