CmdTab
macOS window switching
MenuClose
Window switcher
A standalone CmdTab app that shows individual Mac windows
CmdTab is separate from Apple’s built-in Command-Tab shortcut. It is built for people who need to reach a specific window, not merely activate an application and search again.
Last reviewed:
Current project version: 1.0.0
Overview
CmdTab app switcher overview
A sharp HD product composite introduces Classic Grid, Command Palette, Radial Menu, and Quick Actions using current interface geometry and controlled fixture windows.
The overview is a deterministic, non-AI product composite based on the current interface geometry and documented behavior contract. Controlled fixtures replace private desktop content.
How it works
One sequence from shortcut to exact window
The behavior below describes the current implementation rather than an aspirational marketing flow.
Step 1
Press Cmd+Tab or the configured trigger
CmdTab intercepts the switcher shortcut and opens the current exact-window sequence instead of presenting one icon for each application.
Step 2
See individual eligible windows
Two windows from the same app remain separate entries. They can appear in different positions because ordering follows window focus history rather than an app group.
Step 3
Choose by preview, search, or position
Use Classic Grid for visual scanning, Command Palette for title and app search, or Radial Menu for directional selection.
Step 4
Release or confirm to focus the target
CmdTab attempts to focus the selected exact window. Permanent recent-use history is updated only after activation is confirmed.
Behavior reference
The important details are explicit
These rules are also protected by automated regression tests in the public repository.
| Question | CmdTab behavior |
|---|---|
| Multiple windows from one app | Separate exact-window entries |
| Ordering | One global recent-use sequence, not PID or bundle grouping |
| Current window | Remains visible at the end of the cycling order |
| Preview failure | Window stays visible with an icon or placeholder |
| Spaces | Current Space, Visible Spaces, or All Spaces |
| Displays | Active-window display, cursor display, or all displays |
| Actions | Hide, minimize, close, or quit the selected item |
Mode and action references
Go deeper without repeating the same landing page
Each page below answers a different user decision: visual scanning, text search, positional selection, or contextual window management.
Classic Grid
Review the thumbnail-oriented mode, exact-window tile contract, preview fallback, and visual-scanning tradeoffs.
Open reference →
Command Palette
Inspect local app and window text matching, acronym signals, stable ties, and bounded remembered-choice promotion.
Open reference →
Radial Menu
Understand the circular positional presentation, shared target sequence, and directional-selection limits.
Open reference →
Quick Actions
See which operations apply to an exact window or an application and how unavailable controls fail safely.
Open reference →