macOS · Switch between apps
Apps
Windows · Linux
Not on this systemMac
Cmd+TabSteps between apps rather than windows, so an app whose windows are all hidden comes to the front with nothing on screen.
- Group
- Apps
- Keys held
- 2
Cmd sits where Windows puts Ctrl. Text movement is the exception: end of line is Ctrl+A/E or Cmd+←/→, not a Cmd version of the Windows key.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Switch between apps in macOS?
Steps between apps rather than windows, so an app whose windows are all hidden comes to the front with nothing on screen. It is — on Windows and Cmd+Tab on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — — on Windows, Cmd+Tab on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
2 pressed together. The combination sits under Apps in macOS.