Complete overview: How to quickly switch between applications and windows on Mac

When we work on a Mac, we usually work with multiple applications and windows. Together, we can have several applications open, where we are working on something different in each of them, and at the same time we can work on several projects at the same time in one application. For many macOS users, especially those who recently switched to it from the rival Windows, switching between applications and windows can be a bit more complicated and confusing. So let's summarize in this article, in which ways you can work on a Mac with windows in order to achieve the greatest possible efficiency while working.

Switching between different applications

First, we'll look at how you can easily switch between different application windows. There is a special keyboard shortcut for this option, along with several trackpad gestures. It depends only on you which form you choose for switching between applications.

Using a keyboard shortcut

To switch between multiple application windows using a keyboard shortcut, just press and hold the button Command. Then press the button Tab and pressing the button again Tab move to the app you want to open. Once you get to it using the Tab key, then release both keys. This option resembles the classic switching between windows from the Windows operating system. So if you've switched from it to macOS, I think you'll like this option the most from the start.

Using trackpad gestures

You can also switch between apps with a few gestures on the trackpad. To instantly change a window that is in full screen mode, just swipe three fingers from left to right or right to left. It depends on how you have the applications "laid out" - their order is also determined accordingly.

There is also a gesture that you can use to view overview of all running applications. Using it, you can then simply choose which window to move to. This function is called Mission Control and you can call it up simply on the trackpad by sliding three fingers from bottom to top. You can also use the keys F3, which you use to invoke Mission Control as well.

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Switching between windows of the same application

In macOS, you can also (quite easily) switch between windows of the same application. In this case, you can use simple keyboard shortcuts, but on European keyboards comes the trick. The keyboard shortcut you can use to switch between windows of the same application is Command + `. On an American keyboard, which has a different layout, this character is located in the lower left part of the keyboard, specifically to the left of the Y key. But on a European keyboard, this character is located in the right part of the keyboard, specifically next to Enter (see the image below).

Fortunately, you can easily use this keyboard shortcut alter, so you can only press it fingers of one hand and not with two hands. To change, click in the upper left corner of the screen apple logo icon and from the drop-down menu that appears, select an option System Preferences… Then a new window will open where you can move to the section Keyboard. Then press the option in the top menu Abbreviations. Now you need to move to the section on the left side of the window Keyboard. After that, just find the shortcut in the list of shortcuts on the right Select another window and double-clicking on previous shortcut to set a new one. Just be careful with the keyboard shortcut it has not been used anywhere else.

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Discussion of the article

[Veronika]

Thanks! It helped

[MatJ]

For iOS Monterey, after installing it, the keyboard shortcut for switching between windows of one application stopped working. Changing to a different shortcut helped.

[ih]

doesn't work, or it only works somewhere...