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Show HN: Alt-tab-macos – Windows-style alt-tab on macOS

156 points by lwouis 7y ago

bpye 7y ago
This is pretty awesome. Every time I end up using a Mac (normally someone else's) I always struggle with the multitasking experience. This looks a lot more familiar.
SomeHacker44 7y ago
How great it would be if you could replace command-tab instead of adding control-tab? Neat idea, although I do prefer the command-tab, hold command, hit Q or M or H, continue holding command and hitting tab again, etc., of macOS standard switcher.
- lwouis 7y ago
  Author here. > replace command-tab instead of adding control-tab Currently there is no UI to customize hotkeys. I have a ticket to frame work that can be done here: https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/issues/8 https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/issues/8 However, you can switch keys in the code and get this working today. In `Application.swift` at line 16, replace let metaKey = 0x3B let metaModifierFlag: NSEvent.ModifierFlags = .control with let metaKey = 55 let metaModifierFlag: NSEvent.ModifierFlags = .command I tested, and it overrides the default macOS app-switcher, so no need to use something like Karabineer Elements which is what I use to disable the default app-switcher in addition to add the new control-tab hotkey shortcut. > I do prefer the command-tab, hold command, hit Q or M or H, continue holding command and hitting tab again You can already hit control-tab then hold, and cycle with tab or shift-tab. What's missing is the option to hit Q/M/H. I have a ticket to frame work that can be done here, inspired by the creative UI of another app called WindowSwitcher: https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/issues/9 https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/issues/9
  - i386 7y ago
    You should be able to do using [NSEvent addGlobalMonitorForEventsMatchingMask] - I used it to intercept the CMD+V to make all pastes plaintext in Plain Jane https://github.com/i386/plainjane/blob/master/Plain%20Jane/PJAppDelegate.m#L26 https://github.com/i386/plainjane/blob/master/Plain%20Jane/P...
  - bluetidepro 7y ago
    Sorry, I don't use Xcode often. I made the change in the code you provided above in Xcode. But now, how do I export/build the app to then drag that into my "Applications" folder with this version of the app, where it uses command-tab? EDIT: Google helped me out! If anyone else runs into the same thing, you do the dropdown in Xcode: Product > Archive > Distribute App (blue button) > "Copy App", and then that generates a folder with the newly created .app wherever you save it.
monkin 7y ago
Isn't just faster to use built in `ctrl + arrow` keys to manage this? You can also change shortcut.
- k__ 7y ago
  Is this a way to switch between multiple windows of one app?
  - monkin 7y ago
    ctrl + `
  - thomaslkjeldsen 7y ago
    Shortcut to cycle through multiple (non-minimized) windows of one app, in either direction: cmd + < cmd + >
    - thelittleone 7y ago
      I tried these with MacOS Mojave and with Firefox having multiple windows open (not minimized). Cmd + < opened up a new preferences tab on FF. Cmd + > did nothing.
      - k__ 7y ago
        I took out a tab of FF into a new windwo and it worked for me.
      - thomaslkjeldsen 7y ago
        Ah, the shortcut for this is keyboard layout specific: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/193937/shortcut-for-toggling-between-different-windows-of-same-app https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/193937/shortcut-fo...
  - pryce 7y ago
    command + ` on macOS is alt-tabb within the current app
rubyn00bie 7y ago
I'm excited to give this a try, though I wonder if there's a way to replace command tab with it instead of control tab. This little bit of UX is seriously one of those things you notice in Windows, if you're primarily a Mac user, and go "holy shit, I'm missing out." Windows 10, faults aside, actually does have some pretty clever UI/UX in spots that I really wish Apple would just "steal," because it (MacOS) sort of feels like a one-button-hockey-puck-mouse sometimes.
- lwouis 7y ago
  > I wonder if there's a way to replace command tab with it instead of control tab Check out my reply in another comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21254933 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21254933
- K0SM0S 7y ago
  Wait until you discover some basic features of KDE or Gnome (especially the former) on Linux then. Using KDE, both MacOS and Windows 10 feel like it's 2009 all over again, by comparison. I just don't understand why MS and Apple don't steal the best stuff, it's literally 'free' as in beer, and so much more important to a good UX compared to the slew of useless features both these commercial vendors keep on piling up... Things like per-window or per-app settings: - borderless - opacity - default an app to a virtual desktop, position and size, even sub-types of windows (e.g. when you want children to appear in some designated place) - a few well-placed magnets (sides, center, other windows) to quickly resize 'perfectly' (my OCD loves it haha) - activities (more like a meta-organization, so powerful when switching tasks/context like home / work / hobby / etc. - custom shortcuts for anything (any of the above, launch any app, optionally with command-line options) and so much more...
  - Brometheus 7y ago
    MacOS has custom shortcuts for everything.
    - Legogris 7y ago
      Where "everything" is a small subset of KDE's capabilities.
nikivi 7y ago
I use https://contexts.co https://contexts.co for app switching as it supports fuzzy searching windows
- lwouis 7y ago
  I considered using something like this, but as I explained in another comment (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21254984 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21254984), I think visual matching beats other approaches. I think the few seconds it takes to think about which app owns the window, or what text could match the window, will be longer that directly looking and visually recognizing your window. Again, this opinion is not supported by research. You may want to experiment on yourself. It is also not only about speed but the comfort of each work-flow may differ for different people.
- keybits 7y ago
  I love Contexts it has some great features. I was over the moon to discover that it allowed me to cmd-tab to a Finder window even if it was minimised! (Native macOS cmd-tab does not raise a Finder window even though the application is running.) Switching between Windows of the same application without needing to resort to cmd-tilde is also nice. Lots of customisation and power user options available in the settings.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
temporallobe 7y ago
I used to think I needed a third-party app for window switching in macOS, until I discovered Command + ` (back-tick) shortcut- which switches between windows of the sane app. Now I use it combination with Command + Tab and my workflow is so much easier. In fact, I wish Windows had this feature sometimes, but I do think Windows’ window switching is better and more intuitive.
- davidmurdoch 7y ago
  I don't use Mac, but do use Windows. This sounds like Windows' Alt+Tab (switches windows/apps) vs Ctrl+Tab (switches between tabs of an app). Is it not the same?
  - lwouis 7y ago
    * alt-tab on Windows is for finding a window within all apps. This is the one I cloned for macOS * alt-` on macOS or ctrl-tab on Windows is to cycle between tabs/windows of the current app * command-tab on macOS is to cycle between apps (the app will then elect which window to present the user)
- PunksATawnyFill 7y ago
  The difference is that Windows apps are far less likely to be a mess of floating windows than Mac apps are.
- mschuster91 7y ago
  For me with six different Chrome profiles, multiple Outlook windows, IDEs and messengers this is useless, as I often have to work in profile 1, then go to app 2 and then to chrome profile 3 - with hyperswitch it's simple, alt-tab until I hit the window I need. With command-backtick (which in Germany isn't the backtick but the > symbol!) it's awkward for the fingers and I would have to do cmd-tab, cmd-backtick, cmd-tab, cmd-backtick... you get the idea.
imkieren 7y ago
I like this idea a lot, just tried it now however and the UI is a bit too slow for how fast I like to switch between apps, espically on multiple desktops - takes about a second to show up and swaps to the active monitor instead of staying on the main like command+tab does. Will follow this!
- dplgk 7y ago
  There's an app called Witch that might suit your needs.
- lwouis 7y ago
  For the slowness, could you please check my reply here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21256353 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21256353 For the active monitor issue, I have never tested on multi-monitors (I personally switched back to single-monitor after years of multi). Could you please open a ticket? It may be an easy update
etaioinshrdlu 7y ago
I also like Hyperdock: https://bahoom.com/hyperdock https://bahoom.com/hyperdock It makes the Dock have windows 7 style window previews. I don't know what I'd do without it. Perhaps cry.
- Gimpei 7y ago
  Also does snapping, which I can't live without.
lbotos 7y ago
It's an "old" feature, but I use "hot corners" -> mission control to switch windows: https://simplymac.com/enjoying-hot-corners-on-your-mac/ https://simplymac.com/enjoying-hot-corners-on-your-mac/ I usually use cmd-tab when I want to close down windows for the day.
- jdkram 7y ago
  You can press Q while using cmd tab to quit that app entirely without leaving the cmd tab interface, which is a fast way of cleaning up at the end of the day / when project switching. (apologies if this was _precisely_ what you referring to, but commenting in case you meant you then closed each app individually with cmd q, then returned to the cmd tab interface) A few other shortcuts for cmd tab: http://osxdaily.com/2009/11/17/secrets-of-the-command-tab-mac-application-switcher/ http://osxdaily.com/2009/11/17/secrets-of-the-command-tab-ma... And on the off chance anyone reading this in Windows is also jonesing for a shortcut for closing lots of apps quickly: Ctrl alt tab: opens persistent app switcher Ctrl w: closes the current program
pazimzadeh 7y ago
How do you change the delay for showing the UI? > Delay before showing the UI to avoid flashing (default 200ms) What's flashing? Have you thought about enabling going backwards by pressing ` while control is held down?
- cgijoe 7y ago
  I believe OP means that if you press Alt+Tab and release the keys quickly, it'll simply swap to the last window without showing ("flashing") any UI overlay at all.
  - userbinator 7y ago
    The Windows one doesn't --- at least on XP, that is; Alt+Tab causes the switch window to show up the instant it's pressed. The delay may be the reason others here are noticing that it's "slow".
    - withinrafael 7y ago
      Neither does the switcher on Windows 10.
- lwouis 7y ago
  You can change this line: https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/blob/6b5e426e05d47c29b317f4bb960ed49f5660f8f6/alt-tab-macos/ui/Application.swift#L198 https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/blob/6b5e426e05d47c2... from 0.2 to whichever delay you want in seconds (0 is valid)
ComputerGuru 7y ago
That’s funny. I wrote a utility to bring macOS-style window switching for Windows 10 a few years ago: https://neosmart.net/blog/2017/easy-window-switcher/ https://neosmart.net/blog/2017/easy-window-switcher/ (Don’t worry, it’s still updated and maintained.) Also submitted as another Show HN, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, because why not? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21255305 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21255305
- rjblackman 7y ago
  thanks I've been looking for something like this. once you understand the cmd-tab, cmd-` behaviour from macos, you realize microsoft made the wrong ui decision with their alt-tab.
  - kristiandupont 7y ago
    This is certainly not the realization that I have reached. To me, "app" is an arbitrary grouping that I don't really care about. I have little mental projects in my head with a couple of windows related to them. That could be a browser window and an instance of vscode. The fact that I might have another set of windows that happen to use those same apps doesn't mean that I want them to pollute my z-index when switching back and forth. Yes, I know about spaces or multiple desktops or whatever but for some reason those don't sit will with me.
- monster2control 7y ago
  This is awesome. I’ve been wishing for something like this on Windows!!
eddyg 7y ago
I’ve been using HyperSwitch [1] and love it, but will give this a look... [1] https://bahoom.com/hyperswitch https://bahoom.com/hyperswitch
aasasd 7y ago
I'm using HyperSwitch that has the same feature, only on alt-tab. But! It also replaces the cmd-backtick shortcut with a similar overlay for the current app's windows. I find that great, because the native Mac order of switching windows is bonkers, while HyperSwitch employs the last-used order. The alt-tab feature in HS also has a flaw: if you switch to an app via the dock icon (or possibly by clicking on one of its windows), all windows of that app become ‘recently used’ in the alt-tab menu. I'm guessing this might be a behavior of MacOS, and that you might run into the same problem.
- lwouis 7y ago
  > The alt-tab feature in HS also has a flaw: if you switch to an app via the dock icon (or possibly by clicking on one of its windows), all windows of that app become ‘recently used’ in the alt-tab menu. I'm guessing this might be a behavior of MacOS, and that you might run into the same problem I'll test this, thanks for the heads up! Windows recently used order comes from the OS in my current implementation (I'm not spying on the whole system and keeping track; the OS is giving me a list of most-recent first windows). That may indeed affect my app too
29athrowaway 7y ago
Mission Control dashboard + Reduce motion accessibility setting = the best window switcher
- lwouis 7y ago
  Unfortunately Mission Control is not keyboard-accessible :/
pcr910303 7y ago
Great, it'll be immensely useful for me. I would appreciate more if the layover looked more like macOS. Currently the corners are too sharp compared to the macOS default ones, and the text is white compared to the less standing-out grey. Nonetheless, the idea is great and I think I'll switch to it right away!
K0SM0S 7y ago
I'm curious, why copy from Windows 10 instead of e.g. KDE (Plasma) which has so much more features and such a better UX overall?
- lwouis 7y ago
  When I was on Linux I always used i3, so I'm not familiar with KDE. Could you please elaborate on these extra features and how the UX is better?
  - eitland 7y ago
    Different strokes for different folks I guess. Personally I love KDE (install Neon, mostly leave it alone, as it os perfect for me). Other people will be happy with KDE because they can customize it to their hearts content. You can even make KDE look and work like MacOS if you want. Other people (notably a number here on HN) will immediately start commenting about how there are too many options in KDE and how the developers should rather fix some jarring alignment issues that people like me cannot see. Don't worry too much about us KDE users. You've already made my day better just by trying to fix one of the things that made me give up Mac after three years of trying.
monster2control 7y ago
I’m not sure what your talking about alt-` switches between app windows. The windows switcher is dreadful, it clumps all your windows in sorted and you can’t easily swap back and forth between two apps. On macOS, command tabbing nicely flips back and forth between the last used window. Windows never seems to make it easy to switch in my opinion.
dvcrn 7y ago
I’ve been using hyperswitch [0] for ages which does something like that. The killer feature for me is to hide windows that are not on my current desktop. I have virtual spaces for social and chats and really don’t want to ever see these windows when I’m on my programming space 0: http://www.bahoom.com/hyperswitch http://www.bahoom.com/hyperswitch
- lwouis 7y ago
  Author here. I drew inspiration from HyperSwitch. Unfortunately, it is no longer maintained and is not free or OSS software, so I couldn't take over. Specifically, I wanted to improve on some points: * visual clarity * size of the thumbnails * size of the app icons It's a shame it's not on github because the customization available through the preferences is great, and the product is great overall. It's one of those projects where I'm guessing the author is making no money and could release the code without any loss. He just probably forgot about it, unfortunately
  - some_developer 7y ago
    I applaud this, I really do. I'm also worried about HyperSwitch. When I converted to OSX half a decade ago, coming from Windows, this was the one app which I needed to be able to say "I can use this machine". I can't comprehend how people otherwise can organize their things; it's just not my thing. Also Tilde-Tab is the killer; Windows really missed out here. I looking for a replacement for the same reason: the uncertainty of the future of this app. The author seems to keep it alive, but it has (or had?) timebombs and once a year the author had to release a new patch version due to this. I tried contact the author to throw money at it, to make sure I can have this as long as I use OSX, but he didn't really respond to that. However, what can I say, I still prefer HyperSwitch (HS). - HS is much faster "coming up", this is essential for me. I want to quickly use this. Basically I configured HS to be instant, no delay. I can live with the flashes, actually doesn't really bother me - HS supports CMD-Tab and Tilde-Tab; I need both. And in practice they work amazingly well for me. Tile-Tab is when I strictly need to jump between in-app windows. CMD-Tab can do both, in fact. Jump between apps or within the same apps window. Also CTRL-Tab hurts to hit combined with TAB. Anyway, this was on my mind for some time and there was nothing where I could mention it to similar thinking people so I already apologize if this seems inappropriate as a feedback for the hard work you put into it! thanks
fortran77 7y ago
Wow! I remember when Windows users would try to put Apple-style features on Windows. (Interestingly, the "dock" was first on Windows, with StarDock, etc, before OSX had theirs).
- lwouis 7y ago
  I've spent years on windows, mac, linux. I remember in my youth adding a dock with the fisheye effect on hover on Windows XP. What a blast that was :p Nowadays i'm into workflow optimization and this alt-tab window-switching is what i found best in my personal study
- PunksATawnyFill 7y ago
  Meanwhile, Mac users STILL don't get a real Delete key; they get a Backspace key mislabeled "delete."
  - zapzupnz 7y ago
    It's been called Delete on Macs since day 1. What you call the 'Delete' key, Mac users call 'Forward Delete'.
    - fortran77 7y ago
      Mac users are nuts! I don't know how they can get anything done.
donatj 7y ago
Do people know about CMD+Tilde to switch windows within an app? CMD+Tab to the App and Tilde to the Window? It’s not mentioned in the READMEs description of how macOS tab switching works, so I’m curious if the author knows.
- t34543 7y ago
  I use witch and bind it to opt-tab, very happy.
- thiht 7y ago
  That's not really the same thing, it's a second shortcut for basically the same action. It's really not that good, it's far away from Tab and I don't ever remember that it exists. I remapped it to Option+Tab but it's not good either.
  - donatj 7y ago
    Far away from tab? It’s a single key up, at least on a US Qwerty keyboard. Update: Looking into non-us keyboards, this is way less convenient. Italian keyboards don’t even have a tilde? How do they program?
    - mfontani 7y ago
      alt+126 for tilde alt+123 for { (or ralt+shift+è) alt+125 for } (or ralt+shift+"+") ... hence why as a young programmer the best ever present I got from my mother was a US layout keyboard, and never looked back. With AltGr deadkeys I can even write things that are Italian, like "È", but cannot be done on an Italian keyboard (there is no such letter on the keyboard, and one has to rely on the word processing sofware to properly capitalise it if "è" comes after an end of sentence). Italian keyboards are shit for writing Italian, _and_ for programming.
    - aruggirello 7y ago
      On Windows (which I left almost two decades ago) the keyboard has always been a nightmare. Typing Alt+126 may solve the issue with tilde, but you can't possibly learn tens or hundreds of codes you might need if you happen to do any significant work on the keyboard. The Character map provides some relief, but the keyboard is a second-class citizen on Windows IMHO. On Linux, quite comfortably, thanks to the power of Alt modifiers (which I first got acquainted with on the Amiga), tilde is just Alt+"ì". BTW I don't have to recall ASCII codes of accented characters or leave the keyboard unless I have to type some really odd ones. I just type Alt+<accent symbol>. Thus I can type foreign words like Åland or Khazad-dûm in a fraction of a second with ease from the comfort of my keyboard... Würstels, crême caramel... È facile. Yes "È". Italian users on Windows always have issues typing uppercase accented characters... you can easily spot Italian Linux users by their uppercase text: PERCHÈ È COSÌ FACILE? Most (Windows) users will instead type: PERCHè è COSì. The most intrepid ones might even resort to "'" - PERCHE' E' COSI'. So sad. My ~2 cents.
ken 7y ago
Despite the readme ("Fast"!), it's pretty sluggish for me. Mission Control is instantaneous, and this takes 1-2 seconds to display. It also doesn't seem to support any form of drag-n-drop, which is (IMHO) the huge advantage of the Mac's command-tab and Mission Control. I can drag anything to anywhere, even if I'm not seeing its eventual target yet. Nor does it seem to support command-H/Q, or play well with Spaces. It's cool that you made your own switcher, but in terms of everyday usability, this feels like it gives up a dozen features of the built-in one I use a hundred times a day, in exchange for one nifty new feature (view all windows + keyboard control).
- lwouis 7y ago
  > it's pretty sluggish for me Did you take into account the 200ms that's purposefully added? The behavior of alt-tab on windows is also: if you press fast (within 200ms) you don't get a UI but the switch will happen. After holding alt for > 200ms, the UI is displayed. Taking that into account, does the UI display after a delay significantly longer than 200ms? Please open a ticket if it does, with your hardware specs. > It also doesn't seem to support any form of drag-n-drop That's a great idea! Please open a ticket > Nor does it seem to support command-H/Q, or play well with Spaces. There are 2 tickets opened currently for these 2 things. Hopefully they get implemented soon
  - mizaru 7y ago
    >if you press fast (within 200ms) you don't get a UI but the switch will happen I always get the UI, no matter how fast I press the keys (W10 1903). This may have been different on previous versions.
    - userbinator 7y ago
      XP and 98SE (I just started a VM to check) also don't have any delay, so I suspect that those who are seeing one are just experiencing some natural sluggishness rather than a deliberate delay.
    - lwouis 7y ago
mhd 7y ago
Is OS 9 single-app mode still an option on Mojave+? It used to work a few versions ago with a hidden setting, but doesn't seem to work like that anymore.
allworknoplay 7y ago
I use Witch by ManyTricks for this. I refused to get a mac until someone told me about it — I find switching to a program first and then to the correct window totally insane. Witch is very configurable and pretty performant — once in a while it feels sluggish but generally it’s quite good. Interested to try this too!
- PunksATawnyFill 7y ago
  That's Apple for you. They should have abandoned the dumb one-menu-for-all-apps idea with the OS X transition, but nope. That would entail learning. Then again, they DID implement Command-Tab app switching from Windows... but managed to screw it up by not restoring the app from a minimized state when you switch to it.
  - frou_dh 7y ago
    Hide is for apps, Minimize is for windows. You're not derisively ranting while not even knowing what Hide is, are you?
  - zapzupnz 7y ago
    All I read is "blah blah blah it's not exactly the same as Windows".
    - allworknoplay 7y ago
      I'm sorry, you think not wanting to hit a large number of extra keys to go different app => desired window, or to have to navigate a chaotic mission control view with a mouse is just a "not exactly the same as windows" complaint? This entire thread exists because of people who want mac os to have a better window switching pattern.
      - zapzupnz 7y ago
        Actually, I was referring to this bit: > but managed to screw it up by not restoring the app from a minimized state when you switch to it. "Screw up" is interesting wording. The implication is that macOS has a fault in it because its window management is (a) app-based and (b) therefore doesn't automatically unminimise every window belonging to that app. Imagine you had several windows minimised for a given app, switched to that app, and they all automatically swam back out of the Dock all in the name of emulating Windows. Yeah, people might want a different window management system that isn't app-based, but that doesn't make the current system a "screw up" for not perfectly emulating other systems to which one may be more accustomed — namely Windows. Just because people aren't familiar with it or don't see the benefits in it, nothing is "screwed up" because there isn't a slavish mimicry of the way Windows does things. There are those of us, believe it or not, who understand the macOS way of doing things and vastly prefer it. Yeah, we might not have the most valuable input in this discussion, but that still doesn't mean the macOS way is a "screw up". That's the point I'm making.
PunksATawnyFill 7y ago
How about fixing the problem where Apple doesn't restore the minimized app when you switch to it? Kind of defeats the purpose of tabbing through apps in the first place, when you leave it minimized in the dock after you switch to it. DUHHHH Apple.
- oneplane 7y ago
  That's what hide is for. cmd+h hides the app+windows, going back to it immediately restores all of it.
gonzalocasas 7y ago
Oh ppl, you don't know what you have until you lose it! I am unfortunately on Windows, and I miss CMD+Tab and CMD+Tilde style of switching so much. It's vastly superior in terms of reducing cognitive load.
- delecti 7y ago
  Are you familiar with all the Windows Button shortcuts? Win+# changes to that application in the task bar (Win+1 is the app nearest the start button, etc). That lets you develop a lot of muscle memory for switching between apps if you pin things to the taskbar; for me Win+1 is always my browser, Win+2 is file explorer, and so on. Win+Up maximizes a window, Win+Left/Right docks to half the screen, Win+Shift+Left/Right moves a window between monitors.
greggman2 7y ago
I have never enjoyed the distinction between apps, app windows, and in app windows. 25 years of alt+tab/Ctrl+tab/cmd+tab and I still can never switch to the thing I want. My mind is stuck on one hotkey that I want to mean "switch back to the last thing I was looking at" but that doesn't work because if the last thing was another app or another tab or window in the same program then I would need a different key. My brain doesn't want to have to remember that. it just wants "back to the last active thing" whatever that thing was. this bite me every day for 25 years . example on desktop. I switch tabs by clicking a tab. want to back to the last tab. I do the "one" action (cmd-tab) and get a different app instead of the last tab. so it's cmd-tab again and then click the tab. Sometimes I press cmd-tab multiple times before my brain realizes I need to click a tab. I'm often switching between editor (or 2), terminal, browser, and apps so this idea that I have to always no the exact state I'm and deliberately consciously pick one of 3 different key combos to switch seems crazy to me. The same thing happens on mobile. swipe up and pick previous window is my action to get back to the previous thing so when I want to switch back to the previous tab I always without fail by swiping up and then curse that the device didn't do what I want and instead I need to click the "display tabs icon". Again I'll be juggling multiple apps so the fact that the thing I want "go back to last thing" is inconsistent always mean the ux is failing me
- evrydayhustling 7y ago
  Amen. OS app/window distinction sucks because the OS doesn't really know what users experience as an app. We might have a dozen apps open inside chrome, or the same IDE configured for two massively different tasks. Now that users juggle not just multiple apps and windows, but tabs and accounts and devices, the OS should stop pretending it's privy to our workflow - or give us a better way to configure it.
  - greggman2 7y ago
    I agree the OS doesn't know what the app is doing with it's tabs/windows but the OS could mandate that it tell the OS a list of things the user should be able to switch to and design the API in such a way that we'd get a LRU behavior. I can dream haha. Just tried turning on tab support in Witch but AFAIK it can't do LRU so it's not helpful (T_T)
arvinsim 7y ago
If I can emulate MacOS workspace shortcuts on Windows, I would use it a lot more. Muscle memory is sometimes a curse.
oneplane 7y ago
Odd what things people seem to have issues with. I've never had any problem with application and window management on either platform, be it keyboard based or mouse based. I suppose for some people there has to be 'one true way' of managing windows and applications and every other way that isn't their way is automatically no good. But for me that hasn't really been the case. I like some versions more than others, but it doesn't really affect the way I work or the efficiency I work at.
seltzered_ 7y ago
https://github.com/numist/Switch https://github.com/numist/Switch was a very similar app made a few years ago.

156 points by lwouis 7y ago

bpye 7y ago

This is pretty awesome. Every time I end up using a Mac (normally someone else's) I always struggle with the multitasking experience. This looks a lot more familiar.

SomeHacker44 7y ago

How great it would be if you could replace command-tab instead of adding control-tab? Neat idea, although I do prefer the command-tab, hold command, hit Q or M or H, continue holding command and hitting tab again, etc., of macOS standard switcher.

lwouis 7y ago
Author here. > replace command-tab instead of adding control-tab Currently there is no UI to customize hotkeys. I have a ticket to frame work that can be done here: https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/issues/8 https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/issues/8 However, you can switch keys in the code and get this working today. In `Application.swift` at line 16, replace let metaKey = 0x3B let metaModifierFlag: NSEvent.ModifierFlags = .control with let metaKey = 55 let metaModifierFlag: NSEvent.ModifierFlags = .command I tested, and it overrides the default macOS app-switcher, so no need to use something like Karabineer Elements which is what I use to disable the default app-switcher in addition to add the new control-tab hotkey shortcut. > I do prefer the command-tab, hold command, hit Q or M or H, continue holding command and hitting tab again You can already hit control-tab then hold, and cycle with tab or shift-tab. What's missing is the option to hit Q/M/H. I have a ticket to frame work that can be done here, inspired by the creative UI of another app called WindowSwitcher: https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/issues/9 https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/issues/9
- i386 7y ago
  You should be able to do using [NSEvent addGlobalMonitorForEventsMatchingMask] - I used it to intercept the CMD+V to make all pastes plaintext in Plain Jane https://github.com/i386/plainjane/blob/master/Plain%20Jane/PJAppDelegate.m#L26 https://github.com/i386/plainjane/blob/master/Plain%20Jane/P...
- bluetidepro 7y ago
  Sorry, I don't use Xcode often. I made the change in the code you provided above in Xcode. But now, how do I export/build the app to then drag that into my "Applications" folder with this version of the app, where it uses command-tab? EDIT: Google helped me out! If anyone else runs into the same thing, you do the dropdown in Xcode: Product > Archive > Distribute App (blue button) > "Copy App", and then that generates a folder with the newly created .app wherever you save it.

monkin 7y ago

Isn't just faster to use built in `ctrl + arrow` keys to manage this? You can also change shortcut.

k__ 7y ago
Is this a way to switch between multiple windows of one app?
- monkin 7y ago
  ctrl + `
- thomaslkjeldsen 7y ago
  Shortcut to cycle through multiple (non-minimized) windows of one app, in either direction: cmd + < cmd + >
  - thelittleone 7y ago
    I tried these with MacOS Mojave and with Firefox having multiple windows open (not minimized). Cmd + < opened up a new preferences tab on FF. Cmd + > did nothing.
    - k__ 7y ago
      I took out a tab of FF into a new windwo and it worked for me.
    - thomaslkjeldsen 7y ago
      Ah, the shortcut for this is keyboard layout specific: https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/193937/shortcut-for-toggling-between-different-windows-of-same-app https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/193937/shortcut-fo...
- pryce 7y ago
  command + ` on macOS is alt-tabb within the current app

rubyn00bie 7y ago

I'm excited to give this a try, though I wonder if there's a way to replace command tab with it instead of control tab. This little bit of UX is seriously one of those things you notice in Windows, if you're primarily a Mac user, and go "holy shit, I'm missing out." Windows 10, faults aside, actually does have some pretty clever UI/UX in spots that I really wish Apple would just "steal," because it (MacOS) sort of feels like a one-button-hockey-puck-mouse sometimes.

lwouis 7y ago
> I wonder if there's a way to replace command tab with it instead of control tab Check out my reply in another comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21254933 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21254933
K0SM0S 7y ago
Wait until you discover some basic features of KDE or Gnome (especially the former) on Linux then. Using KDE, both MacOS and Windows 10 feel like it's 2009 all over again, by comparison. I just don't understand why MS and Apple don't steal the best stuff, it's literally 'free' as in beer, and so much more important to a good UX compared to the slew of useless features both these commercial vendors keep on piling up... Things like per-window or per-app settings: - borderless - opacity - default an app to a virtual desktop, position and size, even sub-types of windows (e.g. when you want children to appear in some designated place) - a few well-placed magnets (sides, center, other windows) to quickly resize 'perfectly' (my OCD loves it haha) - activities (more like a meta-organization, so powerful when switching tasks/context like home / work / hobby / etc. - custom shortcuts for anything (any of the above, launch any app, optionally with command-line options) and so much more...
- Brometheus 7y ago
  MacOS has custom shortcuts for everything.
  - Legogris 7y ago
    Where "everything" is a small subset of KDE's capabilities.

nikivi 7y ago

I use https://contexts.co https://contexts.co for app switching as it supports fuzzy searching windows

lwouis 7y ago
I considered using something like this, but as I explained in another comment (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21254984 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21254984), I think visual matching beats other approaches. I think the few seconds it takes to think about which app owns the window, or what text could match the window, will be longer that directly looking and visually recognizing your window. Again, this opinion is not supported by research. You may want to experiment on yourself. It is also not only about speed but the comfort of each work-flow may differ for different people.
keybits 7y ago
I love Contexts it has some great features. I was over the moon to discover that it allowed me to cmd-tab to a Finder window even if it was minimised! (Native macOS cmd-tab does not raise a Finder window even though the application is running.) Switching between Windows of the same application without needing to resort to cmd-tilde is also nice. Lots of customisation and power user options available in the settings.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

temporallobe 7y ago

I used to think I needed a third-party app for window switching in macOS, until I discovered Command + ` (back-tick) shortcut- which switches between windows of the sane app. Now I use it combination with Command + Tab and my workflow is so much easier. In fact, I wish Windows had this feature sometimes, but I do think Windows’ window switching is better and more intuitive.

davidmurdoch 7y ago
I don't use Mac, but do use Windows. This sounds like Windows' Alt+Tab (switches windows/apps) vs Ctrl+Tab (switches between tabs of an app). Is it not the same?
- lwouis 7y ago
  * alt-tab on Windows is for finding a window within all apps. This is the one I cloned for macOS * alt-` on macOS or ctrl-tab on Windows is to cycle between tabs/windows of the current app * command-tab on macOS is to cycle between apps (the app will then elect which window to present the user)
PunksATawnyFill 7y ago
The difference is that Windows apps are far less likely to be a mess of floating windows than Mac apps are.
mschuster91 7y ago
For me with six different Chrome profiles, multiple Outlook windows, IDEs and messengers this is useless, as I often have to work in profile 1, then go to app 2 and then to chrome profile 3 - with hyperswitch it's simple, alt-tab until I hit the window I need. With command-backtick (which in Germany isn't the backtick but the > symbol!) it's awkward for the fingers and I would have to do cmd-tab, cmd-backtick, cmd-tab, cmd-backtick... you get the idea.

imkieren 7y ago

I like this idea a lot, just tried it now however and the UI is a bit too slow for how fast I like to switch between apps, espically on multiple desktops - takes about a second to show up and swaps to the active monitor instead of staying on the main like command+tab does. Will follow this!

dplgk 7y ago
There's an app called Witch that might suit your needs.
lwouis 7y ago
For the slowness, could you please check my reply here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21256353 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21256353 For the active monitor issue, I have never tested on multi-monitors (I personally switched back to single-monitor after years of multi). Could you please open a ticket? It may be an easy update

etaioinshrdlu 7y ago

I also like Hyperdock: https://bahoom.com/hyperdock https://bahoom.com/hyperdock It makes the Dock have windows 7 style window previews. I don't know what I'd do without it. Perhaps cry.

Gimpei 7y ago
Also does snapping, which I can't live without.

lbotos 7y ago

It's an "old" feature, but I use "hot corners" -> mission control to switch windows: https://simplymac.com/enjoying-hot-corners-on-your-mac/ https://simplymac.com/enjoying-hot-corners-on-your-mac/ I usually use cmd-tab when I want to close down windows for the day.

jdkram 7y ago
You can press Q while using cmd tab to quit that app entirely without leaving the cmd tab interface, which is a fast way of cleaning up at the end of the day / when project switching. (apologies if this was _precisely_ what you referring to, but commenting in case you meant you then closed each app individually with cmd q, then returned to the cmd tab interface) A few other shortcuts for cmd tab: http://osxdaily.com/2009/11/17/secrets-of-the-command-tab-mac-application-switcher/ http://osxdaily.com/2009/11/17/secrets-of-the-command-tab-ma... And on the off chance anyone reading this in Windows is also jonesing for a shortcut for closing lots of apps quickly: Ctrl alt tab: opens persistent app switcher Ctrl w: closes the current program

pazimzadeh 7y ago

How do you change the delay for showing the UI? > Delay before showing the UI to avoid flashing (default 200ms) What's flashing? Have you thought about enabling going backwards by pressing ` while control is held down?

cgijoe 7y ago
I believe OP means that if you press Alt+Tab and release the keys quickly, it'll simply swap to the last window without showing ("flashing") any UI overlay at all.
- userbinator 7y ago
  The Windows one doesn't --- at least on XP, that is; Alt+Tab causes the switch window to show up the instant it's pressed. The delay may be the reason others here are noticing that it's "slow".
  - withinrafael 7y ago
    Neither does the switcher on Windows 10.
lwouis 7y ago
You can change this line: https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/blob/6b5e426e05d47c29b317f4bb960ed49f5660f8f6/alt-tab-macos/ui/Application.swift#L198 https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/blob/6b5e426e05d47c2... from 0.2 to whichever delay you want in seconds (0 is valid)

ComputerGuru 7y ago

That’s funny. I wrote a utility to bring macOS-style window switching for Windows 10 a few years ago: https://neosmart.net/blog/2017/easy-window-switcher/ https://neosmart.net/blog/2017/easy-window-switcher/ (Don’t worry, it’s still updated and maintained.) Also submitted as another Show HN, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, because why not? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21255305 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21255305

rjblackman 7y ago
thanks I've been looking for something like this. once you understand the cmd-tab, cmd-` behaviour from macos, you realize microsoft made the wrong ui decision with their alt-tab.
- kristiandupont 7y ago
  This is certainly not the realization that I have reached. To me, "app" is an arbitrary grouping that I don't really care about. I have little mental projects in my head with a couple of windows related to them. That could be a browser window and an instance of vscode. The fact that I might have another set of windows that happen to use those same apps doesn't mean that I want them to pollute my z-index when switching back and forth. Yes, I know about spaces or multiple desktops or whatever but for some reason those don't sit will with me.
monster2control 7y ago
This is awesome. I’ve been wishing for something like this on Windows!!

eddyg 7y ago

I’ve been using HyperSwitch [1] and love it, but will give this a look... [1] https://bahoom.com/hyperswitch https://bahoom.com/hyperswitch

aasasd 7y ago

I'm using HyperSwitch that has the same feature, only on alt-tab. But! It also replaces the cmd-backtick shortcut with a similar overlay for the current app's windows. I find that great, because the native Mac order of switching windows is bonkers, while HyperSwitch employs the last-used order. The alt-tab feature in HS also has a flaw: if you switch to an app via the dock icon (or possibly by clicking on one of its windows), all windows of that app become ‘recently used’ in the alt-tab menu. I'm guessing this might be a behavior of MacOS, and that you might run into the same problem.

lwouis 7y ago
> The alt-tab feature in HS also has a flaw: if you switch to an app via the dock icon (or possibly by clicking on one of its windows), all windows of that app become ‘recently used’ in the alt-tab menu. I'm guessing this might be a behavior of MacOS, and that you might run into the same problem I'll test this, thanks for the heads up! Windows recently used order comes from the OS in my current implementation (I'm not spying on the whole system and keeping track; the OS is giving me a list of most-recent first windows). That may indeed affect my app too

29athrowaway 7y ago

Mission Control dashboard + Reduce motion accessibility setting = the best window switcher

lwouis 7y ago
Unfortunately Mission Control is not keyboard-accessible :/

pcr910303 7y ago

Great, it'll be immensely useful for me. I would appreciate more if the layover looked more like macOS. Currently the corners are too sharp compared to the macOS default ones, and the text is white compared to the less standing-out grey. Nonetheless, the idea is great and I think I'll switch to it right away!

K0SM0S 7y ago

I'm curious, why copy from Windows 10 instead of e.g. KDE (Plasma) which has so much more features and such a better UX overall?

lwouis 7y ago
When I was on Linux I always used i3, so I'm not familiar with KDE. Could you please elaborate on these extra features and how the UX is better?
- eitland 7y ago
  Different strokes for different folks I guess. Personally I love KDE (install Neon, mostly leave it alone, as it os perfect for me). Other people will be happy with KDE because they can customize it to their hearts content. You can even make KDE look and work like MacOS if you want. Other people (notably a number here on HN) will immediately start commenting about how there are too many options in KDE and how the developers should rather fix some jarring alignment issues that people like me cannot see. Don't worry too much about us KDE users. You've already made my day better just by trying to fix one of the things that made me give up Mac after three years of trying.

monster2control 7y ago

I’m not sure what your talking about alt-` switches between app windows. The windows switcher is dreadful, it clumps all your windows in sorted and you can’t easily swap back and forth between two apps. On macOS, command tabbing nicely flips back and forth between the last used window. Windows never seems to make it easy to switch in my opinion.

dvcrn 7y ago

I’ve been using hyperswitch [0] for ages which does something like that. The killer feature for me is to hide windows that are not on my current desktop. I have virtual spaces for social and chats and really don’t want to ever see these windows when I’m on my programming space 0: http://www.bahoom.com/hyperswitch http://www.bahoom.com/hyperswitch

lwouis 7y ago
Author here. I drew inspiration from HyperSwitch. Unfortunately, it is no longer maintained and is not free or OSS software, so I couldn't take over. Specifically, I wanted to improve on some points: * visual clarity * size of the thumbnails * size of the app icons It's a shame it's not on github because the customization available through the preferences is great, and the product is great overall. It's one of those projects where I'm guessing the author is making no money and could release the code without any loss. He just probably forgot about it, unfortunately
- some_developer 7y ago
  I applaud this, I really do. I'm also worried about HyperSwitch. When I converted to OSX half a decade ago, coming from Windows, this was the one app which I needed to be able to say "I can use this machine". I can't comprehend how people otherwise can organize their things; it's just not my thing. Also Tilde-Tab is the killer; Windows really missed out here. I looking for a replacement for the same reason: the uncertainty of the future of this app. The author seems to keep it alive, but it has (or had?) timebombs and once a year the author had to release a new patch version due to this. I tried contact the author to throw money at it, to make sure I can have this as long as I use OSX, but he didn't really respond to that. However, what can I say, I still prefer HyperSwitch (HS). - HS is much faster "coming up", this is essential for me. I want to quickly use this. Basically I configured HS to be instant, no delay. I can live with the flashes, actually doesn't really bother me - HS supports CMD-Tab and Tilde-Tab; I need both. And in practice they work amazingly well for me. Tile-Tab is when I strictly need to jump between in-app windows. CMD-Tab can do both, in fact. Jump between apps or within the same apps window. Also CTRL-Tab hurts to hit combined with TAB. Anyway, this was on my mind for some time and there was nothing where I could mention it to similar thinking people so I already apologize if this seems inappropriate as a feedback for the hard work you put into it! thanks

fortran77 7y ago

Wow! I remember when Windows users would try to put Apple-style features on Windows. (Interestingly, the "dock" was first on Windows, with StarDock, etc, before OSX had theirs).

lwouis 7y ago
I've spent years on windows, mac, linux. I remember in my youth adding a dock with the fisheye effect on hover on Windows XP. What a blast that was :p Nowadays i'm into workflow optimization and this alt-tab window-switching is what i found best in my personal study
PunksATawnyFill 7y ago
Meanwhile, Mac users STILL don't get a real Delete key; they get a Backspace key mislabeled "delete."
- zapzupnz 7y ago
  It's been called Delete on Macs since day 1. What you call the 'Delete' key, Mac users call 'Forward Delete'.
  - fortran77 7y ago
    Mac users are nuts! I don't know how they can get anything done.

donatj 7y ago

Do people know about CMD+Tilde to switch windows within an app? CMD+Tab to the App and Tilde to the Window? It’s not mentioned in the READMEs description of how macOS tab switching works, so I’m curious if the author knows.

t34543 7y ago
I use witch and bind it to opt-tab, very happy.
thiht 7y ago
That's not really the same thing, it's a second shortcut for basically the same action. It's really not that good, it's far away from Tab and I don't ever remember that it exists. I remapped it to Option+Tab but it's not good either.
- donatj 7y ago
  Far away from tab? It’s a single key up, at least on a US Qwerty keyboard. Update: Looking into non-us keyboards, this is way less convenient. Italian keyboards don’t even have a tilde? How do they program?
  - mfontani 7y ago
    alt+126 for tilde alt+123 for { (or ralt+shift+è) alt+125 for } (or ralt+shift+"+") ... hence why as a young programmer the best ever present I got from my mother was a US layout keyboard, and never looked back. With AltGr deadkeys I can even write things that are Italian, like "È", but cannot be done on an Italian keyboard (there is no such letter on the keyboard, and one has to rely on the word processing sofware to properly capitalise it if "è" comes after an end of sentence). Italian keyboards are shit for writing Italian, _and_ for programming.
  - aruggirello 7y ago
    On Windows (which I left almost two decades ago) the keyboard has always been a nightmare. Typing Alt+126 may solve the issue with tilde, but you can't possibly learn tens or hundreds of codes you might need if you happen to do any significant work on the keyboard. The Character map provides some relief, but the keyboard is a second-class citizen on Windows IMHO. On Linux, quite comfortably, thanks to the power of Alt modifiers (which I first got acquainted with on the Amiga), tilde is just Alt+"ì". BTW I don't have to recall ASCII codes of accented characters or leave the keyboard unless I have to type some really odd ones. I just type Alt+<accent symbol>. Thus I can type foreign words like Åland or Khazad-dûm in a fraction of a second with ease from the comfort of my keyboard... Würstels, crême caramel... È facile. Yes "È". Italian users on Windows always have issues typing uppercase accented characters... you can easily spot Italian Linux users by their uppercase text: PERCHÈ È COSÌ FACILE? Most (Windows) users will instead type: PERCHè è COSì. The most intrepid ones might even resort to "'" - PERCHE' E' COSI'. So sad. My ~2 cents.

ken 7y ago

Despite the readme ("Fast"!), it's pretty sluggish for me. Mission Control is instantaneous, and this takes 1-2 seconds to display. It also doesn't seem to support any form of drag-n-drop, which is (IMHO) the huge advantage of the Mac's command-tab and Mission Control. I can drag anything to anywhere, even if I'm not seeing its eventual target yet. Nor does it seem to support command-H/Q, or play well with Spaces. It's cool that you made your own switcher, but in terms of everyday usability, this feels like it gives up a dozen features of the built-in one I use a hundred times a day, in exchange for one nifty new feature (view all windows + keyboard control).

lwouis 7y ago
> it's pretty sluggish for me Did you take into account the 200ms that's purposefully added? The behavior of alt-tab on windows is also: if you press fast (within 200ms) you don't get a UI but the switch will happen. After holding alt for > 200ms, the UI is displayed. Taking that into account, does the UI display after a delay significantly longer than 200ms? Please open a ticket if it does, with your hardware specs. > It also doesn't seem to support any form of drag-n-drop That's a great idea! Please open a ticket > Nor does it seem to support command-H/Q, or play well with Spaces. There are 2 tickets opened currently for these 2 things. Hopefully they get implemented soon
- mizaru 7y ago
  >if you press fast (within 200ms) you don't get a UI but the switch will happen I always get the UI, no matter how fast I press the keys (W10 1903). This may have been different on previous versions.
  - userbinator 7y ago
    XP and 98SE (I just started a VM to check) also don't have any delay, so I suspect that those who are seeing one are just experiencing some natural sluggishness rather than a deliberate delay.
  - lwouis 7y ago

mhd 7y ago

Is OS 9 single-app mode still an option on Mojave+? It used to work a few versions ago with a hidden setting, but doesn't seem to work like that anymore.

allworknoplay 7y ago

I use Witch by ManyTricks for this. I refused to get a mac until someone told me about it — I find switching to a program first and then to the correct window totally insane. Witch is very configurable and pretty performant — once in a while it feels sluggish but generally it’s quite good. Interested to try this too!

PunksATawnyFill 7y ago
That's Apple for you. They should have abandoned the dumb one-menu-for-all-apps idea with the OS X transition, but nope. That would entail learning. Then again, they DID implement Command-Tab app switching from Windows... but managed to screw it up by not restoring the app from a minimized state when you switch to it.
- frou_dh 7y ago
  Hide is for apps, Minimize is for windows. You're not derisively ranting while not even knowing what Hide is, are you?
- zapzupnz 7y ago
  All I read is "blah blah blah it's not exactly the same as Windows".
  - allworknoplay 7y ago
    I'm sorry, you think not wanting to hit a large number of extra keys to go different app => desired window, or to have to navigate a chaotic mission control view with a mouse is just a "not exactly the same as windows" complaint? This entire thread exists because of people who want mac os to have a better window switching pattern.
    - zapzupnz 7y ago
      Actually, I was referring to this bit: > but managed to screw it up by not restoring the app from a minimized state when you switch to it. "Screw up" is interesting wording. The implication is that macOS has a fault in it because its window management is (a) app-based and (b) therefore doesn't automatically unminimise every window belonging to that app. Imagine you had several windows minimised for a given app, switched to that app, and they all automatically swam back out of the Dock all in the name of emulating Windows. Yeah, people might want a different window management system that isn't app-based, but that doesn't make the current system a "screw up" for not perfectly emulating other systems to which one may be more accustomed — namely Windows. Just because people aren't familiar with it or don't see the benefits in it, nothing is "screwed up" because there isn't a slavish mimicry of the way Windows does things. There are those of us, believe it or not, who understand the macOS way of doing things and vastly prefer it. Yeah, we might not have the most valuable input in this discussion, but that still doesn't mean the macOS way is a "screw up". That's the point I'm making.

PunksATawnyFill 7y ago

How about fixing the problem where Apple doesn't restore the minimized app when you switch to it? Kind of defeats the purpose of tabbing through apps in the first place, when you leave it minimized in the dock after you switch to it. DUHHHH Apple.

oneplane 7y ago
That's what hide is for. cmd+h hides the app+windows, going back to it immediately restores all of it.

gonzalocasas 7y ago

Oh ppl, you don't know what you have until you lose it! I am unfortunately on Windows, and I miss CMD+Tab and CMD+Tilde style of switching so much. It's vastly superior in terms of reducing cognitive load.

delecti 7y ago
Are you familiar with all the Windows Button shortcuts? Win+# changes to that application in the task bar (Win+1 is the app nearest the start button, etc). That lets you develop a lot of muscle memory for switching between apps if you pin things to the taskbar; for me Win+1 is always my browser, Win+2 is file explorer, and so on. Win+Up maximizes a window, Win+Left/Right docks to half the screen, Win+Shift+Left/Right moves a window between monitors.

greggman2 7y ago

I have never enjoyed the distinction between apps, app windows, and in app windows. 25 years of alt+tab/Ctrl+tab/cmd+tab and I still can never switch to the thing I want. My mind is stuck on one hotkey that I want to mean "switch back to the last thing I was looking at" but that doesn't work because if the last thing was another app or another tab or window in the same program then I would need a different key. My brain doesn't want to have to remember that. it just wants "back to the last active thing" whatever that thing was. this bite me every day for 25 years . example on desktop. I switch tabs by clicking a tab. want to back to the last tab. I do the "one" action (cmd-tab) and get a different app instead of the last tab. so it's cmd-tab again and then click the tab. Sometimes I press cmd-tab multiple times before my brain realizes I need to click a tab. I'm often switching between editor (or 2), terminal, browser, and apps so this idea that I have to always no the exact state I'm and deliberately consciously pick one of 3 different key combos to switch seems crazy to me. The same thing happens on mobile. swipe up and pick previous window is my action to get back to the previous thing so when I want to switch back to the previous tab I always without fail by swiping up and then curse that the device didn't do what I want and instead I need to click the "display tabs icon". Again I'll be juggling multiple apps so the fact that the thing I want "go back to last thing" is inconsistent always mean the ux is failing me

evrydayhustling 7y ago
Amen. OS app/window distinction sucks because the OS doesn't really know what users experience as an app. We might have a dozen apps open inside chrome, or the same IDE configured for two massively different tasks. Now that users juggle not just multiple apps and windows, but tabs and accounts and devices, the OS should stop pretending it's privy to our workflow - or give us a better way to configure it.
- greggman2 7y ago
  I agree the OS doesn't know what the app is doing with it's tabs/windows but the OS could mandate that it tell the OS a list of things the user should be able to switch to and design the API in such a way that we'd get a LRU behavior. I can dream haha. Just tried turning on tab support in Witch but AFAIK it can't do LRU so it's not helpful (T_T)

arvinsim 7y ago

If I can emulate MacOS workspace shortcuts on Windows, I would use it a lot more. Muscle memory is sometimes a curse.

oneplane 7y ago

Odd what things people seem to have issues with. I've never had any problem with application and window management on either platform, be it keyboard based or mouse based. I suppose for some people there has to be 'one true way' of managing windows and applications and every other way that isn't their way is automatically no good. But for me that hasn't really been the case. I like some versions more than others, but it doesn't really affect the way I work or the efficiency I work at.

seltzered_ 7y ago

https://github.com/numist/Switch https://github.com/numist/Switch was a very similar app made a few years ago.