Can I make Cmd+Tab show individual windows on a Mac?

Not with a setting. The built-in Command-Tab switcher shows one icon per app. To reach a particular window, switch to the app and then press Control-Down Arrow for App Exposé or Command-` to cycle its windows, or install a switcher such as docktor that shows each app's windows as thumbnails right in the switcher.

How do I go backwards in the Cmd+Tab switcher?

Keep holding Command and press Shift-Tab, or use the Left Arrow key. To cancel without switching, press Esc or the Period key before you let go of Command. docktor's switcher uses the same keys: Shift-Tab to go back and Esc to cancel.

Does docktor's switcher include minimized windows?

Yes. When you highlight an app, docktor's switcher shows all of its windows, including minimized windows and windows on other desktops. Choosing a minimized window restores it and brings it to the front.

How do I get the normal Mac app switcher back?

Open docktor's settings, go to the Cmd+Tab page, and turn off Replace macOS Command-Tab. Command-Tab and Command-` go straight back to the native macOS behavior, and docktor's Dock previews keep working.

Can I close or quit apps from the switcher?

In docktor's switcher, yes: while it's open, Command-W closes the highlighted window, Command-Q quits the highlighted app, and Command-Shift-Q force-quits it. If you'd rather the switcher only navigate, turn off Allow close and quit shortcuts in switcher on the Cmd+Tab settings page.

Guide

How to show all windows in Cmd+Tab on Mac

The built-in Command-Tab switcher can’t show individual windows: it lists one icon per app, and there’s no setting that changes that. The built-in workaround is two steps — Command-Tab to the app, then press Control-Down Arrow to see its windows in App Exposé. If you want to see an app’s windows right inside Cmd+Tab, docktor replaces the switcher with one that shows the highlighted app’s windows as thumbnails you can pick from.

How Command-Tab works on a Mac

Command-Tab is an app switcher. A quick press and release takes you to the app you used most recently. To go further:

Hold Command and press Tab repeatedly, or use the Left and Right Arrow keys, to move through your open apps. Release Command to switch.
Press Shift-Command-Tab to move the other way.
Changed your mind? Press Esc or the Period key, then release Command.

Every app gets exactly one icon, whether it has one window open or twelve. Switching to an app brings it forward, but you still land on whichever of its windows macOS puts in front, which is often not the one you were after.

Built-in ways to reach a specific window

macOS gives you window-level tools, they just live outside the app switcher. Combine them with Command-Tab:

Command-Tab, then App Exposé

Use Command-Tab to switch to the app.
Press Control-Down Arrow. macOS shows all open windows of the front app. With App Exposé turned on in System Settings › Trackpad › More Gestures, a three- or four-finger swipe down does the same.
Click the window you want.

Command-Tab, then Command-`

Once you’re in the app, Command-` (the key above Tab on most keyboards) steps to the app’s next window, and Shift-Command-` steps back. It’s quick when the app has two or three windows, but you can’t see where you’re going until you get there. The guide to switching windows of the same app covers this shortcut and the Window menu in more depth.

Mission Control, skipping Command-Tab entirely

Press Control-Up Arrow or the Mission Control key to see every window on the current desktop at once, then click one. It’s the closest built-in thing to an all-windows switcher, but it’s mouse-driven and fills the screen.

Why none of these fully solve it

Each is a second step after Command-Tab, or a separate mode you have to enter and leave.
Command-` cycles blind, and App Exposé and Mission Control are built around pointing and clicking.
Nothing in the Command-Tab row itself tells you which windows an app has open.

The faster way: docktor’s Cmd+Tab switcher

docktor is a free, native macOS 26 app that takes over Command-Tab with a switcher built around windows. You still hold Command and tap Tab, and the row of apps is still there, but above the highlighted app a tray shows a thumbnail of each of its windows. You still tab through apps, but you can pick the window, not just the app.

Hold Command and tap Tab: the apps row stays familiar, and each app's windows appear as thumbnails above it.

Set it up and use it

Download docktor, move it to Applications, and open it. It needs macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later and no account.
In onboarding, leave Window Switcher switched on and grant Accessibility and Screen Recording. Accessibility lets docktor handle the Command-Tab keystroke and list your windows; Screen Recording lets it draw their thumbnails.
Hold Command and press Tab. Keep tapping Tab (or Shift-Tab) to move between apps. A quick tap and release still returns you to the previous app.
Press Up Arrow to move into the highlighted app’s windows, then use Left and Right to choose one. At the last window, Right carries on into the next app’s windows. Down Arrow returns to the apps row.
Release Command (or press Return) to switch to the highlighted window. Esc cancels.

Each app’s tray includes minimized windows and windows on other desktops, and picking a minimized one restores it. On the Cmd+Tab page of docktor’s settings you can hide apps that have no open windows, turn off the thumbnail tray for an icons-only strip, and have Command-Tab open on the current app instead of the previous one. The window switcher feature page shows more of how it looks.

Limitations worth knowing

While it’s on, docktor’s switcher also answers Command-`, so that shortcut opens docktor’s switcher and steps backwards through apps instead of cycling the front app’s windows. Turn off Replace macOS Command-Tab on the Cmd+Tab settings page to get both native shortcuts back.
docktor requires macOS 26 Tahoe and Accessibility permission. Screen Recording is optional, but without it the switcher shows a placeholder outline of each window, with its title and app icon, instead of a thumbnail.
During the beta docktor sends anonymous diagnostics (a heartbeat, crash summaries, and a settings snapshot) unless you turn off Settings › General › Beta Telemetry; the privacy policy lists everything that’s sent.

If you’d rather point than type, docktor also adds window previews to the Mac Dock. Weighing switchers? See how docktor compares with AltTab.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make Cmd+Tab show individual windows on a Mac?: Not with a setting. The built-in Command-Tab switcher shows one icon per app. To reach a particular window, switch to the app and then press Control-Down Arrow for App Exposé or Command-` to cycle its windows, or install a switcher such as docktor that shows each app's windows as thumbnails right in the switcher.
How do I go backwards in the Cmd+Tab switcher?: Keep holding Command and press Shift-Tab, or use the Left Arrow key. To cancel without switching, press Esc or the Period key before you let go of Command. docktor's switcher uses the same keys: Shift-Tab to go back and Esc to cancel.
Does docktor's switcher include minimized windows?: Yes. When you highlight an app, docktor's switcher shows all of its windows, including minimized windows and windows on other desktops. Choosing a minimized window restores it and brings it to the front.
How do I get the normal Mac app switcher back?: Open docktor's settings, go to the Cmd+Tab page, and turn off Replace macOS Command-Tab. Command-Tab and Command-` go straight back to the native macOS behavior, and docktor's Dock previews keep working.
Can I close or quit apps from the switcher?: In docktor's switcher, yes: while it's open, Command-W closes the highlighted window, Command-Q quits the highlighted app, and Command-Shift-Q force-quits it. If you'd rather the switcher only navigate, turn off Allow close and quit shortcuts in switcher on the Cmd+Tab settings page.

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