Guide

How to switch between windows of the same app on Mac

Press Command-` (the key above Tab) to jump to the next open window of the app you’re using, and Shift-Command-` to go back. To pick a window by name, open the app’s Window menu; to see them all at once, press Control-Down Arrow for App Exposé.

Built-in ways to switch windows within an app

Command-Tab won’t help here: it switches between apps, and each app is a single entry however many windows it has open. These four methods work at the window level instead. All of them are built into macOS 26 Tahoe.

1. Command-` to cycle windows

• Command-` activates the next open window in the front app.
• Shift-Command-` activates the previous one.

The ` character varies by keyboard layout. Apple describes the key as generally the one above Tab and to the left of 1, so if your keyboard shows a different symbol there, try that key with Command. You can review or reassign the shortcut in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts. Command-` is the fastest option when an app has two windows. With five or six it becomes guesswork, because you only see each window after you’ve landed on it.

2. The Window menu, by name

1. With the app in front, click Window in the menu bar.
2. The bottom of the menu lists the app’s open windows by title. Choose one to bring it forward.

This works best in apps with descriptive window titles, such as documents in Pages or TextEdit. It’s less useful when every window has the same title, like several windows of a terminal app.

3. App Exposé, to see them all

Press Control-Down Arrow and macOS shows every open window of the front app so you can click the one you want. With App Exposé enabled in System Settings › Trackpad › More Gestures, a three- or four-finger swipe down does the same. You can also get there from the Dock: Control-click the app’s icon and choose Show All Windows. The Dock window previews guide walks through these views in more detail.

4. Minimize or hide what’s in the way

Sometimes it’s faster to clear windows out than to hunt through them. Command-M minimizes the front window to the Dock and Option-Command-M minimizes all of the front app’s windows. Command-H hides the front app, and Option-Command-H hides every other app so only the one you’re working in stays on screen.

Where the built-in methods fall short

• Command-` cycles without showing you what’s next.
• The Window menu depends on apps giving their windows useful titles.
• App Exposé and Show All Windows take over the screen and are built around pointing and clicking.

The faster way: pick the window with docktor

docktor is a free, native macOS 26 app that lets you choose a window by what’s in it. There are two ways in, one for the pointer and one for the keyboard.

From the Dock

1. Download docktor, move it to Applications, open it, and grant Accessibility and Screen Recording during onboarding. It needs macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later and no account.
2. Hover the app’s icon in the Dock. A panel shows a thumbnail of each of its windows, including minimized ones and windows on other desktops.
3. Click the thumbnail of the window you want.

From the keyboard

1. Hold Command and press Tab. docktor’s switcher opens on the previous app, so press Shift-Tab to step back to the one you’re in.
2. Press Up Arrow to move into that app’s window thumbnails, then Left and Right to choose.
3. Release Command to switch to it.

If you mostly use the switcher to move within an app, set On quick tap, highlight to Current App on docktor’s Cmd+Tab settings page. Command-Tab then opens on the app you’re already in, so you can go straight to Up Arrow. More on both features: Dock window previews and the window switcher.

Limitations worth knowing

• While docktor’s switcher is on, it also handles Command-`, so that shortcut opens docktor’s switcher and steps backwards through apps instead of cycling the front app’s windows. If Command-` is muscle memory, turn off Replace macOS Command-Tab on the Cmd+Tab settings page. Both native shortcuts come back, and Dock previews keep working.
• docktor requires macOS 26 Tahoe. Screen Recording is optional, but without it you get 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. See the privacy policy for exactly what’s sent.

Want to reach windows in other apps too? The guide to showing all windows in Cmd+Tab covers that.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut to switch between windows of the same app on a Mac?

Command-` (Command plus the grave accent key) moves to the next open window of the app you're using, and Shift-Command-` moves to the previous one. On most keyboards the ` key sits above Tab and to the left of the 1 key.

Why doesn't Command-` work on my keyboard?

The character on that key varies by keyboard layout, so on some layouts the key next to Command isn't labeled `. Apple notes it's generally the key above Tab and to the left of the 1 key. You can check or change the shortcut in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts.

How can I see all of an app's windows at once?

Press Control-Down Arrow to open App Exposé for the front app, or Control-click the app's icon in the Dock and choose Show All Windows. Click the window you want to bring it forward.

Does Cmd+Tab switch between windows of the same app?

No. The built-in Command-Tab switcher moves between apps, with one icon per app. Use Command-` for windows within an app, or a window-level switcher such as docktor's, which shows each app's windows as thumbnails.

Can I still use Command-` with docktor installed?

Only if docktor's Cmd+Tab switcher is off. While it's on, docktor also handles Command-` and opens its own switcher. Turn off Replace macOS Command-Tab on docktor's Cmd+Tab settings page to get the native shortcut back; Dock previews keep working either way.

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