Switch to any app with one held key and a letter
The fastest way to switch apps on a Mac is to give each app a fixed key: hold one key, press the app’s first letter, and that app comes forward, the same way every time, with no list to scan. macOS does not do this on its own. Command-Tab lines apps up by when you last used them, so their places keep changing. You can set fixed keys yourself with the Shortcuts app or a launcher, or add the Apps layer in Typebar, which puts your running and Dock apps on their first letters and shows them on an on-screen keyboard while you hold the key.
What Command-Tab does well, and where it falls short
Command-Tab (⌘⇥) is the switcher every Mac user learns first, and for one job it is hard to beat: press it once and you are back in the app you used last. Press it again and you are back where you started. For flipping between two apps, nothing is faster.
Keep holding Command after the first Tab and the full switcher stays open: a row of icons for every open app. While you hold Command:
- Press Tab to move right, and Shift-Tab to move left. The arrow keys work too.
- Press Q to quit the selected app, or H to hide it.
- Let go of Command to switch to the selected app.
The trouble starts with the third app and beyond. The row is sorted by recent use, so the app that was four Tabs away a minute ago may be two Tabs away now. Your fingers cannot learn a position that keeps moving, which is why you end up watching the row, pressing Tab, and checking again. And the row holds only apps that are running: an app you have quit is not in it at all.
For switching between windows of the same app, use Command-Grave Accent instead (the grave accent key sits above Tab on a US keyboard). Keyboard shortcuts for switching apps and windows on a Mac covers that and Mission Control.
Spotlight: any app, by name
Spotlight reaches every app on your Mac, running or not. Press Command-Space (⌘Space), type the first few letters of the app’s name, and press Return.
It is a good fallback for apps you open once a week. For apps you switch to many times a day, it is slower than it needs to be: you type several letters, wait for the results, and sometimes find a document or a setting ranked above the app you meant.
Fixed keys with the Shortcuts app or a launcher
You can give any app a key combination of its own:
- Open the Shortcuts app and make a new shortcut.
- Add the Open App action and choose the app.
- Open the shortcut’s details with the ⓘ button and choose Add Keyboard Shortcut.
- Press the combination you want, such as Control-Option-Command-M (⌃⌥⌘M) for Mail.
Launchers such as Raycast can also record a hotkey for an app. Either way the result is the same: one combination per app, always the same, from anywhere.
The catch is the work and the memory. You set each app up by hand, and nothing on screen reminds you which letter you gave which app. If you have a Hyper key, it makes the combinations easier to press; Hyper key shortcuts has a starter set with apps on first letters.
The Apps layer: running and Dock apps on their first letters
Typebar takes a different route. A layer in Typebar is a key you hold, such as right Command or a Hyper key, and while you hold it the on-screen keyboard shows what each key does. The Apps layer is a ready-made one, added in one click: your running apps and the apps in your Dock land on their first letters, and pressing one switches to it.
What that changes in practice:
- No setup per app. You do not record a shortcut for each one. The apps you already have open and in your Dock are on their letters.
- Positions follow names, not recent use. An app’s letter comes from its name, so it does not move just because you used something else in between. That is what lets the habit form.
- The map is in front of you. Hold the key and the board shows which app sits on which letter. While you are learning, glance first; later you will press without looking.
The Apps layer has the same options as any layer: its own hold time, and the choice of which key you hold. Keyboard layers on a Mac explains layers in general and how to build your own.
When two apps share a letter
First letters run out quickly. Mail, Messages, Music and Maps all want M. Safari, Slack and Spotify all want S. Two ways to keep the letters working for you:
- Hold the key and look. The board shows which app sits on which letter, so you never have to guess.
- Build your own for the ones that matter. A key on a layer of your own can open any app you choose, so if you want Messages on G or Spotify on Y, make a layer with exactly the letters you want.
Which way to switch, and when
| Method | Reaches | Position | On screen | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⌘⇥ | Running apps | Changes with use | A row of icons | None |
| ⌘Space (Spotlight) | Every installed app | Typed by name | A results list | None |
| A shortcut per app | Apps you set up | Fixed | Nothing | One shortcut per app |
| The Apps layer in Typebar | Running and Dock apps | First letters | The board, while you hold | One click |
A mix works best for most people: Command-Tab for the last app, a held key and a letter for the five to ten apps they live in, and Spotlight for the rest.
Typebar is $9 once for up to 5 Macs, and free for 24 hours with everything on.
Questions
Does this replace Command-Tab?
No. Command-Tab is still the quickest way back to the app you just left. A held key and a letter is for the apps beyond that.
What about apps that are not running or in my Dock?
Use Spotlight, or put them on a layer of your own, where a key can open any app you choose.
Which key should I hold?
One you never hold for anything else. Right Command works well, since few people press it on its own, and so does a Hyper key if you have one.