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I opened two Google Chrome windows (because I am using multiple Gmails) and when I do the Cmd ⌘ Tab ⇥ shortcut it just shows me other applications that I opened but does not show me the other Chrome windows that are already opened.

How to switch to the other Google Chrome window that I opened using keyboard shortcut?

2
  • What is the hotkey for Windows Keyboard connected to mac?
    – Omtechguy
    Commented Nov 2, 2022 at 20:24
  • Should be an option to make it the same as on linux and windows, show all windows so you only need to use cmd+tab and not add arrows into it.
    – MortenB
    Commented Dec 1, 2023 at 9:55

15 Answers 15

740

UK Keyboard
[see below for other languages]

Cmd ⌘ `

Cmd ⌘ Shift ⇧ ` to go the other way.

Left of z on a UK keyboard [non-shifted ~ ]

enter image description here

Note: This only works if all windows are in the same Space, not if they are spread over multiple Spaces, or if any are fullscreen.
To overcome this for non-fullscreen window, use Cmd ⌘Tab as usual and on the icon of the application you want to switch windows in press the down arrow key (with Cmd ⌘ still pressed). Then use left/right keys to navigate to the desired window across spaces and desktops. To emphasise, This fails for any fullscreened windows, whilst continuing to work for any that are not.

You can also achieve this by right-clicking the app's icon in the Dock - this is the only method that will also switch to fullscreen windows, the other methods will not.

From comments - You can check which key command it is for your language by switching to Finder, then look at the Window menu for 'Cycle through windows'...

enter image description here

BTW, specifically in Chrome, Safari & Firefox, but no other app I know of on Mac, Cmd ⌘ (number) will select individual tabs on the frontmost window.

It also would appear that Cmd ⌘ ` is yet another of those language-specific shortcuts; so if anyone finds any more variants, please specify for which language & keyboard type.

If anybody finds new combos for different languages, please check Keyboard layout here - This is a mirror of the very useful old Apple KB page, now gone from Apple How to identify keyboard localizations - & add that as well as which Input Source you use in System Prefs > Keyboard > Input Sources.
Add a keyboard picture from the KB page too, if that would help.
That will make it easier for future Googlers.

Further info:
You can change the keys in System Prefs > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Keyboard...
though it doesn't list the reverse direction, it does still work when you add shift to that new combo. I tested by moving mine from ` (and ~ ) to § (and ± )

enter image description here

You can use the alternative of Ctrl ⌃ F4 [visible in the prefs window above] but that almost indiscriminately marches through every single open window on all Spaces, without switching to the correct Space each time. It's really not too useful unless you use a single Space, just included here for completeness.

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  • 1
    Upvote for "press the down arrow key (with Cmd ⌘ still pressed). Then use left/right keys to navigate to the desired window across spaces and desktops." !! Commented Nov 1, 2019 at 8:37
  • 22
    NOTE: ⌘ ` doesn't work for windows running in full screen
    – VVK
    Commented Mar 28, 2020 at 16:48
  • 1
    @VVK -This information is right at the top of the answer. All rules change for fullscreen. One of the very many reasons I never use it.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Mar 28, 2020 at 17:11
  • 1
    Cmd-1 ... Cmd-9 works in Firefox also Commented Mar 31, 2020 at 6:15
  • 2
    The down-arrow functionality you're talking about is called App Exposé. It's great. You can go to it directly using control + ↓ , just like Mission Control's control + ↑ . Once in App Exposé, you can tab through different applications using tab or three-finger swipe left/right. I have three-finger swipe-down mapped to app exposé and three-finger swipe-up mapped to mission control so my three-finger swipe gestures completely mimic the control -arrow options. Commented Aug 25, 2020 at 16:02
157

On US keyboard:

Next window: Command ⌘ `

Previous window: Command ⌘ Shift `

` is the key on top of Tab key, so it's similar to Command ⌘ Tab shortcut.

enter image description here

On other language:

Go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> on the left menu, select Keyboard -> on the right menu, select Move focus to next window. You can now change the shortcut to which ever key is on top of Tab in your keyboard to work like intended.

Attention:
Doesn't work when window is in full-screen. In that case, you have to use Mission Control shortcuts, e.g. Ctrl ⌃ and Ctrl ⌃

2
  • lifesaver answer Commented May 9, 2023 at 18:57
  • BTW, how to toggle between full-screen windows Commented May 29, 2023 at 7:36
71

Cmd+` of course will work but I do it in different way.

I do the Cmd+tab when I do that, I don't release the Cmd so the opened apps are still visible. While it is visible, I will press .

This way it will show all your opened applications with animated displays so you can navigate using arrow keys.

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    Thanks for the down arrow tip. The problem is that when you press Cmd+tab, it goes to the next app, so you have to Cmd+Shift+Tab then down
    – Teejay
    Commented May 14, 2020 at 21:36
  • 28
    You can accomplish the same just using control + ↓ instead of all the complicated sequencing/keeping Cmd help down etc. Commented Aug 25, 2020 at 16:05
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    @MarcelBesixdouze THIS! Thanks for helping me manage my many IntelliJ project windows!!
    – Luke
    Commented Aug 26, 2020 at 1:15
  • @MarcelBesixdouze it will loose selection focus, so you will have to use mouse (which defeats the whole purpose) Commented May 19, 2021 at 12:19
  • @saurabhgupta No. You navigate with the arrow keys, as in ji-ruh's comment. If you do not know how to do this, why are you responding to my comment instead of to ji-ruh? As far as using the mouse or using the arrow keys, there is no difference in behavior between control + ↓ and Cmd+tab. Commented May 19, 2021 at 20:38
27

Swiss, German & Swedish keyboard:

Cmd ⌘ <
Cmd ⌘ >

enter image description here

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    Doesn't work for me, trying to switch between windows of VS Code. Commented May 27, 2022 at 6:37
  • 1
    doesnt work on German Keyboard. Working Cmd+Shit+`
    – Emil
    Commented Mar 7, 2023 at 1:43
22

I figured out why cmd` doesn't work half the time. Your applications can not be in full screen mode, which is kinda silly but I tried it on the Finder window like mentioned above, no problem. Took both chrome windows out of full screen and the shortcut works like a charm.

UPDATE

The best I could come up with is pressing ctrlleft or right on your keypad. It cycles through all your full screen windows, but hey at least it's something.

Also North American keyboard settings, though I don't think that actually matters since the issue, assuming at least, is the app was fullscreen.

1
  • ctrl+left/right seems to be the best choice when all of your windows are in full screen. Which mine are all the time. Thanks Commented Sep 16, 2023 at 7:57
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On Slovenian keyboard it's Cmd` which is impossible to click and won't activate on a Slovenian keyboard. The only solution I found it to change the shortcut to Cmd<. How to change the shortcut: https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/280221/214825

Slovenian layout
enter image description here

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  • 3
    Same in Scandinavian keyboard layouts. Seems like a bug to me, using dead keys as shortcuts just does not work and should not be the default for those layouts.
    – Zitrax
    Commented Mar 24, 2020 at 10:27
  • Is this still true? I use a "generic USB" keyboard set to US International, and I think ` is classified as a "dead key." I can do this with it: àòèìù. I can also switch between windows in the same app using cmd+` and I just verified the same in Safari by using cmd+n followed by cmd+`. That doesn't automatically mean that Slovenian and Scandinavian keyboard layout users can do the same, but it may imply that the bug isn't be as simple as "using dead keys as shortcuts just does not work" as suggested in the comment above mine.
    – rpseu
    Commented Sep 21, 2021 at 13:26
  • The problem is with Visual Studio Code for me. When I try Cmd + Shift + ^, it basically tries typing in the ^ character rather than actually executing the shortcut. This problem did not come up in Microsoft Word however.
    – 92lexus
    Commented Sep 23, 2023 at 12:26
8

Command+` is the way to go on OS X to change between windows of the same application.

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  • 1
    You need to add what nationality keyboard & OS that works on. This is yet another of those 'changes by language' settings
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Mar 11, 2017 at 10:42
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Command+± (the one above tab) does the job. OSX Yosemite 10. en-US language layout

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5

The key combination to switch between app documents in the Spanish keyboard is Cmd+^`[ (the key next to the letter P, which is the actual backtick key in the Spanish keyboard and also prints the "^" and "[" symbols when used in conjunction with Shift and Alt respectively).

Spanish Apple keyboard

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On a French Canadian Keyboard layout, it's option+cmd+à

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For Turkish Q Keyboard (Turkey) press at the same cmd ⌘ + < + control

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To toggle between windows of the same application in the same desktop/space use Cmd ⌘ + ` . You can change the shortcut here:

enter image description here I usually have my Chrome windows spread across different desktops so it doesn't work for me. Thankfully, we have Ctrl ⌃ + which shows all of them:

enter image description here

Now you can use keyboard arrows or click the one you want to transition to.

Pro tip: hot corners 🧑‍💻

How about simply moving the mouse to a screen corner to show them all instead?

enter image description here

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  • Hot Corners is nice! System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Hot Corners Button. Commented Aug 10, 2023 at 7:56
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Canadian French - CSA language with French (Canadian) Keyboard

Cmd ⌘ + ù

Cmd ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + ù to go the other way.

enter image description here

Canadian French - CSA language with US English Keyboard

Cmd ⌘ + `

Cmd ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + ` to go the other way.

enter image description here

-1

cmd + number works for me, just make sure that your caps lock is not "on". I am using macOS Sierra 10.12

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    Cmd [number] is for selecting individual tabs in a single window.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Mar 11, 2017 at 10:20
-1

cmd+` shortcut won't work if the windows are fullscreen.

use control + -> and control + <- to switch windows:

enter image description here

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