How to switch window within the same program in Mac OS X
Just find out how to switch window within the same program in Mac OS X. By default, you press Apple + Tab to switch window for different program (ex: switch from Firefox to Thunder and vise versa).
If you want to switch window within the same program (ex: I have 3 Firefox windows and want to switch among the 3 firefox windows), you can click on Window -> Select the Window name you want.
If you want to switch window within the same program using shortcut key, you can press Apple + ` key (` key is just located on top of Tab key).
Just hold Apple key and press ` key to change the application window.
Tags: Mac, mac tips, switch window
Posted at August 11th, 2008 by
If you think this article helps you to solve your problem and clear your headache, feel free to buy me a drink :)
September 5th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Great! I have been looking for this info for weeks. I have had a MacBook for a year, but I have not learned all the shortcuts yet. I was happy to have learned the Apple-tab shortcut last year. I never really liked Windows (TM). You rock.
January 12th, 2009 at 10:54 am
God bless you for posting this! I’ve been working a lot in Firefox and getting really, really frustrated with having to use my mouse.
April 26th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Thanks buddy but that didn’t really help me, since it’s a macbook pro I am on and the key right above the Tab key is a $.
I tried with the respective ´ and ‘ and `keys and none of them worked…
any idea?
Thanks in advance
May 12th, 2009 at 4:59 am
It works for me with Apple key + ^ key (right to the P). I have a mac book air with spanish keyboard.
I hope it would help.
Regards.
July 26th, 2009 at 5:38 am
this works on every program but preview, does anybody know what’s the combination of keys for that?
Thanks!!
September 21st, 2009 at 3:38 pm
This doesn’t work at all! All I get is a very, *very* annoying loud beep when I do this. If I have speakers attached it comes out through them at full blast. Ouch!
September 21st, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I use two keyboard layouts, Swedish and English for writing mails and programming respectively. (The Swedish keyboard layout is an insult for anybody using [, ], { or } characters more frquently than letters, so I switch between layouts with Cmd-Space.) With US layout, the ` or ~ key is the key that says (the Swedish characters are printed on the keys). The funny thing is that in Swedish mode, the Cmd-` works! So I just had to try typing the equivalent of < key in US mode, and that worked! The mac has got this completely backwards.
September 26th, 2009 at 3:04 am
Awesome! I have been looking for this for years! Not really searching that hard until today. Thank you!!!!!
September 29th, 2009 at 2:55 am
I have been searching for this for months! Finally got the right search string to find you, I guess.
Thank you SO MUCH; I knew there had to be one out there, but I kept looking in Add-Ons.
October 9th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
For those who have problems because of an other than US keyboard layout, you can always change this shortcut in System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Keyboard Shortcuts -> Keyboard & Text Input -> “Move focus to next window in application” to what ever you want !
November 24th, 2009 at 6:45 am
How do you go back to the way it was before? Is there a shortcut code for that?
November 24th, 2009 at 8:40 am
So far this is the only shortcut key i know to switch window.
however, some application (like firefox) allow u to use Apple + #number to switch internal window or tab.
eg. Apple + 1, Apple + 2
December 2nd, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Dude, this is the most useful blogpost I’ve found for the past many weeks – thanks a bunch!
Although the Cmd + ` didn’t work in my case (Danish keyboard setup is somewhat screwed), I follow Nikolai’s advice and changed it in the System Preferences to Cmd + $ so it’s right next to (over) Cmd + Tab – perfect!
December 31st, 2009 at 7:18 am
Thank You. I have always meant to search for this shortcut and finally did. The answer was simple. I could have saved so much time of the past years! Happy to have it now. THANK YOU
January 16th, 2010 at 4:54 am
Was a great help. Thank you!!
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:32 am
I just recently bought a MacBook. The shortkey combination can be found in System Preferences-Hardware-Keyboard-Keyboard & Text Input-KeyboardShortcut. Like to switch between program: fn+control+F4; switch within same program: command+`
February 6th, 2010 at 4:23 am
On a German layout use: ‘Cmd + <' or if you like to call 'Cmd' the 'Apple key': 'Apple key + <'. The '<' key is on the right of 'left shift' and left of 'y'.
Have fun
March 7th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
The trick for changing the definition of the “Cycle through windows” is not perfect. I have a US physical keyboard layout and switch between US/Swedish. In US keyboard layout the Window Cycling works with Command+` (top left key, under escape), but when I switch to Swedish I have to press Shift+Option+Command+= (which is the key to the left of “delete”).
I use OS X 10.6.2 and cannot change the default keyboard shortcut. And frankly, I don’t want to change this, I only want to duplicate it and add the Option+< definition for the Swedish layout (yes, this is what the key under escape becomes with US keyboard and Swedish keyboard layout), while still keeping the Option+` for the US layout. This way the switching is done the same no matter which layout is chosen.
Anyone have any ideas?