⌥⇥
How to Alt‑Tab on a Mac
On a Mac keyboard, the Alt key is labeled option ⌥. macOS switches apps with ⌘Tab, but if your hand still reaches for Alt‑Tab, Option makes ⌥Tab work just the way you remember: hold, tap, let go.
Free on the Mac App Store · macOS 14 or later · No permissions needed
Weekend plans
Set up Alt‑Tab on your Mac
Get Option from the Mac App Store.
It’s free. Open it and the short welcome tour shows you around. There’s nothing to allow in System Settings.
Hold ⌥ and tap Tab.
⌥ is the Alt key, beside the space bar. The switcher appears on the display you’re working on.
Tap Tab to move, then let go.
Add ⇧ to move back. Release ⌥ to switch, or press Esc to cancel.
Make it yours.
In Option’s Settings, from the menu bar, you can change the shortcut, the size and the appearance.
What to know
- The Alt key is the Option key: it’s labeled “option” and ⌥, and sometimes “alt” too.
- macOS’s own app switcher uses ⌘Tab, and keeps working alongside Option.
- On a PC keyboard connected to a Mac, the Alt key works as ⌥ Option.
- Prefer another combination? Option lets you choose any shortcut.
Keyboard shortcuts
- ⌥⇥
- Alt‑Tab: open the switcher and move right
- ⌥⇧⇥
- Alt‑Shift‑Tab: move left
- ⌘⇥
- macOS’s own app switcher, still there
- ⌘`
- Move between windows of the current app
Free or Pro?
This is part of Option’s free app switcher. No purchase, no permissions, nothing to set up.
Questions and answers
Where is the Alt key on a Mac?
It’s the Option key, marked ⌥, between Control and Command on each side of the space bar. Some Mac keyboards also print “alt” on it.
Is ⌘Tab the same as Alt‑Tab?
⌘Tab is macOS’s built-in app switcher. Option adds a switcher on ⌥Tab with its own design: it opens on the display you’re using, and with Option Pro you can type to jump and pin apps. ⌘Tab keeps working.
Does Option need special permissions to use Alt‑Tab?
No. Option asks for no Accessibility, Screen Recording or Input Monitoring access, and it has no network access.
Why doesn’t ⌥Tab work on macOS 15.0 or 15.1?
Those two releases blocked shortcuts that use only ⌥ for Mac App Store apps. Option explains this and offers ⌃⌥Tab with one click. macOS 15.2 and later work normally.
More guides
How to switch apps on a Mac with the keyboard
Hold ⌥, tap Tab, let go: the whole gesture, step by step, and the keys that make it quicker. Read the guide ⌥A–ZType to jump: switch to any app by typing its name
Keep holding ⌥ and type a few letters of an app’s name to go straight to it. Read the guide ⌥1–9Pinned apps: your favorite apps, one key away
Give your favorite apps a number. Press 1–9 in the switcher to go straight there. Read the guide ⌥⇥Switch apps on multiple displays
The switcher opens on the display you’re using. With This display only, it lists just that display’s apps. Read the guide ⌥⇧⇥Option keyboard shortcuts: every key in the switcher
Every key in the switcher, from ⌥⇥ to Esc, plus how to choose your own shortcut. Read the guide
Some things are worth getting back.
Hold ⌥. Tap Tab. You’re there.