⌥⇧⇥

Option keyboard shortcuts: every key in the switcher

Option works entirely from the keyboard. Here’s every key the switcher understands, and how to change the shortcut if ⌥⇥ isn’t right for you.

Download Option on the Mac App Store

Free on the Mac App Store · macOS 14 or later · No permissions needed

⌥ and Tab to open, ⇧ to go back, arrows to move, Esc to cancel.

Change the shortcut

  1. Open Option’s Settings.

    Click Option in the menu bar and choose Settings.

  2. Record a new shortcut.

    Click the shortcut field and press the combination you want to use.

  3. Try it.

    Hold the modifier keys and press the key: the switcher opens. Release to switch.

Choosing your shortcut

  • ⌥⇥ is the default. Choose any other shortcut in Settings.
  • Restore brings ⌥⇥ back with one click.
  • The shortcut is free in every version of Option.
  • On macOS 15.0 and 15.1, Option offers ⌃⌥⇥ instead, with one click.

Keyboard shortcuts

⌥⇥
Open the switcher, move right
⌥⇧⇥
Move left
←→
Move along the row
⌥
Release to switch
↩
Switch now
esc
Close without switching
A–Z
Type to jump (Option Pro)
1–9
Go to a pinned app (Option Pro)

Free or Pro?

This is part of Option’s free app switcher. No purchase, no permissions, nothing to set up.

Questions and answers

Can I use ⌘Tab for Option?

⌘Tab belongs to macOS, so Option uses its own shortcut. ⌥⇥ is the default, and you can choose any other combination that’s free.

Why doesn’t ⌥⇥ open the switcher?

Another app or your keyboard layout may use ⌥⇥. Choose another shortcut in Settings. On macOS 15.0 and 15.1, use ⌃⌥⇥, which Option offers with one click.

Can I open the switcher without the keyboard?

Yes. Click Option in the menu bar and choose Open Switcher.

⌥⇥

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 ⌥⇥

How to Alt‑Tab on a Mac

The Alt key on a Mac is the Option key. Here’s how to make Alt‑Tab work the way your hands remember. Read the guide ⌥A–Z

Type 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 ⌥1–9

Pinned 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

Some things are worth getting back.

Hold ⌥. Tap Tab. You’re there.

Download Option on the Mac App Store