10 Ways To Switch Between Windows In the Same App On a Mac

Ten Ways to Switch Between Documents or Windows in the Same Mac App

Gary from MacMost demonstrates these methods:

1. Click a window: On a regular desktop, click any visible window to bring it to the front. Reopen minimized windows from the Dock.

2. Use the Window menu: View the app’s open windows. The current window has a check mark, and minimized windows are marked with a diamond.

3. Use File → Open Recent: Access currently open and recently opened documents. Selecting a minimized or closed document can bring it back.

4. Use a keyboard shortcut: Press Command–` (the backtick key above Tab on a US keyboard) to cycle through open windows in the current app. This shortcut doesn’t include minimized or full-screen windows.

5. Close and reopen documents: Instead of keeping unused windows minimized, close them and reopen them later using the app’s usual methods or the Recent list.

6. Use Mission Control: Press Control–Up Arrow or use a configured trackpad gesture to view and select visible windows across apps. Windows from hidden apps don’t appear.

7. Use App Exposé: Press Control–Down Arrow or use its configured gesture to show windows from the current app, along with recent documents. You can navigate and select with the keyboard.

8. Use the Dock: Control-click, right-click, or click and hold an app’s Dock icon to see its open windows and recent documents. Restore minimized windows from this menu.

9. Switch between full-screen windows: Each full-screen window occupies its own Space. Use Mission Control, Control–Left/Right Arrow, or a configured swipe gesture to move between them. The Window menu and Dock can also select full-screen windows, but Command–` and App Exposé don’t work for them.

10. Use tabs: In supported apps, merge windows into tabs or set the app to open documents in tabs. Switch tabs with Control–Tab and Shift–Control–Tab, or use the Window menu. Tabs also work in full-screen mode, but make it harder to view two documents side by side. Move a tab into a separate window when needed.

Source: Gary from MacMost