How to Switch Apps and Windows on a Mac With Keyboard Shortcuts
Do you have trouble finding things that are open on your desktop? Do they get lost behind something else on the screen and you don't know how to bring them back to the top? Here are some keyboard command tips for how to bring an application or a different window in an open application back to the top. *These tips are for Mac computers only.
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Instructions
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The first operation will be for situations in which you have more than one document open in an application. We'll use Microsoft Word in this example. Suppose you have two or three different documents open in Word. Word gives you ways to arrange the screen to see several documents at once, but I need my documents to be full-sized, so I don't like to use the choices in Word. That doesn't stop me from moving between the open documents.
The keyboard command for moving between documents on a Mac is to press Cmd-tilde. (The tilde is the key just to the left of the numeral 1 on a standard keyboard.) This will let you cycle through the open windows in Word (or any other program you have open) until you find the one you want.
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Press Cmd-Shift-Tilde and you will move in the opposite direction through open windows.
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Each time you press Cmd-Tilde a different window appears on top. Stop pressing the keys when you reach the window you want.
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Move from one open application to another on a Mac by using keyboard shortcuts again. Press Cmd-Tab.
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You will see a display of all open apps. While holding down the Cmd key, press Tab repeatedly to move through the icons for the open apps until you find the one you need. Stop clicking Cmd-Tab and the app will come to the top.
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Tips & Warnings
An alternate way to move between open windows in an application is to press and hold the application icon in the dock. A menu will open that lists all the open documents. You can choose from that menu.
There are similar keyboard shortcuts for Windows computers, but these tips are specifically for Mac computers.
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Comments
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Kim Marie
Jan 17, 2009
It's so funny when people look at you strange when you tell them they can use their keyboard. They do not need the mouse for everything. Thanks for this. I will save this one! -
Kim Marie
Jan 17, 2009
It's so funny when people look at you strange when you tell them they can use their keyboard. They do not need the mouse for everything. Thanks for this. I will save this one!
