25 Aug 2022 Macbooks

Mac Command+Tab: Restore Minimised Windows Like Windows

👁57views

Restoring minimised windows using Command+Tab on a Mac requires installing AltTab, a free third-party app installable via Homebrew. Once installed and granted accessibility permissions, AltTab replicates Windows-style window switching behaviour. By default it uses Option+Tab, but settings allow remapping to Command+Tab, ensuring minimised windows restore focus exactly as they do on Windows.

CloudScale AI SEO - Article Summary
  • 1.
    What it is
    A guide to install and configure AltTab software on Mac to make Command+Tab behave like Windows Alt+Tab by restoring minimized windows instead of ignoring them.
  • 2.
    Why it matters
    Mac users who frequently minimize windows get frustrated because Command+Tab doesn't restore minimized apps like Windows does, making it harder to quickly switch between all open applications.
  • 3.
    Key takeaway
    Install AltTab via Homebrew and configure it to use Command+Tab with Windows 10 theme for familiar window switching behavior.
~2 min read
Related Articles

For those who like to maximise or minimise their windows on a Mac, you will likely be frustrated by the default behaviour of your Macbook (in that it doesn’t restore/focus minimised or maximised screens). Below are a few steps to make your mac screen restores behave like Microsoft Windows:

Install Homebrew (if you dont have):

⚡ Powered by CloudScale 
## Install homebrew
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
## IMPORTANT: Once the install finishes run the two commands displayed in the terminal window
echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> $HOME/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Install AltTab:

⚡ Powered by CloudScale 
brew install --cask alt-tab

Next run the AltTab application (click the magnify glass/search glass in the top right of your macbook (near the clock) and then type “AltTab”). When it starts up it will ask you to permission it to access the various system accessibility functions (ie window preview). If you don’t adjust the settings you will need to switch from using “Command + Tab” to using “Option + Tab”, or read the note below to adjust the settings…

Note: I recommend the following tweaks…

If you want to use the default windows style for tab keystrokes, you will need to change the “Controls” tab setting called “Hold” from “Option” to “Command” as per below:

Mac desktop screenshot showing Command+Tab application switcher interface

Next, go to Appearance tab and change the Theme to “Windows 10” (as its hard to see the focus window on Mac style):

macOS System Preferences window showing Dock settings and window minimization options

Note: detailed documents on AltTab can be found here: https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/

You Might Also Like