ShrtcutTo switch between windows of the same app on a Mac, press ⌘` (the backtick key, above Tab). Add ⇧ to cycle backwards. It moves through that app’s open windows on your current Space — skipping minimised windows and any window on another Space.
That shortcut is the answer you will find everywhere, and it is correct. What most guides leave out is where it stops working, which is exactly the moment you go looking for a shortcut in the first place. This post covers both.
The keyboard shortcut, and its keyboard-layout catch
⌘` cycles forward through the front application’s windows. ⌘⇧` cycles backwards. Hold ⌘ down and tap the backtick repeatedly to move through several windows in one go.
On a US layout the backtick sits above Tab, left of 1. On UK, German and several other layouts that key is somewhere else entirely, which is why the shortcut has a reputation for “not working.” macOS binds it to the physical key in that position rather than the character, so what you actually press varies. If it does nothing, check System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Keyboard, where it is listed as Move focus to next window and can be rebound to anything you like.
Every built-in way to do it
| Method | Best for | Skips |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘` | Two or three windows, quick flip | Minimised windows, other Spaces |
| Window menu | Jumping to one known window | Nothing — but needs the mouse |
| App Exposé (⌃↓) | Seeing all windows visually | Nothing on that Space; minimised shown separately |
| Dock right-click | Picking by window title | Nothing — but slowest of the four |
The Window menu is the complete list
Click Window in the menu bar while the app is frontmost. Every open window appears by title, minimised ones included, with a tick beside the current window and a diamond beside minimised ones. Choosing any entry brings it forward and un-minimises it if needed.
This is the only built-in method that never hides anything from you. Its cost is that it is a mouse trip to the top of the screen, every time.
App Exposé shows them side by side
With the app active, press ⌃↓ (or swipe down with three fingers) to spread that app’s windows across the screen as thumbnails. Minimised windows appear in a separate row along the bottom. Click one, or arrow to it and press Return.
This is the best option when you recognise a window by how it looks rather than by its title — six similar spreadsheets, say.
What each method quietly leaves out
Two categories of window fall through the keyboard shortcuts, and they are the ones people hunt for most:
- Minimised windows. ⌘` ignores them completely. A window in the Dock is open, but no amount of cycling will reach it.
- Windows on other Spaces. Cycling stays on your current Space. A second Safari window on another desktop, or a full-screen one, is out of reach until you move Spaces first.
That is the same architectural split behind Cmd-Tab not showing all windows: macOS treats applications, windows and Spaces as three separate layers, and each built-in shortcut only understands one of them.
Common mistakes
- Pressing ⌘~ deliberately. You do not need ⇧ for the tilde. ⌘ plus the unshifted key goes forwards; adding ⇧ reverses direction.
- Assuming it is broken on a non-US keyboard. It is almost always bound to a different physical key. Rebind it in System Settings rather than giving up.
- Using it after clicking the desktop. The shortcut acts on the frontmost app. Click into the app first, or you will cycle Finder’s windows.
- Minimising instead of hiding. ⌘H keeps windows reachable by every method; ⌘M drops them out of the keyboard paths.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shortcut to switch between windows of the same app on Mac?
⌘ plus the backtick key (`), the one above Tab on a US layout. ⌘⇧` goes backwards. It is listed as Move focus to next window in System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts.
Why does Cmd-backtick not work on my keyboard?
On non-US layouts the backtick is on a different physical key, and macOS binds the shortcut positionally. Open System Settings › Keyboard › Keyboard Shortcuts › Keyboard and rebind Move focus to next window.
How do I switch to a minimised window with the keyboard?
⌘` will not reach it. Use the app's Window menu, which lists minimised windows, or hold ⌥ as you release ⌘ from the App Switcher to restore one.
Can I see all windows of one app at once?
Yes — App Exposé. Press ⌃↓ with the app frontmost, or swipe down with three fingers, and every window spreads out as a thumbnail, with minimised ones in a row at the bottom.
Does Cmd-backtick work across multiple displays?
Yes, as long as the windows are on the same Space. With Displays have separate Spaces turned on, each screen has its own Space, so cycling may not cross between them.
The short version
⌘` for a quick flip between two or three visible windows. The Window menu when you want the complete list, minimised included. App Exposé when you would recognise the window on sight. And if the window you want keeps turning out to be minimised or on another Space, no built-in shortcut will reach it from the keyboard alone.