RibbonMac window management keyboard shortcuts
These are the built-in macOS shortcuts for moving between, arranging and clearing away windows, grouped by job. The tiling shortcuts need macOS 15 Sequoia or later; everything else works on any recent version. Most can be changed in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts.
Switching
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘Tab | Switch app (keep holding ⌘ and press Tab again to go further) |
| ⌘⇧Tab | Switch app, backwards |
| ⌘` | Next window of the same app |
| ⌘⇧` | Previous window of the same app |
| ⌘Tab, then ↓ | Show the highlighted app's windows |
Hiding, minimizing, closing
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌘H | Hide the front app |
| ⌘⌥H | Hide all other apps |
| ⌘M | Minimize the front window |
| ⌘⌥M | Minimize all windows of the front app |
| ⌘W | Close the front window (or tab) |
| ⌘⌥W | Close all windows of the front app |
| ⌘Q | Quit the app |
| ⌘⌥Esc | Force Quit dialog |
Full screen and sizing
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌃⌘F | Enter or leave full screen (in most apps) |
| Fn⌃F | Fill the screen without full screen (macOS 15+) |
| Fn⌃C | Center the window (macOS 15+) |
| Fn⌃ + arrow | Tile to a half (macOS 15+) |
| Fn⌃⇧ + arrow | Tile the two front windows side by side or stacked (macOS 15+) |
| Fn⌃⌥⇧ + arrow | Tile three windows: a half and two quarters (macOS 15+) |
| Fn⌃R | Return to the previous size (macOS 15+) |
Fn is the Globe key on recent keyboards. More on these in how to tile windows on a Mac.
Mission Control and desktops
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌃↑ | Mission Control |
| ⌃↓ | App Exposé: the front app's windows |
| ⌃← / ⌃→ | Previous or next desktop |
| ⌃1–9 | Go to a desktop (off until you turn it on) |
| ⌘F3 or F11 | Show the desktop |
To turn on ⌃ plus a number, create the desktops, then tick Switch to Desktop 1, 2, 3… under Keyboard Shortcuts → Mission Control. See multiple desktops on a Mac.
Keyboard focus
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌃F2 | Move focus to the menu bar |
| ⌃F3 | Move focus to the Dock |
| ⌘⇧/ | Search the current app's menus (Help) |
| ⌘⌥D | Turn Dock hiding on or off |
| ⌘Space | Spotlight |
On keyboards whose top row is set to media keys, add Fn to the F-key shortcuts.
Changing a shortcut
System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts. The Mission Control and Keyboard sections hold most of the ones above. To give any menu command a shortcut (such as Window → Zoom), use App Shortcuts, click +, and type the menu item's name exactly.
What macOS doesn't have shortcuts for
There's no built-in key for moving a window to another desktop or display, for thirds, for growing a window in small steps, or for focusing the window to the left or right. Window managers fill those gaps.
Ribbon's shortcuts
Ribbon, a scrolling window manager, puts every shortcut on ⌃⌥ plus one key, so none of them clash with the ones above:
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| ⌃⌥← → (or H L) | Focus the window to the left or right |
| ⌃⌥↑ ↓ (or K J) | Focus up or down in a stack |
| ⌃⌥1–9 | Jump to a window by position |
| ⌃⌥⇧ + the same keys | Move the window instead |
| ⌃⌥R / F / C | Cycle width / full width / centre |
| ⌃⌥N | Send the window to the next display |
| ⌃⌥T | Float or unfloat the window |
The full list is on the home page, and every shortcut can be rebound. Try them in the live demo before you buy; Ribbon is $9.99 once.
FAQ
What's the shortcut to switch windows on a Mac?
⌘Tab switches apps; ⌘` switches between windows of the same app.
What's the shortcut to close all windows of an app?
⌘⌥W in most apps. ⌘Q quits the app.
Is there a shortcut to move a window to another monitor?
Not built in. Hover over the green button for Move to on macOS 15 and later, or use a window manager shortcut such as Ribbon's ⌃⌥N.