# Mac window management keyboard shortcuts Source: https://ribbonformac.com/mac-window-keyboard-shortcuts Updated: 2026-10-29 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](https://ribbonformac.com/how-to-tile-windows-on-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](https://ribbonformac.com/mac-virtual-desktops-spaces). ## 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](https://ribbonformac.com/), 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](https://ribbonformac.com/#shortcuts), and every shortcut can be rebound. Try them in the [live demo](https://ribbonformac.com/#demo) before you buy; Ribbon is [$9.99 once](https://ribbonformac.com/#pricing). ## 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. ## Keep reading - [Switch windows of the same app](https://ribbonformac.com/switch-between-windows-same-app-mac) — Command-backtick, App Exposé, the Dock menu, the Window menu and a window switcher. - [Resize and center windows by keyboard](https://ribbonformac.com/resize-window-keyboard-mac) — Fn-Control shortcuts, Window → Center, mouse modifiers and width steps. - [Tile windows on Mac](https://ribbonformac.com/how-to-tile-windows-on-mac) — Drag, green button, Window menu and every Fn-Control shortcut, plus how to turn it off. - [Use a Mac without a mouse](https://ribbonformac.com/use-mac-without-mouse) — Launching, menus, dialogs, the browser and windows, all from the keyboard. - [Vim keys for windows](https://ribbonformac.com/vim-keys-window-management-mac) — hjkl for focus and moving windows, the right modifier, and Vim keys beyond the editor.