alt-tab-macos/docs/Introduction.md

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# Introduction

[<img src="public/demo/frontpage.jpg" alt="Screenshot showing AltTab" width="1920" height="1080" style="width:100%; height:auto;" />](public/demo/frontpage.jpg)

Alternative Styles

| [<img loading="lazy" src="public/demo/app-icons-style.jpg" alt="Screenshot: App Icons Style" width="513" height="241" style="width:100%; height:auto;" />](public/demo/app-icons-style.jpg) | [<img loading="lazy" src="public/demo/titles-style.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Titles Style" width="766" height="248" style="width:100%; height:auto;" />](public/demo/titles-style.jpg) |

## Installation

* [**Download the latest release**]({{ site.github.latest_release.assets[0].browser_download_url }})
* Alternatively, you can use [homebrew](https://brew.sh/): `brew install --cask alt-tab`

## Features

* Switch focus to any window
* Minimize, close, fullscreen any window; Hide, quit any app
* Customize AltTab appearance (pick one of 3 styles, then customize further)
* Custom trigger shortcuts with almost any keys
* Blacklist apps you don’t want to list or trigger AltTab from
* Light and Dark Appearance
* Drag-and-drop things on top of window thumbnails
* Accessibility: VoiceOver, sticky keys, reduced transparency, etc

## Compatibility

* __macOS version:__ from 10.12 to latest
* __Apple Silicon:__ yes, AltTab is [universal](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apple-silicon/porting-your-macos-apps-to-apple-silicon)

## Localization

AltTab is available in many languages: Bahasa Indonesia, Català, Dansk, Deutsch, Eesti keel, English, Español, Français, Gaeilge, Galego, Hrvatski, Italiano, Kurdî, Limba română, Lëtzebuergesch, Magyar, Nederlands, Norsk Bokmål, Norsk Nynorsk, Oʻzbekcha, Polski, Português, Português (Brasil), Shqip, Slovenčina, Slovenščina, Suomi, Svenska, Tiếng Việt, Türkçe, Íslenska, Čeština, Ελληνικά, Български, Русский, Српски / Srpski, Українська, עִבְרִית, العربية, فارسی, हिन्दी, বাংলা, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ, മലയാളം, ภาษาไทย, 日本語, 简体中文, 繁體中文, 한국어

[Contribute your own language easily!](https://poeditor.com/join/project/8AOEZ0eAZE)

## Privacy and respecting the user

* AltTab doesn’t upload or download any data without the user explicitly asking for it (e.g. asking to update the app, sending a crash report, etc)
* AltTab uses as few resources as possible: CPU, memory, disk, etc. The app footprint is small (e.g. small disk size, minimal CPU use in the background, etc)

## Configuration

Change the shortcut keys, switch to a Windows theme and more, using the Preferences window:

| [<img loading="lazy" src="public/demo/preferences-general.jpg" alt="Screenshot: General preferences" width="672" height="354" style="width:100%; height:auto;" />](public/demo/preferences-general.jpg) | [<img loading="lazy" src="public/demo/preferences-controls.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Controls preferences" width="677" height="688" style="width:100%; height:auto;" />](public/demo/preferences-controls.jpg) |
| [<img loading="lazy" src="public/demo/preferences-appearance.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Appearance preferences" width="672" height="735" style="width:100%; height:auto;" />](public/demo/preferences-appearance.jpg) | [<img loading="lazy" src="public/demo/preferences-appearance-details.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Appearance preferences (details)" width="672" height="934" style="width:100%; height:auto;" />](public/demo/preferences-appearance-details.jpg) |
| [<img loading="lazy" src="public/demo/preferences-blacklist.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Blacklist preferences" width="672" height="655" style="width:100%; height:auto;" />](public/demo/preferences-blacklist.jpg) | [<img loading="lazy" src="public/demo/preferences-policies.jpg" alt="Screenshot: Policies preferences" width="672" height="353" style="width:100%; height:auto;" />](public/demo/preferences-policies.jpg) |

## Alternatives

Before building my own app, I looked around at similar apps. However, none was completely satisfactory so I rolled my own. Also, the almost-good-enough apps are not open-source.

| Alternative                                                                                 | Differences                                                                                                  |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| [HyperSwitch](https://bahoom.com/hyperswitch) and [HyperDock](https://bahoom.com/hyperdock) | $10. Closed-source. Thumbnails are too small. App icon is on top of the thumbnail                            |
| [WindowSwitcher](https://www.noteifyapp.com/windowswitcher/)                                | $7. Closed-source. Thumbnails are small and blurry. App icon is on top of the thumbnail                      |
| [Switch](https://github.com/numist/Switch)                                                  | Open Source. Thumbnails are small. Very little customization. Latest release is from 2016                    |
| [Witch](https://manytricks.com/witch/) and [Contexts](https://contexts.co/)                 | $10-15. Closed-source. Focus on text. No thumbnails                                                          |
| [MissionControl Plus](https://www.fadel.io/missioncontrolplus)                              | $10. Closed-source. No chronology and order to windows. Hard to navigate windows with keyboard               |
| Built-in [MissionControl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_Control_(macOS))            | No keyboard support                                                                                          |
| Built-in `⌘ command` + `⇥ tab`                                                              | Only shows apps, not windows (note: can press down to see window of selected app)                            |
| Built-in `⌘ command` + `` ` ``                                                              | Cycles through tabs and windows, but only of the same app. Only cycling, no direct access                    |

There are also related apps which don’t really overlap in functionality, but target similar needs: [Swish](https://highlyopinionated.co/swish/), [Hookshot](https://hookshot.app/), [Magnet](https://magnet.crowdcafe.com/), [Spectacle](https://www.spectacleapp.com/), [Rectangle](https://github.com/rxhanson/Rectangle), [yabai](https://github.com/koekeishiya/yabai), [LayAuto](https://layautoapp.com/), [OptimalLayout](http://most-advantageous.com/optimal-layout/), [BetterTouchTool](https://folivora.ai/), [BetterSnapTool](https://folivora.ai/bettersnaptool), [Moom](https://manytricks.com/moom/), [uBar](https://brawersoftware.com/products/ubar).

## License

AltTab is under the [GPL-3.0 license](https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/blob/master/LICENCE.md).