Tabby
A minimal app switcher for macOS. Hold ⌥, tap Tab, see every app as a live preview, let go to switch.
Try it: hold ⌥ / Alt and tap Tab here, or click the demo.
Does one thing, quietly
No settings window, no dock icon, no account. Tabby sits in your menu bar and stays out of the way until you reach for it.
Live previews
See each app's front window, not just its icon, so you land on the right thing first time.
Instant flip
A quick ⌥Tab tap jumps to your last app without even showing the panel.
Most recent first
Apps are ordered by when you last used them, exactly like ⌘Tab.
Every Space
Shows on your current desktop and over full-screen apps.
Auto-updates
Signed updates arrive in the background, and you keep your permissions.
Private by design
Previews are captured in memory and never leave your Mac. No analytics, no network except update checks.
Shortcuts
Everything happens while you hold ⌥.
| ⌥ Tab | Open the switcher, move to the next app |
| ⌥ ⇧ Tab | Move to the previous app |
| ← → | Move the selection |
| release ⌥ | Switch to the selected app |
| ↩ / click | Switch now |
| esc | Cancel |
| hover ✕ / ⏻ | Quit or force quit that app, without leaving the switcher |
Install
Two minutes, once.
- Download Tabby.dmg and drag Tabby into Applications. Or use Homebrew:
brew tap aimen08/tabby https://github.com/aimen08/tabby brew install --cask aimen08/tabby/tabby - Open it. Tabby isn't notarized by Apple, so the first launch is blocked: open System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
- Allow Accessibility so Tabby can see ⌥Tab and bring apps forward.
- Allow Screen Recording for window previews (optional; without it you get app icons).
Using AltTab or another switcher on ⌥Tab? Quit it first.