Mac window operation keyboard shortcuts

In macOS, "**switching applications**" and "**switching between different windows of the same application**" operate on two completely independent principles.

This is a significant difference in operational logic between Mac and Windows: Windows' `Alt + Tab` flattens all windows together for switching, whereas Mac first navigates to the 'application,' and then to the 'window' within that application.

## Core Differences in App and Window Switching

| **Shortcut**          | **Function**                     | **Description**                                                                                             |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Command (⌘) + Tab** | **Application Switching**        | Jump between different apps (e.g., Chrome, Finder, WeChat).                                                 |
| **Command (⌘) + `**   | **Switch Windows within the Same App** | **This is what you're looking for:** Jump between multiple windows of the current app (e.g., two Chrome windows). |
| **Control (⌃) + ↑**   | **Mission Control**              | Bird's-eye view of all windows; you can directly click any window with the mouse.                           |
| **Control (⌃) + ↓**   | **App Expose**                   | Only displays all windows of the **current application**, facilitating precise selection among multiple documents. |

> **Note:** The ` ` key is usually in the upper-left corner of the keyboard, above the `Tab` key, and to the left of `1` (i.e., the key with the tilde `~`).

## Directly Select Windows During App Switching

If you are holding `Command + Tab` to switch applications, **do not release the `Command` key**; you can combine it with the following operations:

- **Press `↑` or `↓`:** This will enter the application's window preview mode (App Expose), displaying all windows of that application.
- **Press `Q`:** Directly quit the selected application.
- **Press `H`:** Hide the selected application.

## Tab Switching

If you have multiple tabs open within a single window (e.g., browser tabs, Finder tabs), the logic differs again:

| **Shortcut**                   | **Function**             | **Description**                               |
| ------------------------------ | ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------- |
| **Control (⌃) + Tab**          | **Switch to Next Tab**   | Cycle right through tabs in a browser or Finder. |
| **Control (⌃) + Shift + Tab**  | **Switch to Previous Tab** | Cycle left through tabs.                      |
| **Command (⌘) + Number Key (1-9)** | **Jump to Specific Tab** | Directly jump to the Nth tab.                 |

## Summary

- If you want to **quickly switch back to WeChat**: Use `Command + Tab`.
- If you're writing a paper and want to **compare two Word documents**: Use `Command + ` `.
- If you have **too many windows and can't find them**: Directly swipe up with three fingers on the trackpad (or `Control + ↑`).