Already installed WindowHop from the disk image? Run brew install --cask--adopt martonpaulo/tap/windowhop instead: Homebrew then manages the app you have and keeps its settings. Its version must match the cask’s, so update WindowHop first if it is older.
DMGWindowHop-2.3.3.dmg
Download
Choose Download WindowHop 2.3.3. Your browser saves a file ending in .dmg to your Downloads folder.
WindowHopApplications
Open the disk image
Double-click the file. A window opens showing WindowHop next to your Applications folder.
→
Drag it to Applications
Drag WindowHop onto the Applications folder, then eject the disk image. Always open WindowHop from Applications.
Open “WindowHop”?Open
Open WindowHop
Open it from Applications. If macOS asks whether to open an app from the internet, choose Open. WindowHop is signed and notarized by Apple.
WindowHop
Allow Accessibility
WindowHop shows a setup window. Choose Open System Settings, then turn on WindowHop under Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
⌘Tab
Press ⌘Tab
Hold ⌘ and press Tab to see your windows. Press Tab again to move, and release ⌘ to switch.
Keys
Every key it understands.
Press ⌥Tab instead of ⌘Tab if you do not want to hold a key: the switcher then stays open until you choose. You can change both shortcuts in Settings → Shortcuts.
Keys
What they do
⌘Tab
Open the switcher, with the previous window selected
Tab or →
Next window
⇧Tab or ←
Previous window
Release ⌘, or Return
Switch to the selected window
Esc
Close the switcher and stay where you are
Delete
Close the selected window (WindowHop asks first)
⌘,
Open Settings
Click a tile
Switch to that window
Window Previews
See a picture of each window.
App Icons, the default, needs nothing else. To see previews, choose Window Previews in Settings → Switcher. macOS then asks for Screen Recording permission. WindowHop takes the pictures only while the switcher is open, keeps them in memory, and never saves or sends them. Stay on one window for a moment (3 seconds by default) to see a larger picture of it.
Troubleshooting
When something does not work.
⌘Tab still shows Apple’s switcher
That is WindowHop’s fail-safe: when WindowHop cannot answer, the Mac’s own switcher does. Check these in order:
WindowHop is not open. Open it from Applications.
WindowHop is turned off. Open WindowHop again to show Settings, then turn it on in General.
Accessibility is off. Turn on WindowHop in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
A password field is active. macOS keeps other apps from reading keys while you type a password, so ⌘Tab goes to Apple’s switcher until you leave that field.
A window is missing
Minimized windows, windows of hidden apps and Picture in Picture windows are not listed by default. Turn them on in Settings → Switcher.
A window on another Space appears after you visit that Space once while WindowHop is running. WindowHop uses only public Apple interfaces, and they show a Space’s windows only after a visit.
Previews stay grey
Screen Recording is not allowed. Use the button in the switcher or in Settings → Switcher, turn on WindowHop in System Settings, then come back. App Icons works without it.
Uninstall WindowHop
Choose Quit WindowHop… in Settings → General, then move WindowHop from Applications to the Trash. If you installed it with Homebrew, run brew uninstall --zap--cask windowhop instead: it also removes its settings.
To remove its permissions too, select WindowHop in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, and in Screen Recording if you used Window Previews, and remove it with the minus button.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Is WindowHop free?
Yes. WindowHop is free and open source under GPL-3.0. There is no paid version, no account and no advertising.
Which Macs does WindowHop run on?
Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later) running macOS 26 or later. It does not run on Intel Macs.
Why does WindowHop need Accessibility permission?
macOS lets an app see and switch windows only with Accessibility permission. WindowHop uses it to list your windows and to bring the one you choose to the front.
Does WindowHop record my screen?
Only if you choose Window Previews. Then it takes a small picture of each window while the switcher is open, keeps it in memory, and never saves or sends it. App Icons, the default, needs no Screen Recording permission.
Does WindowHop replace Apple’s ⌘Tab?
It answers ⌘Tab while it runs, but it never turns off Apple’s switcher. If WindowHop quits, is turned off or cannot answer, ⌘Tab works as it always did.
How does WindowHop update?
It checks for new versions and asks before it installs one. The update check is the only network activity it has. You can turn automatic checks off in Settings › About.
Can I search windows by title?
No. WindowHop keeps one simple gesture: hold ⌘ and press Tab. If you want to type to find a window, AltTab Pro or Raycast are better choices.
Still stuck? Report an issue on GitHub, or use Report an Issue… in Settings → About, which fills in your versions for you.
