Guide
First: "not working" or "not switching windows"?
These are two different problems. If Cmd-Tab *appears* but lands on the wrong window, it's actually working as designed — it switches apps, not windows — which we cover in Cmd-Tab not switching windows. This guide is for the other case: the Cmd-Tab switcher won't appear, freezes, or ignores your keypress at all.
8 fixes, from most to least common
1. Free a stuck modifier key. If Cmd is "stuck" down or not registering, the switcher misbehaves. Press and release both Cmd keys firmly, check for debris under the keys, and disconnect any external keyboard to test the built-in one.
2. Check that Cmd isn't remapped. Open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts, and for external keyboards click Modifier Keys, to confirm Command hasn't been swapped to another key. A remapped Cmd is a common reason the shortcut silently stops working.
3. Look for a utility that grabbed the shortcut. A keyboard-remapping or window-management tool can claim Cmd-Tab for itself. Quit those utilities one at a time and test — if Cmd-Tab returns, reconfigure the one responsible.
4. Exit full-screen apps. Some full-screen apps and games capture the keyboard. Leave full screen (Ctrl + Cmd + F) or use the Mission Control key to switch instead.
5. Make sure more than one app is open. Cmd-Tab needs at least two running apps to cycle between. If everything's hidden or only one app is open, there's nothing to switch to.
6. Relaunch Finder. Hold Option, right-click the Finder icon in the Dock, and choose Relaunch. This clears many transient UI glitches.
7. Force-quit a hung app. A frozen app can block input system-wide. Press Cmd + Option + Esc and force-quit anything marked "not responding."
8. Log out or restart. When all else fails, logging out and back in — or a full restart — resets WindowServer, the process that draws the switcher.
When Cmd-Tab keeps letting you down
If the built-in switcher is unreliable on your setup, a dedicated switcher with its own global hotkey sidesteps it entirely. Switchi lives in the menu bar and answers to ⌘E (rebindable): press it, type a few letters, and press Enter to jump to the exact app or window — across every Space and display. It doesn't depend on the Cmd-Tab machinery, so it keeps working when Cmd-Tab won't.
Switchi is native to macOS, private by default, and a one-time purchase ($9.99 lifetime license) with a free 7-day trial.
Type. Enter. You're there.
Frequently asked questions
The most common causes are a stuck or remapped Cmd key, another utility that has claimed the Cmd-Tab shortcut, a full-screen app capturing the keypress, or a temporary WindowServer glitch. Working through those — and a restart — resolves most cases.
There's no dedicated reset, but relaunching Finder (hold Option and right-click the Finder Dock icon → Relaunch) or logging out and back in clears most temporary glitches. A full restart is the reliable reset.
Some full-screen apps and games capture the keyboard and intercept Cmd-Tab. Exit full screen (Ctrl + Cmd + F) and try again, or switch via Mission Control instead.
Occasionally. A stuck Cmd key or a flaky keyboard can break the shortcut. Test with another keyboard or the on-screen keyboard; if Cmd works elsewhere, it's software — settings, a conflicting utility, or a glitch — rather than hardware.
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