ShakaPachimacOS app

Switch windows as easily as shuffling a deck.

ShakaPachi is a macOS app that lists your open windows one by one, so Cmd+Tab alone takes you straight to the one you want.

Download on GitHub

The switcher listing multiple windows of the same app individually

Do any of these happen when you switch between apps and windows?

You open Mission Control and hunt for the window you want before you can click it

Cmd+Tab lists app icons only, so which window comes up is a surprise

Switching windows inside an app is a different key, and it needs setting up first

The window titles look alike, and the title alone does not tell you which one to open

With ShakaPachi

Straight to the window, with Cmd+Tab alone.

Every open window is listed individually from the start, so picking an app and then picking a window stops being two separate steps.

REASON

Why it works

01Windows, not apps

macOS's own app switcher (Cmd+Tab) treats every window of an app as one block. ShakaPachi lists each open window separately, so however many windows an app has, you move to the one you want straight from the list.

The switcher listing the windows of one app individually

02See what is in the window before you commit to it

A snapshot of the selected window sits under its title, alongside the app icon, so near-identical titles stop mattering — you recognise the contents. Prefer a text-only list? Turn it off in settings.

The switcher showing a snapshot of the selected window

03Flip between the two windows you are working in

Windows are listed most-recently-used first, so when you are comparing two of them, a press of Cmd+Tab is the whole round trip.

FUNCTION

Key features

The settings window, where ordering, the trigger key and the preview are all configured

Window-Level SwitchingMultiple windows of the same app each get their own row, so you switch straight to the one you want.

App-Grouped ViewThe list can group windows by app instead. The selected app expands into a strip of up to three window previews, and the trigger modifier with 1, 2 or 3 jumps straight to one of them.

Snapshot of the SelectionA snapshot of the selected window appears under its title. Turn it off in settings for a text-only list.

Your Choice of OrderingThree modes to pick from — most recently used, per-app, and recently-used-app order.

Your Choice of TriggerPick the modifier you hold (Command, Option or Control) and the key it pairs with (Tab or `). The default, Cmd+Tab, takes the place of the standard App Switcher.

Menu Bar ResidentLives in the menu bar with no Dock icon, staying out of your way. It can start automatically when you log in.

Temporary PauseIn case it ever behaves in a way that gets in your own way, the menu bar can switch it off temporarily.

In-App UpdatesNew GitHub releases are picked up automatically, and an update installs in place once its signature checks out.

Themes and Accent ColorsAdjust how the list looks with the theme and accent color you prefer.

Usage StatsIt counts your switches and plots the daily tally as a heatmap. Turn it off in settings.

What it needs, and how it handles your keystrokes

Source code: Published under GPL-3.0. What it actually does can be read in the repository.
Requirements: macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Accessibility permission: Used to watch the modifier keys and raise windows.
Screen Recording permission: Used to read window titles and capture the snapshots.
While you type a password: Whenever macOS Secure Input is active, key events are not detected at all.
Network traffic: The only thing it talks to is GitHub, to check for an update. Neither your keystrokes nor your window contents ever leave the Mac.
Where the stats live: All it records is how many switches happened and on what day, stored on your Mac. Which app or window you were in is never kept.
Price: Free.

Give it a try

Grab the latest build from GitHub Releases.

Download on GitHub

macOS 13 Ventura or later · Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions required · Free (GPL-3.0)