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I really love my Mac, but I hate how it destroys my muscle memory from the Windows keyboard I use at work. I want to remap the modifier keys to be as "Windows-keyboard-like" as possible.

I was wondering if it was possible to change the keys that open the command-tab box, and also remap the control-tab key combo.

Since I switched Control and Command keys, command-tab box opens with control-tab. Cycling through tabs is now done with command-tab. Is it possible to cycle through tabs with control-tab and open the command-tab box with option-tab?

Daniel Kats
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  • possible duplicate. http://superuser.com/questions/453241/is-it-possible-to-disable-the-command-tab-application-switcher-in-mac-os-x-lion – Daniel Dropik Jun 22 '15 at 16:43

5 Answers5

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Use KeyRemap4MacBook:

`

⌥⇥ is already used for inserting tabs in text fields, entering outline mode in TextEdit, and focusing elements in Safari.

Adding this to private.xml would change ⌘⇥ to ⌃⇥ and ⇧⌘⇥ to ⌃⇧⇥:

<autogen>__KeyToKey__ KeyCode::TAB, VK_COMMAND | ModifierFlag::NONE, KeyCode::TAB, ModifierFlag::CONTROL_L</autogen>
<autogen>__KeyToKey__ KeyCode::TAB, VK_SHIFT | VK_COMMAND | ModifierFlag::NONE, KeyCode::TAB, ModifierFlag::CONTROL_L, ModifierFlag::SHIFT_L</autogen>

You can change the shortcuts of menu bar items from System Preferences:

Damian Vogel
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Lri
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  • btw the link is dead – John D Jul 20 '21 at 21:34
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    I tried this app and uninstalled it immediately. Here is why I think no one should use this app: 1. It intercepts your keyboard strokes. Even though it is open-source, you never know. 2. It asks you to allow permission to modify system extensions. 3. Once installed it locks itself. This means you cannot remove it by clicking on "Move to bin". 4. You need to click on uninstall button in the app itself. Then it again asks for password. If you have touchID enabled you can't use it, it forces you to enter password manually. (this was not the case when installing it!) – greenlantern Aug 29 '21 at 10:17
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Since the answers in this thread is now a bit old and KeyRemap4MacBook doesn't exist anymore, I will give you an update that works:

  • Get Karabiner Elements
    • Go to the Preferences, Tab "Complex Modifications"
    • Add rule, Import more from the internet
    • On the website that opens search for "Exchange Command+Tab (generally 'cycle through applications') and Control+Tab (generally 'cycle through tabs')", Install
    • Back in Karabiner, you will see the imported rule, enable it

But as some others have pointed out, if you're planning on switching to Mac for good, it might be a better idea to go through an initial frustrating learning phase, as you will build new muscle memory, that works for your mac, without loosing the one for Windows, as you probably have different keyboards, the different haptic will help with that.

Damian Vogel
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    I tried this app and uninstalled it immediately. Here is why I think no one should use this app: 1. It intercepts your keyboard strokes. Even though it is open-source, you never know. 2. It asks you to allow permission to modify system extensions. 3. Once installed it locks itself. This means you cannot remove it by clicking on "Move to bin". 4. You need to click on uninstall button in the app itself. Then it again asks for password. If you have touchID enabled you can't use it, it forces you to enter password manually. (this was not the case when installing it!) – greenlantern Aug 29 '21 at 10:21
  • @greenlantern thank you for pointing out your concerns, to me they seemed kind of obvious. You can't modify keyboard input without intercepting them. And this has to happen at a very low level, meaning you cannot just drag and drop an app to the recycle bin and think it magically removes your system extensions. And about the password upon removal but not when installing, did you notice that is a very standard case? You can drag and drop Apps in your Application folder, but when you delete it, your password is required. I'm not saying I totally agree with this, it just an Apple policy. – Damian Vogel Aug 31 '21 at 09:26
  • other thirdparty tools like Rectangle, Copyless etc. also add extra functionality by intercepting keystrokes. They don't require manually entering password on uninstall. – greenlantern Sep 02 '21 at 05:06
  • @mjs wow very insightful – greenlantern Apr 27 '22 at 05:04
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I think this is exactly what you are looking for: https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/

The app called "Alt-Tab" (Mac OS) will mimic what happens on Windows when you hit the keys ALT and TAB, i.e. it will display an overview of opened applications as tiles, and allow you to switch between them.

ps: Very old post, I know, but this may be useful for many even today ;)

Community
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Flavinsh
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  • Please read [How do I recommend software](https://meta.superuser.com/questions/5329/how-do-i-recommend-software-in-my-answers/5330#5330) for some tips as to how you should go about recommending software. You should provide at least a link, some additional information about the software itself, and how it can be used to solve the problem in the question. – DavidPostill Jun 01 '21 at 20:42
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When I first got a Mac, I tried to do this, too. It doesn't work, because there isn't a one-to-one correspondence; that is, the Option key doesn't always correspond to the Alt key.

When I was in college, we still used mechanical typewriters. I had two typewriters, one for each language I used. After a while, I had no difficulty switching between the two even though the layout was different.

The best thing to do is just get used to the Mac. You'll develop bilingual muscle memory.

Ken
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    I've been working on MAC for 7 months now (9 hours a day). After work I'm using Linux and I still can't get my muscle memory to switch so easily. How long has it took for you to be comfortable with both keyboard layouts? – Sel Nov 27 '15 at 09:48
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    I've worked on both Macs and Windows boxes a *lot*, and I have to say that the Mac keystrokes are simply much more ergonomic and easy to type with the ⌘ character than on Windows with ⌃. It's really worth spending a little time to adapt to the Mac. Control is positioned for your pinky, while Command is positioned for your thumb, which is stronger and faster and doesn't prevent you from using the normal keys with your pinky. It's really a *_vastly_* superior design. – iconoclast Apr 26 '18 at 18:26
  • @iconoclast I'm having real trouble adapting. Do you put your thumb _under_ your index finger when typing e.g. Ctrl+C? – Mohan Aug 25 '18 at 20:55
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    @Mohan: I assume you meant `command`-`C`? (If not, then I don't understand the question.) If you start with the 4 fingers of your left hand on the home keys `A` - `F` and your thumb on `space`, you move your index finger down from `F` to `C`, and your thumb over from `space` to `⌘`. If that feels awkward, you can use the `⌘` on the right side of the keyboard with your right thumb instead. (I think using both hands is probably better, but the one-handed approach is such an ingrained habit for me I don't even bother trying to do it the "right" way.) – iconoclast Aug 26 '18 at 19:42
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    @Ken Getting used to something entirely different isn't that hard. The problem comes in when it's mostly the same *and* you still use Linux after work every day + Windows for gaming on the weekends. Your muscle memory simply doesn't adapt because there's no context switch. 9 months in and I still haven't adapted. – aggregate1166877 Feb 24 '20 at 05:01
  • @Sel, I would recommend you to use haptically diffierent keyboards. I have always used Mac in private with the flat keyboard and worked on Windows with a full size, standard height keyboard. Just by putting my fingers on the keys, my brain switched context and knew intuitively wether I had to use Alt-Tab or Cmd-Tab to switch applications. Quite fascinating actually. – Damian Vogel Apr 28 '20 at 16:15
  • @iconoclast the Linux and Windows way is far more ergonomic to me. I'm a touch typist and I always have to rotate the whole hand just to press command while I just move the pink a little bit to reach and keep all the remaining fingers in the home row. Pressing Command+Tab to switch app then Ctrl+Tab to switch tab in the destination app is a pain, while Alt+Tab then Ctrl+Tab causes almost no hand movement. Besides mac requires 2 hands for lots of keys, and many keys like Command+Option+Shift are almost impossible to do whereas Ctrl+Shift+Alt is trivial – phuclv Jun 03 '21 at 12:06
  • @iconoclast I highly disagree. The position of the command button on macs is very far from the natural position of the thumb, and you constantly have to do "retarded thumb", where your thumb muscles are very cramped up. The control button position on windows is far more natural and ergonomic, as you can even hit it with any segment of your pinky finger as opposed to the fingertip/pad of the finger. – ahnbizcad Jul 09 '21 at 21:12
  • @ahnbizcad then apparently the mechanics of your hands—the way your bones fit together to form joints—is vastly different from mine. My thumbs easily move right and left on and off of the space bar, but not so well up to other rows. My fingers, however, move up and down most easily and less easily right and left. I have very large hands, so if cramping were a problem, I should experience it, but I don't. When completely relaxed, my thumbs rest on the `space` bar, but it's a very small and easy and natural move left (or right) to the `command` key. – iconoclast Jul 12 '21 at 17:03
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I would recommend to take a closer look at free tool AltTab: https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/

You may get the latest release there: https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos/releases

Yuriy Samorodov
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    Welcome to Super User! Before answering an old question having an accepted answer (look for green ✓) as well as other answers ensure your answer adds something new or is otherwise helpful in relation to them. Here is a guide on [answer]. There is also a site [tour] and a [help]. Link only answers are not welcome here. – help-info.de Jul 07 '23 at 16:13
  • Thanks for the thought, indeed I find this tool a great one and use it personally. However, this suggestion was already made 2 years ago, in Favinsh`s answer, (couple above yours) https://superuser.com/a/1653001/445871 And being as such, it's best to avoid making a duplicated / redundant anwser, to keep things more noise-free for everyone. Have a good one! – Vinícius M Aug 01 '23 at 11:58