Five ways to switch between Safari windows on a Mac

Safari makes new windows easily and gives you surprisingly few ways to get back to them. Here's every method that exists, fastest first, and what each one can't do.

1. Cmd-backtick, the shortcut nobody teaches

With Safari in front, press ⌘ ` (the key above Tab) to move to the next Safari window. ⇧⌘ ` goes the other way. This is the fastest built-in method and the one most people never learn, because it isn't on any menu with a picture next to it.

The catch: it cycles blind. Nothing shows you which window is next, so with more than three or four windows you tap until the right one appears.

2. The Window menu

Safari's Window menu lists every open window at the bottom, named after the active tab. Click one to jump to it. A checkmark marks the current window.

The catch: names repeat. Three Google Docs windows are three lines that say Google Docs. And the list is just titles; it doesn't show the URL, and a minimized window looks like any other.

3. App Exposé

With Safari active, press ⌃ ↓ or swipe down with three fingers. macOS spreads every Safari window across the screen (Apple's Mission Control guide explains the gestures). Minimized windows appear as a small row along the bottom.

The catch: thumbnails shrink as windows grow, and there's no search. It's a hunt with a better view.

4. Merge All Windows

Window → Merge All Windows collapses every window into one as tabs. Then Safari's tab overview (⇧⌘ \) lets you search tabs by name.

The catch: you lose the windows. If you arranged two pages side by side on purpose, that arrangement is gone.

5. A visual switcher

This is what Canopy CMD is for. Hold ⌘ ` in Safari and instead of cycling, a grid opens: every Safari window as a live snapshot, labeled with its page title and URL, with a colored badge for the profile it belongs to. Type a word from the page or the address to filter. Release to switch. Minimized windows are in the grid too, dimmed and marked.

Safari and Finder are covered by Canopy's free tier, so this one costs nothing.

Which one to use

• Two or three windows: Cmd-backtick.
• Windows with distinct names: the Window menu.
• Many windows, similar names, or minimized ones: a visual switcher.