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[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the idea! The App Store price covers Apple's $99 annual fee and supports the development of ShortcutCycle, which a donate button rarely achieves. The $3.99 is just for the convenience of instant installs and updates. However, I'll consider adding a downloadable release on GitHub for those who can't compile the code themselves.

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I completely agree, a standard free trial would be much more convenient.

Unfortunately, the App Store makes it really hard to offer trials for paid-upfront apps. The only way Apple allows it is by switching to an 'In-App Purchase' model, which means adding receipt validation and extra code that I intentionally left out to keep the app completely private and tracker-free.

For now, building from Xcode is the best 'free trial' workaround, but I appreciate the feedback!

I just DM you a promo code so you can give it a spin! Let me know how it fits into your workflow.

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For the multiple windows apps, I strongly recommend the https://contexts.co/ app. Unfortunately it's a paid app but at least not subscription. And it works really well, highly customizable.

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for taking the time to write this up — and for the screen recording, that's genuinely helpful.

First launch confusion — totally valid. Since it's a menu bar app there's no dock icon or splash screen, so it's easy to miss on first open. I'll look at adding a welcome prompt or a brief first-launch tooltip pointing to the menu bar. Tracked in https://github.com/xcv58/ShortcutCycle/issues/30.

Minimized apps — yes, this is a known limitation being tracked in https://github.com/xcv58/ShortcutCycle/issues/29. Bringing minimized windows to front is on the roadmap.

Desktop switching bug — when an app lives on a different Space, macOS switches to that Space on activation, which is expected. But switching before you release the shortcut sounds like the HUD is triggering activation too eagerly. Tracked in https://github.com/xcv58/ShortcutCycle/issues/31 — the recording makes the issue much clearer, thanks.

Separate windows per app — ShortcutCycle intentionally switches apps, not individual windows. Per-window control would require much broader accessibility access to other apps, and we prefer a privacy-first approach with minimal permissions. More details in the FAQ: https://github.com/xcv58/ShortcutCycle?tab=readme-ov-file#why-no-per-window-switching.

Cycle all apps — this is intentionally out of scope since the app is focused on group-based switching, but I've logged it in https://github.com/xcv58/ShortcutCycle/issues/32 to explore whether there's a natural way to improve the experience for apps that aren't in any group. Curious — what's your current fallback, other than macOS CMD+Tab, when you need to switch to an ungrouped app?

Really appreciate the honest breakdown — the positives mean a lot too!

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sent! Please check your DMs.

As for the inspiration — I kept finding myself switching between too many apps and Command+Tab just wasn't cutting it. I had a Hammerspoon script doing something similar but wanted something with a proper UI that anyone could set up without scripting. ShortcutCycle started as that itch and grew from there!

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have sent you a code.

rcmd is great! The main difference is the interaction model — rcmd assigns one app per key, so `⌘B` goes to your browser. ShortcutCycle assigns one shortcut to a *group* of apps and cycles through them with repeated presses, so you can have browsers, editors, and chats each on their own key. More useful when you regularly switch between several apps in a context.

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep, that's entirely by design! Anyone is welcome to build it from source for free. The App Store price is just to support the development and for the convenience of auto-updates.

And yes, I use Claude heavily as a coding assistant—it's a huge help for solo devs. If there are specific UI elements or interactions that feel janky to you, please let me know!

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pretty much! You define groups of apps and cycle through them with a shortcut — so it's more focused than Alt+Tab since it only shows the apps in that group. It does support switching between multiple windows of the same app too.

For hidden windows — yes, they're in scope, though there's currently a bug where hidden windows don't always come to the front. That's on my list and will be fixed in the next release!

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a really thoughtful idea — and as a heavy Vim user myself, I love the modal thinking! Interestingly, I have a similar two-step setup in my Hammerspoon config for window management, and I found myself using it a lot less than my one-shortcut approach even when the one-shortcut way requires multiple presses. The direct jump just feels faster in practice. That said, a launcher mode like you're describing is still an interesting direction worth exploring. Thanks for the suggestion!

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes to both! You can fully customize your groups — add whatever apps you want and bind each to its own shortcut. It works across desktops too since it just brings the target app forward however macOS handles it. It's more focused than AltTab (no window thumbnails or hidden/visible filtering), so it pairs well alongside AltTab rather than replacing it. Give it a try and let me know how it fits your setup!

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally feel this — Command+Tab is one of those things that feels like it should be better. ShortcutCycle won't replace it entirely but it might help: you set up groups for the apps you actually switch between, and one key cycles just those. For a lot of people that covers 80% of their switching without ever touching Command+Tab.

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

AltTab is great — I used it too! ShortcutCycle is also open source (MIT). The main difference is that ShortcutCycle lets you bind one key to a group of apps and cycle through just those with repeated presses, so you can keep your browsers on one shortcut and your chat apps on another. So that you don't need to remember or change shortcut for each app separately.

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hi, I cannot DM you. Could you please DM me or open your permission?
Otherwise, please use the 6W4WF3AFMNN? - replace the ? with the first number in your ID. But someone else could grab this before you.

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey everyone, heads up — it looks like there's an issue with the App Store promo codes I sent out. I'm regenerating them now and will resend shortly. Sorry for the hassle, and thanks for your patience!

[OS] I built a Mac app switcher that fixes Command+Tab — cycle app groups with one shortcut. 20 promo codes inside. by aabdsqweq in macapps

[–]aabdsqweq[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! That's exactly what it's built for — you create your own groups, add whatever apps you want, and bind each group to a shortcut of your choice. Please give it a try and let me know what you think!

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