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Make ‘Alt-Tab’ Display Separate App Windows in Ubuntu 18.04

Last updated: February 13, 2019

gnome shell

The Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut allows to quickly switch between opened applications in Ubuntu desktop. However, only one app icon shows in the switcher even mutliple windows of the application are opened.

For those who want to separate all opened windows in Alt+Tab switcher, this quick tutorial will show you how.

1. Open Settings from left panel or application menu.

When it opens, navigate to Devices -> Keyboard.

2. Scroll down and find out the line “Switch windows“, then click and set its keyboard shortcut to Alt+Tab.

That’s it.

To revert the change, look for Switch applications and set its value to Alt+Tab.

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    17 responses to Make ‘Alt-Tab’ Display Separate App Windows in Ubuntu 18.04

    1. Dennis February 14, 2019 at 8:51 am

      You have got to be kidding me. A year on and this is the first time I have heard this. I suppose I knew it was out there but never bothered to track it down. You have made this a happy day, thanks.

    2. Cristhian Echeverry February 14, 2019 at 1:38 pm

      It was one of the first things I did when installing Ubuntu, it is very practical, and to think that there are people who use an extension for that.

    3. Sultan May 14, 2019 at 12:40 am

      Lovely <3

    4. Chris August 7, 2019 at 5:57 pm

      Cool! Is there a way to have it switch windows AND applications?

      Thanks!

    5. Pablo Francisco Lerman August 22, 2019 at 11:43 am

      Thanks you very much!

    6. HaveromJeno August 30, 2019 at 7:53 am

      Thank you very much!

    7. Rajesh Patil September 6, 2019 at 6:18 am

      Thank you..!!

    8. Marc-Étienne September 9, 2019 at 7:12 pm

      WOOOW! I’ve been thinking about this for a while: Why can’t I switch between many windows of the same application. Never actually bothered to search and now when I finally decide to look it up, here I am being surprised at how easy it is. I should have bothered from the start. It is especially helpful when switching fro Chrome to DevTool when you want Chrome and your IDE side by side instead with DevTool waiting behind to be summoned by Alt + Tab. Pressing F12 again and again wasn’t as natural as I switch windows so often.

    9. K September 21, 2019 at 9:11 am

      Thumbs up to you, my friend!

    10. David September 23, 2019 at 11:09 pm

      Thank you !

    11. Bilal Nadeem September 25, 2019 at 12:40 pm

      Thanks, it was a headache!!!!

    12. Amir November 24, 2019 at 6:16 am

      Thanks alot

    13. Hossein Bakhtiari November 30, 2019 at 1:49 am

      Thank you so much

    14. RK December 3, 2019 at 5:59 am

      Thanks

    15. Mark December 3, 2019 at 7:32 am

      The last big annoyance of my ubuntu setup finally solved. Thank!

    16. Luke December 6, 2019 at 3:50 pm

      Yes! Can’t believe I waited so long to change this!

    17. Rafael November 4, 2021 at 12:44 pm

      Still helping in 2021!

      Tks!