92

All of the references I've found for Gnome 3 keyboard shortcuts list that alt+tab switches between applications and alt+` switches between windows (some actually say alt+~, but I think they're mistaken, and I've tried both anyway). Maybe that functionality works for Gnome 3 on Fedora or something, because no matter the key combo I try, nothing will switch between windows except for opening the alt+tab dialog and using arrow keys to navigate it (and at that point it's faster to just use a mouse..).

How do I quickly switch between windows in Gnome 3?

muru
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Joseph Hansen
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9 Answers9

81

In GNOME 3, you can permanently change Alt+Tab to switch between windows, instead of switching between applications:

  • Open Settings
  • Select Devices->Keyboard
  • Search for "Switch Windows" and enter Alt+Tab as the new shortcut.
  • A dialog will tell you the shortcut is already being used by "Switch Applications", select Replace to confirm.
Jesus H
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66

In GNOME Shell, you should be able to switch between multiple windows of the same app by running Alt + the key above tab on your keyboard. For US users, that shortcut is Alt + ` but other keyboard layouts are different.

This is different than Unity in Ubuntu 11.10 which uses Alt + ` for all layouts. (I expect that behavior would improve in Ubuntu 12.04).

Jeremy Bicha
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20

Note: the Alternatetab extension was deprecated as of GNOME 3.30 in favor of the built-in "Switch Windows" keyboard shortcut

GNOME Tweak Tool at Extensions tab has an "Alternatetab" option, that allows to use standard Alt + Tab to switch between windows without grouping them.

GNOME tweak tool could be installed as follows:

sudo apt-get install gnome-tweak-tool

AlternateTab extension could be found here: https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/15/alternatetab/

icc97
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LLIax
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6

I know this question is old but it was a top result when I searched this problem and there's no solution here.

The solution that I, and I think the OP, was looking for is Super+Tab.

This is the "change applications" action in the keyboard shortcuts.

Lucio
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Hunter
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5

Check the shortcut tab in gnome's keyboard settings.

For me (Ubuntu 13.10), Switch windows of one application is set to Alt+Caps+Tab.

Additionall, there is the Alt+F6 shortcut to immediately switch windows of one application – it only applys to one workspace.

Andy
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2

Hit alt-tab to get to the app-switching "toast message" (the big balloon with the icon that appears in the middle of your screen).

With alt key down, then hit the arrow keys -> <- to go to the left and right in the app menu. So you need two hands to switch between applications.

On my 13.10, after hitting the left-arrow or right arrow keys once, the alt-tab left-hand-only key-combination continues to work again.

knb
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1

On my french Ubuntu 18.04 instance, I change, as wrote by @jesus-h :
Switch window of an application directly or something like that (changer de fenêtre d'une application directement in french),
from Alt+F6 to Alt+F1 which I can do with left hand

I enjoyed in ubuntu 14 or/and 16 to switch beetween windows in application using mouse wheel over left application icon.

I have quite permanently two firefox windows, one usual for my agenda and trusted web sites (my nextcloud agenda, my job gitlab…) and one private for "all comming" web sites to avoid permanent cookies and traces

bcag2
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1

In ubuntu 12.04 precise pangolin you go to

CompizConfig Settings Manager > Window Management

and tick "Static Application Switcher"

To install CCSM:

sudo apt-get install compizconfig-settings-manager

Install via the software center

Community
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misza222
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0

To switch between windows of same application: Alt + ~ That is Alt + tilde

Anjani Kumar
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