Alt+Tab

Updated: 11/12/2023 by Computer Hope
Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut

Alt+Tab is a keyboard shortcut most commonly used to switch between open programs in Microsoft Windows and other operating systems. Below are other programs that use this keyboard shortcut and related information.

Tip

To switch between open tabs in the active window, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Tab.

How to use the Alt+Tab keyboard shortcut

To use this keyboard shortcut, press and hold the left or right Alt key, and while continuing to hold, press the Tab key. Continue to hold down Alt and press Tab multiple times if needed to get to another open program you want to access.

Tip

Press Windows key+Tab to move between open programs. However, instead of repeatedly pressing this key combination, as with Alt+Tab, you can use the arrow keys or mouse to select the open program you want to access.

Alt+Tab in Microsoft Windows

In Microsoft Word, pressing Alt+Tab moves from left-to-right in the available open windows.

Tip

If you press Alt+Shift+Tab, it moves right-to-left in the available open windows.

Tip

If you only have two or three windows open, use the Alt+Esc keyboard shortcut to switch between them even faster.

Alt+Tab in Linux Mint

In Linux Mint, pressing Alt+Tab cycles through the open windows.

Below are links to related keyboard shortcuts and individual key pages.

Alt, End key, Keyboard shortcut, Keyboard terms