Keyboard shortcuts for Spaces
Spacepal gives you ⌃⌥1 to ⌃⌥0 for Desktop 1 to 10, adds ⇧ to take the front window along, and switches without the slide animation. You do not have to turn on anything in macOS first. Press a Space's shortcut while you are already on it and you go back to where you were, so one key flips between two Spaces.
The full list
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌥Tab | Open the overview (changeable) |
| ⌃⌥1 … ⌃⌥0 | Go to Space 1 to 10. Press again to go back to where you were. |
| ⌃⌥⇧1 … ⌃⌥⇧0 | Move the front window to Space 1 to 10 |
| ⌃⌥← ⌃⌥→ | Previous or next Space (add ⇧ to take the window along) |
| ⌃⌥↑ ⌃⌥↓ | Up or down a row, when a grid column count is set |
| ⌃⌥` | Last Space you were on |
| ⌃⌥F | Search windows on all Spaces. Return goes to the window, ⌘Return brings it here (macOS 14.0 to 14.4 and 26.4 and later). |
| ⌃⌥W | Windows on this Space |
| ⌃⌥L | Open an app on this Space |
| ⌃⌥/ | Show or hide the scratchpad app |
| ⌃⌥M, then a letter | Mark the front window |
| ⌃⌥', then a letter | Jump to a marked window |
The same table is in the docs.
Change the modifier
In Settings, Shortcuts, "Shortcut modifier" sets the keys for every shortcut above except the overview: Control + Option (the default), Control + Command, Option + Command, Control + Option + Command, or Off. Shift is always added for moving windows. If another app already owns a combination, Spacepal lists it under "Conflicts" so you can pick a different modifier or free it in that app.
The overview has its own choice: Option + Tab, Control + Option + Space, Option + `, Command + Option + Space or F13. With an Option-based shortcut, keep holding ⌥ and press the key again to step through Spaces, then release to switch.
Options that change how switching feels
- Wrap around at the ends (on by default): next from the last Space goes to the first.
- Skip empty Spaces when stepping left and right.
- Pressing the current Space's shortcut goes back to the last one (on by default).
- Up and down move by 2 to 6 Spaces, if you think of your Spaces as a grid. With 3 columns, ⌃⌥↓ from Space 2 goes to Space 5.
- Previous, next and last Space and Move the front window with Shift can each be turned off.
Instant versus classic switching
By default Spacepal switches instantly, with no animation, even when the target is several Spaces away. If that ever fails on your Mac, it falls back to the classic method, which uses macOS's own "Switch to Desktop N" shortcuts. For that fallback to work, turn those shortcuts on in System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Mission Control. You can also choose the method yourself in Settings, General, Switching. See Troubleshooting.
Beyond ten Spaces
The number shortcuts cover Desktop 1 to 10. For any Space, including full screen apps and Spaces past 10, use the overview, a name with spacepal://switch/Mail, or AppleScript's switch to space "Mail". Names match exactly first, then by beginning, then anywhere in the name, ignoring case, so switch/mai finds "Mail".
Shortcuts from other tools
If you already have a launcher or a key remapper, bind any key to a spacepal:// link instead. Recipes: Raycast, Alfred, Apple Shortcuts and Stream Deck.
Availability
Every shortcut on this page is in both the direct and the Mac App Store version. Spacepal is a one-time purchase with a 14-day trial.
Related
Written by Dan Bayer, developer of Spacepal. Last updated 2026-10-27.