Use Spacepal with AltTab
AltTab is a free, open-source app that brings Windows-style window switching to the Mac. It pairs well with Spacepal, with one catch: both use ⌥Tab by default, so change one of them first. After that, Spacepal's direct version can set AltTab to show only the windows on the Space you are on, in one click.
First: fix the Option-Tab clash
AltTab's default shortcut is hold ⌥, press Tab. Spacepal's overview uses the same keys by default, so only one of the two responds and the other seems broken. Pick one:
- Change Spacepal's overview shortcut in Settings, Shortcuts, "Open overview": Control + Option + Space, Option + `, Command + Option + Space or F13. This is the easiest if you are used to ⌥Tab for windows.
- Or change AltTab's shortcut in AltTab's own settings, and keep ⌥Tab for Spaces.
When Spacepal cannot register a shortcut because another app holds it, Settings, Shortcuts lists it under "Conflicts".
Show only this Space's windows
macOS Cmd-Tab switches between apps, not windows, and always includes apps on every Space. It has no setting to limit it to the current Space. AltTab does: it can show only windows on the visible Spaces.
In the direct version of Spacepal, with AltTab installed, open Settings, Windows and click Make AltTab show only this Space's windows. Spacepal sets AltTab's first two shortcuts to show windows from visible Spaces only, then quits and reopens AltTab so the change takes effect. The button appears only when AltTab is installed.
In the Mac App Store version, which cannot change another app's settings, set it in AltTab yourself: open AltTab's settings, find the option for which Spaces to show for each shortcut, and choose visible Spaces. The exact wording depends on your AltTab version.
Spacepal's own window tools
If you do not want a second app, Spacepal has its own ways to get at windows:
| Shortcut | Does |
|---|---|
| ⌃⌥W | Lists only the windows on the current Space |
| ⌃⌥F | Searches windows on every Space by app and title. Return goes there, ⌘Return brings the window here. |
| ⌃⌥M, ⌃⌥' plus a letter | Mark a window and jump back to it from any Space |
"Show a small dock with only this Space's apps" (Settings, Windows) adds a Space Dock, and Space Lock keeps Cmd-Tab and the Dock from pulling you to another Space.
One limit: bringing a window from another Space to you (⌘Return, and Space Lock bringing a window over) uses a direct WindowServer move, which works on macOS 14.0 to 14.4 and on 26.4 and later. On other versions the window stays on its Space, so use Return to go to it instead.
Related
- Stop your Mac jumping to another desktop when you click an app
- All keyboard shortcuts
- All integrations
- Spacepal is a one-time purchase with a 14-day trial
Written by Dan Bayer, developer of Spacepal. Last updated 2026-10-27.