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From the Mac keyboard shortcuts page

I found shortcut for switching to the next most recently used app among your open apps : Command-Tab.

I want to change it to Option-Tab. Does anyone know name of this shortcut so I can add a new shortcut key as Option-Tab in App Shortcuts

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  • These answers recommend third party apps mostly. This does not answer your original question of "App Shortcuts". Are you okay with third party apps?They can get confusing. superuser.com/questions/223893/…
    – anki
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 18:15
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    @ankiiiiiii I think this could be done without using a third party app, thank you anyway
    – Cuong Tran Duc
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 0:52
  • I think this keyboard shortcut is "hard coded" and not something you can override easily. Peter Lewis, maker of Keyboard Maestro, mentioned this recently at forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/dont-try-to-use-for-a-macro-hot-key/…
    – TJ Luoma
    Commented Jun 13, 2019 at 6:05

1 Answer 1

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Not sure if this is what you wanted, but here's a possible solution without using any third party apps:

  1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard
  2. Click on Modifier Keys... (Refer to screenshot)
  3. Map Option to Command, and Command to Option (or use the modifier keys in any way you want)

Now you can use Command key shortcuts using the Option key.

enter image description here

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    This is the correct answer. But I really don't recommend doing this unless you absolutely know what you're doing. I'd also very much recommend, if you do this, that you map option to command, rather thank both being command, as shown. Also, note that this shortcut is not an "App Shortcut", it is system-wide functionality.
    – Geoff Nixon
    Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 9:09
  • @GeoffNixon Thanks for your observation. I did mention to map the Option to Command key in step 3. The screenshot was intended to help users find the right settings more easily. I would like to know if there's a native way (without using 3rd party apps) to switch only the "Command-Tab" shortcut with the "Option-Tab" one. (Without affecting the keys' behaviour in other tasks). I am assuming that Option-Tab seems to be the natural choice to switch apps for users migrating from Windows PCs. (alt-Tab to switch apps).
    – Ansh Khurana
    Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 9:23
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    Re: "I am assuming that Option-Tab seems to be the natural choice to switch apps for users migrating from Windows PC": I'd would that this is the natural "inclination", and there is, technically, a way, but (with 15 years of experience as a consultant), I discourage it to the point that I'm not going to post it. What you have to remember is that because of the mixed "heritage" of the Mac, "control" characters (from Unix), "option" characters/commands, and "command" shortcuts, all have distinct meanings in certain circumstances, and remapping WILL get you in trouble.
    – Geoff Nixon
    Commented Jun 14, 2019 at 9:37

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