Macscope – I decide to built a better Cmd-Tab replacement for macOS
Hi HN, Macscope is a new window manager and and app switcher for macOS built on the philosophy of enhancing, not replacing, your existing muscle memory. It works by augmenting the familiar Cmd+Tab workflow. A quick tap of your shortcut instantly switches between recent apps, just like you're used to. A slightly longer hold, however, opens the full Macscope interface where you can manage all your open windows and tabs. You can also use modifier shortcuts to enter Placement Modes, which let you instantly snap a selected window to the left/right/top/bottom/ half of your…
In plain words
Macscope is a window manager and app switcher for macOS that enhances the standard Cmd+Tab workflow. A quick tap switches between recent apps as usual, while a longer hold opens the full interface to manage windows and browser tabs across multiple applications. Placement modes allow users to snap windows to screen halves or quarters with modifier shortcuts. It includes unified search to find any window, tab, or app, along with live previews of window contents.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hi HN, Macscope is a new window manager and and app switcher for macOS built on the philosophy of enhancing, not replacing, your existing muscle memory. It works by augmenting the familiar Cmd+Tab workflow. A quick tap of your shortcut instantly switches between recent apps, just like you're used to. A slightly longer hold, however, opens the full Macscope interface where you can manage all your open windows and tabs. You can also use modifier shortcuts to enter Placement Modes, which let you instantly snap a selected window to the left/right/top/bottom/ half of your screen. Here are some of the key features: - Unified Search & Switch: A single interface to instantly find and switch to any window, browser tab (Safari, Chrome, Arc, etc.), or application just by typing. - Live Previews: See a real-time preview of what's inside each window so you know exactly where you're going. You can also disable previews for a more minimal experience. - Advanced Window Management: Go beyond just switching. Select multiple windows and arrange them into layouts like vertical/horizontal splits or grids. - Scopes: Save collections of app windows as a "Scope" and instantly restore that entire workspace later. It's ideal for quickly switching between different projects or tasks. It’s a native macOS app built with Swift and supports both Apple Silicon and Intel machines. Launch Offer for HN: There's a free trial with 250 actions. For the Hacker News community, I'm offering a 50% discount on the lifetime license. Website: https://macscope.app Discord Community: https://discord.gg/ehktEWr97K I'll be here all day to answer questions and would be grateful for any feedback. Thanks for checking it out!
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