⌥123
Switch apps on your Mac with Option + number
⌥1 to ⌥9 are nine of the easiest key combinations on a Mac keyboard to reach without looking. FavSlots turns them into your nine favorite apps.
On the Mac App Store · macOS 14 or later · No permissions needed
Weekend plans
Switch with Option + number
Assign your favorites.
Put the apps you use most in slots 1 to 9 in the Favorites window.
Press ⌥ and a number.
The app in that slot comes forward. Keep holding ⌥ and press another number to go on.
Check your shortcut.
The Favorites window shows the active shortcut under its title, such as “Option + number”.
What happens when you press it
- A hidden app is shown, and a minimized window is restored.
- An app that isn’t running is opened and brought to the front.
- The app you’re already in stays as it is.
- Pressing ⌥1 ⌥2 ⌥3 quickly acts on every press, immediately.
Keyboard shortcuts
- ⌥1
- Your first favorite
- ⌥9
- Your ninth favorite
- ⌘`
- Move between windows of the current app
Free or unlocked?
The shortcuts and the overlay are turned on by Unlock FavSlots, a one-time purchase with no subscription. You can set everything up first.
Questions and answers
Do ⌥1 to ⌥9 still type characters?
Only empty slots keep their normal meaning. Slots with an app take their combination. On layouts where that would cost you a character you need, FavSlots starts with Control-Option instead.
What if another app uses the same shortcut?
FavSlots shows the conflict in the Favorites window, with a link to change your shortcut.
Does it work in full-screen apps?
Yes. The app you choose comes forward according to your Mission Control settings, as when you click it in the Dock.
More guides
How to open apps with a keyboard shortcut on Mac
Give your favorite apps a keyboard shortcut each, and open them from anywhere. Read the guide ⌥See your favorite apps: hold ⌥
Hold ⌥ for a moment to see your favorites, numbered, right above the Dock. Read the guide ⌘←→Choose and arrange your nine favorite apps
Choose your nine apps, drag them into place and drop new ones in from Finder. Read the guide ⌥⌃Change the shortcut: Option, Control-Option or Control
Option, Control-Option or Control: which to use, and how to change it. Read the guide ⌃⌥1FavSlots on British, German, French and other keyboards
On British, German, French and many other layouts, Option + number types characters. Here’s what FavSlots does. Read the guide
Nine apps. Nine keys. Zero friction.
Your favorites. One key away.