Windows 11 · Switch windows by name

Switch windows by name instead of scanning thumbnails.

Windows already gives you Alt+Tab and Task View. When you know the app or document name, a searchable window palette gives you a different route: type the target and activate that exact open window.

Start with the Windows tools you already have.

Alt+Tab is built in, quick, and excellent for short recent-window hops. Win+Tab opens Task View when you need to see the desktop and recognize a window visually.

Neither method is wrong. The friction appears when many similar windows are open and the identifying information you remember is a name rather than a thumbnail.

A name becomes the navigation target.

Switcher indexes eligible top-level windows that are already open. Press Alt+Space, type an application name such as Calculator or a distinguishing part of a window title, then press Enter.

The product is a switcher, not an application launcher in this release. The destination must already be open and discoverable by Windows.

  • Press Alt+Space.
  • Type the app or window title you remember.
  • Check the strongest match.
  • Press Enter to restore and activate it.

Exact titles help when one app owns many windows.

Application names are enough when only one matching window is open. A title fragment becomes more useful when a browser, editor, or document app owns several windows.

The real demo above uses calc to reach Calculator, then relay to return to a specific project conversation. The same question, quantity, rate, and answer remain visible across the complete workflow.

Practical questions.

Answers based on the current early-access build and standard Windows 11 behavior.

Can Windows 11 search open windows by name without another app?

Windows Search primarily finds applications, files, settings, and web results. Alt+Tab and Task View navigate open windows visually. Switcher adds a text query over eligible open-window names and titles.

Does Switcher open apps that are not running?

No. The current release focuses on switching among windows that are already open.

Can I change Alt+Space?

Yes. Alt+Space is the default shortcut, and Switcher settings can record another global shortcut.

Jump to the exact open window.

Try Switcher free for three days, then keep using it with a $7.99 permanent license. Window search runs locally.

Start 3-day trial