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Welcome to Tabber, a modern Alt-Tab replacement for Windows designed to make switching between open applications faster, clearer, and easier than the built-in Windows switcher.
What Tabber Does
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Tabber replaces the standard Alt-Tab experience with a visual, app-grouped interface that helps you understand what is open at a glance. Instead of showing a flat strip of windows, Tabber organizes your open windows by application, displays live previews, and makes it easier to move around with either the keyboard or mouse.
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Tabber includes a free trial with a fixed number of activations. As the trial limit approaches, a notice appears at the bottom of the interface. When the trial expires, Tabber prompts you to enter a product key or purchase a license. Entering a valid license key unlocks unlimited use.
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Window Switching
Tabber groups open windows into columns by application. For example, all Chrome windows appear in one column, all VS Code windows in another, and so on. This makes it much easier to see which applications are running and how many windows each one has open.
Most-recently-used order
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Columns are arranged from left to right in most-recently-used order. The app you were using just before opening Tabber appears in the second column, which means a quick Alt-Tab and release takes you straight back to the previous app.
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Multi-monitor support
Tabber displays its full interface on every connected monitor at the same time. You do not need to hunt for the switcher on your primary display while you are working on another screen. If monitors are connected or disconnected while Tabber is running, the interface updates automatically.
Live window previews
Each window is shown with a live thumbnail of its current contents rather than just an icon. These previews use the Windows Graphics Capture API, which is the same underlying technology used by the Windows 11 Alt-Tab experience. This allows Tabber to show previews for a wide range of application types, including classic Win32 applications, Electron apps such as VS Code and Slack, browsers like Chrome and Edge, UWP apps, and more.
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Expanded view for large app groups
When an application has more windows than can fit in a single column, Tabber shows a Blue Pill overflow indicator such as ··· +3 more at the bottom of the group. Moving down into that app expands the group into sub-columns so you can see all of its windows. Moving away collapses it automatically.
Close windows without leaving Tabber
Move your pointer over a window thumbnail to reveal a close button in the corner. Clicking the button closes that window and removes it from the switcher without dismissing the Tabber interface, which makes it easy to close several windows in one session.
Navigation
You can control Tabber with the keyboard, the mouse, or both.
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Keyboard shortcuts
​Mouse controls
Click any window preview to activate it. Moving the mouse over a column selects it, and clicking activates the selected window.
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Settings
Tabber saves your settings automatically between sessions.
Interface elements
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Clock and date
A large clock and date appear in the bottom-right corner of each screen. The display follows your Windows regional settings, so it respects your preferred language, date order, and 12-hour or 24-hour time format.
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Usage statistics
If enabled, usage statistics appear above the clock and show how often you have used Tabber today, yesterday, this week, and over all time.
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Tabber icon
The Tabber icon appears in the bottom-left corner and links to the product website. When the trial period is nearing its limit, this icon is replaced by a trial activation counter.
Toolbar buttons
The top-right corner includes quick-access buttons:
​Interactive tutorial
The first time you open Tabber, a five-step guided tutorial introduces the layout and keyboard controls. You can replay the tutorial at any time from the Settings panel.
Startup screen
On first launch, and optionally on later launches, Tabber can display a startup screen with beta information, terms and conditions, and a link to continue into the application.
Trial and licensing
The free download includes 1,000 activations. That is pressing Alt-Tab and seeing the Tabber UI. With 100 activations to go, you will be prompted to purchase the product. This message appears on the bottom left corner of the view.
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Analytics and crash reporting
Tabber can use Google Analytics 4 to track aggregate usage information such as the number of activations, whether navigation was done by keyboard or mouse, and a snapshot of settings. It can also use Sentry to collect crash reports and stack traces for troubleshooting.
Both analytics and crash reporting can be disabled in Settings.
Installation
Tabber installs through a standard Windows .msi installer. No separate Java installation is required because a private Java runtime is bundled with the application. Installation includes a Start Menu shortcut and desktop icon, supports optional launch at Windows startup, includes a full uninstaller, and removes the scheduled startup task if one was created. The application runs with elevated privileges to support reliable window activation across different application types.​
​Need More Help?
Open the Help button from within Tabber for the latest online documentation, or use the Feedback button to report bugs, request features, or share suggestions.