I built a small open-source macOS prototype called WindowCycle:
https://github.com/WhiteMinds/window-cycle
WindowCycle focuses on one workflow: switching between windows of the current frontmost app.
macOS already has a window-cycling shortcut, but I wanted something more explicit: a visible switcher panel, current-app-only behavior that is easy to reason about, and a flow that feels closer to an app switcher without becoming a full window manager.
The idea was inspired by the current-app window switching part of Contexts. I like that specific interaction, but for my own use I only needed this one piece rather than a full Contexts-style app/window switcher.
What it does today:
- ⌘ + ` cycles forward through windows of the current app
- ⌘ + Shift + ` cycles backward
- holding Command shows a compact switcher panel
- releasing Command activates the selected window
- Escape closes the switcher
- Up/Down can move the selection while the panel is visible
The app is intentionally lightweight and uses public macOS APIs first: Carbon hotkeys, AppKit/SwiftUI for the panel, Accessibility APIs for window enumeration/activation, and a CGEvent tap for consuming switcher navigation keys while active.
It is still an early prototype. The current DMG is self-signed/not notarized, and because it works with windows and keyboard events it needs Accessibility and sometimes Input Monitoring permissions.
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