These notes describe 1.0 as releasedSome of it works differently in 1.1, most visibly the keys for closing, minimizing, hiding and quitting. What changed in 1.1 lists the differences.
Switching
Hold ⌥ and tap Tab to see every open window, most recent first, with the window you used before this one already selected. Each tap of Tab moves down; let go to switch.
- Every window has its own row, not one icon per app, so three Safari windows are three rows.
- Tap ⌥Tab quickly to jump straight back to your last window, without the panel.
- Add ⇧ to move back up the list.
- Windows on other Spaces, full-screen apps and minimized windows are all in one list. Pick one, and Flick switches Space, brings the window back from the Dock or unhides its app as needed.
- Prefer ⌘Tab? Flick can replace the macOS app switcher while it runs. It hands ⌘Tab back to macOS when you quit Flick, and also if Flick crashes or is force quit.
- Hover a row to select it, and click to switch.
Switching works the same way today. The current steps are in how to switch windows with Flick.
Search
Press Return, or just start typing, to search app names and window titles as you type.
- A search stays open after you let go of ⌥: press Return, or click a row, to switch.
- Every word you type has to appear, in any order, and the results keep the list's order. Capitals and accents don't matter.
- Apps that aren't running appear in an Apps section, ready to open.
- Open straight into search with ⇧⌘Space from any app, or record your own shortcut in Settings › Shortcuts. Search Windows in the menu bar menu does the same.
- Esc clears the search; press it again to close Flick.
Search changed most in 1.1: letting go switches to the selected result, and the best match comes first. See how window search works now.
Organizing
- Sort the list by Recency or Name A-Z, with List order in Settings › General.
- Group by app: one row per app with a window count. → opens its windows, ← goes back.
- Show only the windows on the active Space, if you prefer.
- Choose whether running apps without windows get a row.
- Keep apps out of the list: right-click a row and choose Ignore App, or add apps in Settings › Exceptions.
Window actions
While you hold ⌥, four keys act on the selected row: ⌥W closes the window and ⌥M minimizes it, ⌥H hides its app and ⌥Q quits it. With the ⌘Tab trigger, use ⌘ instead of ⌥.
Changed in 1.1Those four letters couldn't be typed into a search while you held ⌥, so 1.1 moved the actions to ⌥⇧W, ⌥⇧M, ⌥⇧H and ⌥⇧Q, and every letter now types. The ⌘ keys stayed the same. See close, minimize, hide or quit from Flick.
- Right-click (or Control-click) a row to switch to it, close the window, quit the app or ignore the app.
- Quitting is a normal quit, so apps can still ask you to save.
- Flick stays open after you close, minimize, hide or quit something, and the list updates in place.
Look and feel
- Put the panel on the left or right edge, or in the center. It opens on the screen your pointer is on.
- The panel is Liquid Glass on macOS 26, and a frosted material on macOS 14 and 15.
- A ripple runs through the list when search opens. Turn it off in Settings › Appearance.
- Make the panel wider, hide app names, or set Text size to Large.
- Reduce Motion turns off the ripple and panel motion. Rows carry VoiceOver labels with the app, window title and state.
Control
- A short welcome walks you through Accessibility, choosing ⌥Tab or ⌘Tab, the panel position and the search shortcut.
- Flick lives in your menu bar, with no Dock icon. Hide the menu bar icon if you like; open Flick again to reach Settings.
- Launch at login, off until you turn it on.
- Six Settings pages: General, Appearance, Shortcuts, Exceptions, License and About. Changes apply right away.
- Reset All Settings… in About restores the defaults, without touching permissions or launch at login.
- Opened from the disk image, Flick offers to move itself to your Applications folder.
- The free version switches between your 5 most recent windows, and search finds those 5. It never expires. Paste a license key in Settings › License, or choose Enter License Key in the menu bar menu, to unlock every window.
Updates and support
- Flick can check for updates automatically, about once a day. It asks the second time you open it, and you can change your mind in Settings › General.
- Check for Updates… in the menu bar menu checks any time, and so does Check Now in Settings › General.
- Updates are signed, and Flick verifies each one before installing it. An update never installs by itself: Flick tells you it's ready and waits for you.
- Report a Problem…, in the menu bar menu and in Settings › About, starts an email to support with your Flick version, macOS version, Mac's chip, shortcut, panel position and license status filled in. It never includes your license key.
Privacy
- Flick 1.0 asks for one permission, Accessibility. It doesn't need Screen Recording or Input Monitoring.
- No account and no analytics. Window titles are read only to draw the list, and are never saved or sent.
- Flick goes online only to check for updates, if you allow it, and to check your license, once you have one. An update check sends no profile of your Mac.
What changed in 1.1
Flick 1.1 came out later the same day, October 12, 2026, and the download page offers 1.1 only. If you learned Flick on 1.0, these are the differences you'll notice first:
| What | In 1.0 | In 1.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Close, minimize, hide and quit while holding ⌥ | ⌥ with W, M, H or Q | ⌥⇧ with W, M, H or Q. Every letter on its own types into the search. |
| Letting go of ⌥ in a search you typed | The list stays open | Flick switches to the selected result. Keep the list open, in Settings › Shortcuts, brings back 1.0's way. |
| Order of search results | The list's order | Best match first. Exact match, in Settings › General, brings back 1.0's matching. |
| Right-click menu | Activate, Close Window, Quit, Ignore | The actions menu, also on ⌥⇧K, adds Minimize, Close All Windows, Hide, Hide Others and Force Quit. |
| Window order after Flick quits | Not saved | Kept if Flick opens again within 10 minutes, without a restart |
| Settings pages | Six | Seven, with Browser Tabs |
1.1 also adds browser tabs (with a license), number keys, the front app's windows, document names in search, row icons, shortcut warnings and a choice of display for the panel. Every change is in the Flick 1.1 release notes.
How to update
Still on 1.0? Click the Flick icon in the menu bar and choose Check for Updates…, or click Check Now in Settings › General, and Flick offers 1.1. If you allowed automatic checks, Flick looks for a new version about once a day and tells you when one is ready. Updates are signed, and Flick verifies each one before it installs. How updates work
Your settings, the Accessibility permission and your license carry over, with no first-open approval to repeat. Step by step, and how to update by hand: how to update Flick.
New to Flick? Download the latest version.
