What happens when you let go
It depends on how the search started, not on what you typed. This page uses the default ⌥ trigger; with the ⌘Tab trigger, read ⌘ for ⌥.
| How you started | What letting go of ⌥ does |
|---|---|
| ⌥Tab, then type | Switches to the selected result, or opens the selected app in the Apps section. If nothing matches, Flick closes without switching. |
| ⌥Tab, then Return | Nothing. The search stays open: Return switches, Esc backs out, or click a row. |
| ⇧⌘Space | No key is held, so the search stays open until you press Return, press Esc or click. |
| A click | Clicking Enter to search in the panel, or Search Windows in the menu bar menu, starts a search that stays open too. |
The top result is selected as you type, so in the first case you can type a few letters and let go. Since Flick 1.1 every letter types while you hold ⌥, so a search for “mail” never minimizes a window on the way; the window actions moved to ⌥⇧W, ⌥⇧M, ⌥⇧H and ⌥⇧Q. With the ⌘Tab trigger, ⌘W, ⌘M, ⌘H and ⌘Q still close, minimize, hide and quit while you hold ⌘. If your search has a w, m, h or q in it, press Return first and type with ⌘ released. The full list of keys is in Flick's keyboard shortcuts.
It switched before I finished typing
You typed while holding ⌥, so letting go acted on whatever was selected at that moment. Here's how to stay in control:
- Keep holding ⌥ until the right result is at the top. Check the selection, then let go.
- Fix a typo without letting go. Press Delete while you still hold ⌥ (⌥Delete). It removes one character, not the whole word.
- Back out without switching. Press Esc while you still hold ⌥. Flick closes and you stay where you were.
- Letting go opened an app. When no window matches, the first app in the Apps section is selected, so letting go opens it: “calc” with no matching window opens Calculator. See the Apps section for when it appears.
- Type at your own pace. Press Return before you type, and that search waits for you. To make every search wait, change the setting below.
It didn't switch
- The search started with Return, ⇧⌘Space or a click. Those searches always stay open, whatever the setting. Press Return to switch to the selected result, or click it.
- The setting is Keep the list open. Then searches you start by typing wait for Return too.
- Nothing matched. Flick closes without switching, so letting go never takes you somewhere random. In the free version, search covers your 5 most recent windows; when a match is beyond them, the panel says how many, never which. See Search your windows.
- The actions menu was open. Letting go keeps the menu and the list open, so you never switch away from a menu you're reading. Once the menu closes, Return switches.
Two kinds of EscWhile you still hold ⌥, Esc closes Flick at once rather than clearing what you typed. Once you've let go, the first Esc clears the search and the next one closes Flick.
The setting
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Open Settings › Shortcuts
Click the Flick icon in the menu bar and choose Settings, then click Shortcuts. The setting is in the Default Mode group, and shows only while Enable switcher shortcut is on.
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Choose what letting go does
Set When you let go while searching to Switch to the selected result (the default since Flick 1.1) or Keep the list open, which is how Flick 1.0 behaved.
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Try it
It applies at once. Hold ⌥, tap Tab, type a few letters and let go.
The setting's note in Flick reads: “Applies when you start typing while holding the modifier. A search opened with Enter always stays open.” It's the same for the ⌥Tab and ⌘Tab triggers. The change came in Flick 1.1, and the settings guide covers every other option on the page.
Questions
Does this change ⌥Tab when I don't type?
No. Without a search, letting go of ⌥ switches to the selected window as it always has, unless the actions menu is open. With Recency order, a quick tap still takes you back to your previous window. The setting only covers searches you start by typing while you hold ⌥.
Why does a search opened with Return stay open?
Pressing Return first is how you tell Flick you want to type with ⌥ released. That search waits for Return, Esc or a click with either setting.
Can I switch with the number keys instead?
Yes. While you still hold ⌥, ⌥1 to ⌥9 switch straight to that result. In a search that stays open, use ⌘1 to ⌘9.
Still stuck?Email [email protected] with your macOS version, your Mac and what you've tried, or visit the Support page.
