Nothing happens when I press ⌥Tab

Is Flick running?

1. Look in the menu bar

   Flick has no Dock icon; while it runs, its icon is in the menu bar. If you hid the icon, Flick can still be running: see where Flick's menu bar icon is.

2. Press ⇧⌘Space

   This opens Flick with search ready (unless you recorded a different search shortcut), and it works even when the switcher shortcut is off. If Flick opens, it's running, and the problem is ⌥Tab itself: skip to Check Settings › Shortcuts.

3. Open Flick again

   Open Flick from your Applications folder or with Spotlight. If it was already running, Settings opens; if it wasn't, this starts it. Then try ⌥Tab again.

Flick doesn't start by itself after you restart your Mac unless Launch at login is on in Settings › General.

Hold ⌥, then tap Tab

Holding ⌥ on its own does nothing. Hold ⌥ first, tap Tab, and keep holding ⌥: the panel opens with your previous window selected. Let go to switch.

If you tap ⌥Tab and let go straight away, Flick switches to your previous window without showing the panel at all. That's on purpose, for flipping back and forth, but it can look as if nothing happened. Hold ⌥ a moment longer to see the list. How to switch windows with Flick covers the rest.

Check Settings › Shortcuts

Open Settings from Flick's menu bar icon and click Shortcuts. In the Default Mode group:

• Enable switcher shortcut must be on. While it's off, only the search shortcut opens Flick, and the trigger choices below it are hidden.
• Option ⌥ + Tab must be selected. If Command ⌘ + Tab is selected, Flick is on ⌘Tab and ⌥Tab does nothing in Flick: use ⌘Tab, or select Option. Which trigger to choose

Another app has ⌥Tab

Only one app can register ⌥Tab as its shortcut. If another app registered it before Flick started, Flick can't use it, and it tells you: “⌥Tab is in use by another app” appears near the top of Flick's menu bar menu and in a Shortcut Conflicts group at the top of Settings › Shortcuts. Flick can't tell which app it is, so think of window switchers, launchers and keyboard tools you've installed. Then:

• Quit that app. Flick notices when an app quits and takes ⌥Tab again on its own.
• Change that app's shortcut. Then open Flick's menu bar menu or Settings › Shortcuts, and Flick tries for ⌥Tab again.
• Move Flick instead. Click Use ⌘Tab Instead in the warning, when it's offered.

No warning, but ⌥Tab still does nothing? An app that watches the keyboard directly, such as a key remapper or another switcher, can catch ⌥Tab before Flick sees it. Quit those apps one at a time to find it.

If ⌥Tab opens Flick and another switcher at the same time, that's a different conflict with its own warning: see shortcut conflict warnings.

Accessibility is off

Without the Accessibility permission, ⌥Tab still opens Flick, but the panel says “Flick needs accessibility permissions to track your windows.” instead of listing them. Click Open Accessibility Settings in the panel, or Accessibility permission needed in the menu bar menu, and turn on Flick in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility. Flick notices within a few seconds, with no restart. How to allow Accessibility

Questions