Start a search
| How | What happens |
|---|---|
| Hold ⌥, type | After ⌥Tab, every letter goes into the search, even with ⌥ held. Let go to switch to the selected result. |
| Return | In the panel, starts a search that stays open after you let go, so you can type at your own pace. |
| ⇧⌘Space | From any app, opens Flick with search ready. It works even with the switcher shortcut turned off. |
| Menu bar | Search Windows in Flick's menu does the same as ⇧⌘Space. |
| Click “Enter to search” | Clicking that label in the panel opens the search field. |
The field reads “Search all windows” until you type. To use keys other than ⇧⌘Space, see change the search shortcut.
On macOS 27 and laterWith Siri AI (Beta) turned on, Apple uses ⇧⌘Space to ask Siri about the active window. If ⇧⌘Space doesn't open Flick on your Mac, record a different search shortcut in Settings › Shortcuts › Search Mode.
What it matches
- App names, window titles and document names, the last when the app reports one (more below).
- Every word, in any order. Each word you type has to match, so “safari docs” and “docs safari” both find Safari windows with “docs” in the title.
- Capitals and accents don't matter. “tele” finds Téléchargements.
- Best match first. With the default Smart matching, names that start with what you type come before names that only contain it, and initials work: “vsc” finds Visual Studio Code. How Flick ranks results.
- One row per window, even with Group by app, and your filters still apply: ignored apps, Show minimized windows and Show only the active Space.
- Apps that aren't open. Type two or more letters and, when five or fewer windows match, up to five matching apps appear below them under Apps.
If nothing matches, the panel says “No matches”. With a license, once you turn a browser on in Settings › Browser Tabs, its matching tabs show up too: Safari, Chrome, Brave and Edge (Safari only with Include private windows on). See browser tabs. The window search overview has more.
Pick a result
The top result is selected as you type. Move with ↓ and ↑ (Tab and ⇧Tab work too, and ⌃N and ⌃P once the list stays open), or jump with a number key. Then:
- If you typed while holding ⌥, let go to switch. If nothing matches, letting go closes Flick without switching. Prefer to keep the list open? See when you let go while searching.
- If you started with Return, ⇧⌘Space or a click, the list stays open: press Return, or click a row.
- If only an app matches, it's already selected, so Return, or letting go, opens it.
Fix a typo or cancel
| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Delete | Deletes one character. While you still hold ⌥, ⌥Delete does the same, so you can fix a typo before you let go. |
| Esc | Clears what you typed. Press it again to close Flick without switching. |
| ⌥Esc | While you still hold ⌥, closes Flick at once, without clearing first. |
| ⇧⌘Space | Pressed again while you search, closes Flick. |
Once the list stays open, ⌘A, ⌘X, ⌘C, ⌘V, ⌘Z and ⇧⌘Z edit the search field as usual. Clicking outside the panel also closes Flick.
Document and folder names
When an app reports the file a window shows, Flick also searches that file's name and the folders above it. Type “invoices” and you find the Preview window showing ~/Documents/invoices/q3.pdf, even though its title only says q3.pdf.
- Folders every file shares are skipped, so “doc” doesn't find every document: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Library, Movies, Music, Pictures and Public at the top of your home folder, app and iCloud Drive containers, system and temporary folders, and folders named with long random IDs.
- Up to 8 folders per file count, nearest first. On another drive, the drive's name counts too.
- Only files. A web page's address isn't a document.
- Private. These names stay in memory on your Mac. They're never shown, saved or sent.
Because they aren't shown, a match on a document's name never ranks above a name or title that starts with your text. More in search by document name.
In the free version
The free version searches your 5 most recent windows. If more windows match, Flick says how many, never which: “2 matching windows are beyond your 5 most recent. A license unlocks every window.” under No matches, or Free version · 2 more matches at the bottom of the panel. Click either to open Settings › License. See what the free version includes.
Questions
Can Flick search the text inside a window?
No. It searches names and titles only (and, with a license, browser tab titles and addresses), never what's inside a window.
Does search find minimized windows and other Spaces?
Yes, unless you've turned off Show minimized windows or turned on Show only the active Space in Settings › General.
Why didn't letting go of ⌥ switch?
You started the search with Return, ⇧⌘Space or a click, so the list stays open until you press Return. Or When you let go while searching is set to Keep the list open in Settings › Shortcuts.
Still stuck?Email [email protected] with your macOS version, your Mac and what you've tried, or visit the Support page.
Sources
Checked on .
- Mac keyboard shortcuts, Apple Support
