Open Settings
- Click the Flick icon in the menu bar and choose Settings, or press ⌘, while that menu is open.
- Click the gear in the corner of Flick's panel. The panel closes and Settings opens.
- Open Flick again from Finder or Spotlight while it's running. This works even with the menu bar icon hidden.
- If Flick isn't running, this command in Terminal opens it straight into Settings:
open -a Flick --args --settingsWhile Settings is open, Flick gets a Dock icon and menus like any other app; they go away when you close the window. The sidebar lists General, Appearance, Shortcuts, Browser Tabs and Exceptions, then License and About below a divider.
General
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Launch at login | Starts Flick when you log in. If it says Waiting for approval, click Open Login Items and allow Flick there. | Off |
| Show menu bar icon | Shows or hides Flick's icon. Holding ⌘ and dragging the icon out of the menu bar turns this off too. | On |
| List order | Recency puts the window you used last first; Name A-Z sorts by app name, then window title. | Recency |
| Tab grouping | No grouping, Group by window or Group by app. The first two both show one row per window; Group by app folds each app's windows into one row, and → opens them. | Group by window |
| Show apps without windows | Gives each running app that has no windows a row of its own. | On |
| Show minimized windows | Lists windows minimized to the Dock. | On |
| Show only the active Space | Hides windows on other Spaces. A full-screen app is its own Space. | Off |
| Matching | Smart puts the best match first and understands initials, like “vsc” for Visual Studio Code. Exact match finds only the letters exactly as you type them, in list order. | Smart |
| Move pointer to the window after switching | When you switch to a window on another display, moves the pointer to the middle of it. | Off |
| Check for updates automatically | Checks for a new version about once a day and tells you when one is ready. Flick never installs an update without asking. | Flick asks the second time you open it |
| Check Now | Next to “Version 1.1.0”: checks for an update straight away, whether or not automatic checks are on. | — |
From the top: the two switches, then the Windows group (List order to Show only the active Space), Search, Multiple displays and Updates. The Windows group is explained in detail in Change what Flick's list shows, and update checks in how to update Flick.
Appearance
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Left and Right attach the panel to that edge of the screen; Center floats it in the middle. | Left |
| Show switcher on | Display with the pointer, or Display with the active window: the display showing most of the window you used last. | Display with the pointer |
| Hide app names | Rows show only the window title, on up to two lines. | Off |
| Wider switcher | Makes the panel wider, so long titles have more room. | Off |
| Text size | Normal or Large, which makes text 20% bigger in the panel, Settings and the welcome window. It's Flick's own setting and doesn't follow the macOS text size. | Normal |
| Show where the selected window is | Off, Outline or Outline and dim: outlines the selected window on screen while the panel is open. | Off |
| Ripple animation | The wave that runs through the list when search opens. Turning it off may improve performance. | On |
Position and Show switcher on are in the Position group, the next three in Appearance, the locator in Window locator and the ripple in Animation. More in Panel position and the window locator.
Shortcuts
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable switcher shortcut | Turns ⌥Tab (or ⌘Tab) on or off. The search shortcut keeps working either way. | On |
| Option ⌥ + Tab or Command ⌘ + Tab | The key you hold. Command ⌘ + Tab replaces the macOS app switcher (⌘Tab, ⇧⌘Tab and ⌘`) while Flick is running. | Option ⌥ + Tab |
| When you let go while searching | For a search you start by typing while you hold the key: Switch to the selected result or Keep the list open. A search opened with Return always stays open. | Switch to the selected result |
| Show number shortcuts | Shows the key, such as ⌥3, on rows 1 to 9. The keys work either way. | On |
| Switch between the front app's windows | ⌘` (or ⌥`) cycles the front app's windows on every Space. Each trigger keeps its own choice. | On with ⌘Tab, off with ⌥Tab |
| Enable search shortcut | Turns the search shortcut on or off. | On |
| Shortcut | Opens Flick straight into search. Click the field and press new keys; Reset to Default brings back ⇧⌘Space. | ⇧⌘Space |
The first four are in Default Mode, the front app's windows in Front App's Windows and the last two in Search Mode. Options show only while their shortcut is on. When another app wants the same keys, a Shortcut Conflicts group appears at the top. Not sure which trigger to use? See ⌥Tab or ⌘Tab.
Browser Tabs
Browser tabs come with a license. In the free version, this page says “Browser tabs come with a license.” with a Go to License button, and its switches stay off. With a license:
| Setting | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| A switch for each browser | Lists that browser's tabs in search and in its windows' tab lists. Shown for each supported browser installed: Safari, Google Chrome, Google Chrome Beta, Brave Browser, Microsoft Edge. macOS asks once whether Flick may control it. | Off |
| Include private windows | Also lists the tabs of private (incognito) windows. Safari's tabs are listed only with this on. | Off |
A note under a browser says when it's waiting for you to open it or for your permission (Allow…). Setup is in how to search your browser tabs.
Exceptions
One list, Ignored Apps (“Hide these apps and their windows from Flick.”), empty to begin with. Click Add App and choose one or more apps, or choose Ignore App in Flick's actions menu. Click the minus button next to an app to remove it. Ignored apps and their windows and tabs are left out of the list, search and the front app's windows; they can still show up in search's Apps section. Details in How do I keep an app out of Flick?
License
- In the free version: a note that Flick switches between your 5 most recent windows and never expires, with Buy a License; then Activate a license, where you paste your key into License key and click Activate. Activation needs an internet connection and uses one of your license's seats. Below are How licenses work and Lost your key?
- With a license, under This Mac: License key (hidden except its last characters, with buttons to show and copy it), Bought for (1, 2 or 3 Macs), This Mac (a label like Mac · 3FA9 that support uses to tell your Macs apart), Last checked with Check Now, and Remove from this Mac with Remove License…, which frees the seat. Below are Moving to a new Mac and Need help?, with Email Support.
Moving Macs, seats and offline checks are covered in Your Flick license.
About
- Version and Build: 1.1.0 and 2 for Flick 1.1.
- License: whether this Mac uses a license or the free version, with License Settings.
- Support: Report a Problem… opens an email to support, filled in with Flick's version, your macOS version, your Mac's chip, your shortcut, your panel position and whether you have a license. It never includes your license key, and nothing is sent until you send it.
- Reset settings: Reset All Settings… returns shortcuts, appearance, window options, browser tabs and ignored apps to their defaults. Permissions, Launch at login and your license don't change. See How do I reset Flick's settings?
At the bottom are links to Support Email, Terms and Privacy Policy.
Questions
Which settings need a license?
Only Browser Tabs. Every other setting works the same in the free version.
Do my settings sync between Macs?
No. Flick has no account and keeps its settings on each Mac, so set up each one on its own.
I hid the menu bar icon. How do I get back to Settings?
Open Flick again from Finder or Spotlight, or click the gear in the panel. Then turn Show menu bar icon back on in General.
Still stuck?Email [email protected] with your macOS version, your Mac and what you've tried, or visit the Support page.
