Every Chrome window and tab, one search away

What Flick does with Chrome

• One row per window. Each Chrome window is listed with its title, on any Space or display, minimized and full-screen windows included.
• Tabs in search. With Chrome turned on, the tabs of all its windows come up as you type, each with Chrome's icon, its title and its site. Pick one and Chrome comes forward on that tab, even from another Desktop (browser tabs).
• Words narrow it down. Every word you type has to match the tab's title, its address or the browser's name. So “chrome github” finds the GitHub tabs in Chrome, while “chrome” on its own finds your Chrome windows rather than every tab in them.
• Just Chrome's windows. With Chrome in front, the front app's windows shortcut lists only Chrome's windows, and typing searches only Chrome's windows and, with Chrome turned on, its tabs. It's ⌘` when Flick uses ⌘Tab; with ⌥Tab, turn on ⌥` in Settings › Shortcuts first.

Set it up

1. Turn on Google Chrome

   Open Flick's Settings › Browser Tabs and turn on Google Chrome. Tabs come with a license.

2. Allow Flick to control Chrome

   macOS asks once. If Chrome isn't running, the note under it reads “Open Google Chrome to finish turning it on. macOS then asks once whether Flick may control it.” Then hold ⌥, tap Tab and type. More in how to turn on browser tabs.

Chrome Beta

To Flick, Google Chrome Beta is a browser of its own, with its own switch in Settings › Browser Tabs and its own Automation permission. Turning on Chrome doesn't include Beta's tabs, or the other way round, so turn on each one you use.

The browser's name counts in search, so “beta github” finds the GitHub tabs open in Chrome Beta.

Chrome Canary and Chrome Dev aren't supported: Flick recognizes browsers by their exact app, not their name, so their windows are listed but their tabs aren't searched (supported browsers).

Incognito windows

With Include private windows off, the default, Flick asks Chrome for each window's title and position and whether it's incognito, then asks only the normal windows for their tabs: the titles and addresses of an incognito window's tabs are never requested. A window Chrome doesn't confirm as normal counts as incognito too.

The incognito window itself still has a row, because Flick lists windows through Accessibility, separately from tabs. Only its tabs and tab count are left out. Turn on Include private windows to search incognito tabs as well; it applies to every browser you turned on, and it's the setting Safari's tabs depend on.

Chrome's own tools

Chrome's own tools need no other app. From Chrome Help's Manage tabs in Chrome and Chrome keyboard shortcuts:

• Tab Search. Select Tab Search in the tab strip or press ⇧⌘A, type a few keywords, then select a tab to open it, or close it right from the list. Typing @tabs in the address bar, then Tab or Space, searches your tabs too.
• Tabs by keyboard. ⌥⌘→ and ⌥⌘← move to the next and previous tab; ⌘1 to ⌘8 jump to a tab, and ⌘9 to the last one.
• Named windows. Right-click the empty space next to New Tab and choose Name window; Chrome shows the name in its Move tab to another window menu.
• Between windows. macOS's ⌘` switches between the windows of the app you're using (Apple).

Tab Search can close tabs and comes with Chrome; Flick only switches, but it reaches every browser you turned on and every app's windows. More in how to search Chrome tabs on a Mac and the shortcuts for switching tabs.

Keys

Flick's own keys work the same in every app: see keyboard shortcuts.

Good to know

Your list's filters apply to tabs: a tab is listed only while its window is, so not for an ignored app, a minimized window while Show minimized windows is off, or another Desktop while Show only the active Space is on. A search lists up to 200 tabs; type more to narrow them down.

Questions