Command-Tab that actually restores minimized windows.
Command Reopen keeps the Mac's built-in Command-Tab (Cmd+Tab) and makes it bring back a minimized window, or open a new one if the app has none.
7-day free trial · $9.99 one-time
4 MB · macOS 13.0+ · No permissions · Open source
Why Command Reopen
01
Works with the Command-Tab you already use
Nothing new to learn, and no new window switcher to get used to. Press Command-Tab, pick an app, and its minimized window comes back. If the app has no windows, a new one opens.
02
No permissions to grant
It doesn't need Accessibility or Screen Recording, so it also runs on company-managed Macs where IT blocks those permissions.
03
Open source
The code is on GitHub, so you can check exactly what it does. The App Store version is built from the same code, and buying it funds development.
Make Command-Tab bring your windows back.
7-day free trial · $9.99 one-time
FAQ
Why isn't Command-Tab working on my Mac?
Usually Command-Tab is working, but it switches apps rather than individual windows. If an app has only minimized windows, or no open windows at all, macOS activates the app without bringing anything onto your screen. If the switcher itself does not appear, another app may have grabbed the shortcut, or the Dock process may need a restart. Command Reopen fixes the window problem: when you switch to an app that has no visible window, its minimized window comes back, or a new one opens.
Command-Tab not working? All the fixesHow do I change Command-Tab on my Mac?
macOS has no built-in setting to change the Command-Tab shortcut. System Settings lets you customize many shortcuts, but Command-Tab cannot be reassigned there. Your main choice is whether to replace the switcher entirely or keep it and adjust what happens when you switch. Replacement switchers like AltTab add window previews, while Command Reopen keeps the native Command-Tab and simply restores a minimized window, or opens a new one if the app has no windows.
What you can and can't changeHow do I show all of an app's windows with Command-Tab?
Press Command-Tab, keep holding Command, highlight the app, and press the Down Arrow. macOS opens App Exposé for that app, displaying all of its open windows along with any minimized windows in a row at the bottom. Command Reopen does not add window previews or a window-selection grid. If you want to see visual thumbnails for every individual window while switching, a replacement switcher such as AltTab provides that.
All the ways to restore minimized windowsWhat happens if the app has no open windows?
Command Reopen asks the app to open a new window, the same as clicking its icon in the Dock. It does not bring back windows, documents, or tabs you closed. Whether that new window shows your previous session or opens a blank document depends entirely on the app.
Does Command Reopen need Accessibility or Screen Recording permission?
No. Command Reopen doesn't ask for Accessibility, Screen Recording or any other permission. It runs in the Mac App Store sandbox and only reacts when you switch to an app.
Do I need a window switcher like AltTab instead?
AltTab needs Accessibility permission, plus Screen Recording if you want window thumbnails. Many company-managed Macs block those permissions, and some people prefer not to grant them. Command Reopen needs neither: it's a sandboxed App Store app that keeps the built-in Command-Tab. AltTab is a good tool, and if you want window previews, pick it. Window managers such as Rectangle, which snap windows to half the screen, work alongside either.
Mac window switchers comparedHow much does Command Reopen cost?
$9.99 once, after a 7-day free trial. That one purchase unlocks the full app for good.
Is there a free version?
Yes. Command Reopen is open source, and a free build is on GitHub. It's one version behind the App Store release and doesn't update automatically. The App Store version is the same code, notarized and sandboxed, with automatic updates, and buying it funds development.
From the developer
Hi, I'm chenfeng. I build small Mac apps that do one thing and ask for as few permissions as possible, ideally none. Command Reopen runs in the App Store sandbox and its source is public, so you can check exactly what it does.
