Vtab

Vtab is a macOS 14+ menu bar window switcher. Press Option+Tab to show thumbnail cards for switchable windows across all non-excluded running apps, then click a card or use arrow keys and Return to focus that window. Moving the pointer over a card selects it with a blue outline. If the switcher loses focus, it closes automatically. If a regular running app has no discoverable window, Vtab shows a Running fallback card that activates the app.

While a card is selected:

• Q: quit the owning app.
• W: close the selected window.
• M: minimize the selected non-minimized window.
• H: exclude the owning app from future switcher results.

Local Run

./script/build_and_run.sh --verify

The app is LSUIElement=1, so it appears in the menu bar rather than the Dock. Screen Recording is required for live ScreenCaptureKit thumbnails. Vtab only calls those APIs after macOS preflight reports that this permission is available. For visible windows, Vtab also tries a Quartz snapshot fallback when possible. Accessibility is required to focus a specific target window; without it, Vtab can only fall back to activating the owning app. Minimized windows are included when macOS exposes them through ScreenCaptureKit or Accessibility; if a live thumbnail is unavailable, Vtab shows an app-icon placeholder with a status badge.

Release Build

export DEVELOPER_ID_APPLICATION="Developer ID Application: Your Name (TEAMID)"
export NOTARY_PROFILE="your-notarytool-profile"
./script/archive_release.sh

NOTARY_PROFILE is optional. If it is omitted, the script creates a signed zip but skips notarization and stapling.

Scope

Vtab switches macOS windows, not browser tabs. Three separate Chrome windows are three cards. Three tabs in one Chrome window are one card.

License

MIT