MacOS – OSX cmd+tab behavior with multiple windows & monitors

displaymacos

After upgrading to a second monitor I have run into some unexpected cmd+tab behavior that is really impacting my workflow:

With one monitor, when using cmd+tab to switch between applications, OS X gives the focus to the last active window of the application one switches to.
With multiple monitors, OS X prefers windows that are on the same monitor as the previous application.

To give an example:

  • Consider having Xcode on monitor 1 and Terminal (window A) on monitor 2 and (window B) on monitor 2; focus is on Terminal window B
  • you cmd+tab to Xcode
  • you cmd+tab back to Terminal, but now window A has the focus and not window B

This behavior is potentially hazardous as one starts to enter commands into Terminal before realizing that the focus is on the wrong window.

My question is: Is there a way to make cmd+tab always return to the last active window of an application no matter on which screen the focus at the moment?

Best Answer

System prefs > Mission Control... uncheck 'Displays have separate Spaces'
That would be my prime suspect. I switched that one off the day it appeared in the OS.

From comments, that will disable the ability to move the menu bar & dock to each screen on an ad-hoc basis, though - which may be best asked as a separate question requesting a possible 3rd party solution, as I know of no way to do that natively.

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