How to choose on which display Application Switcher shows?

Question

I always have a lot of applications open at the same time. In order to quickly switch between them, I use CMD+Tab shortcut. In order to switch even faster, I sometimes use CMD+Tab and then select the app I want with my mouse pointer and have a gesture to open Application Switcher with my Trackpad.

I just installed OS X Mavericks and realized it always shows Application Switcher on my laptop screen instead of "main" external display. This makes it hard to switch fast between applications since my cursor is on the external display and App Switcher is on laptop's screen.

Is there any way to change this? I tried swapping the menubar "block" in System Preferences => Display => Arrangement, but it didn't help.

Answer 1

Try moving your Dock to a different screen in System Preferences > Dock > Position on screen. The Application Switcher will open on the same display as the Dock.

You can also quickly move your Dock (and Application Switcher) to another display by hovering your mouse on the very bottom of the desired display for a moment.

The Dock will then rise up and appear on the desired display. (Note: this only seems to work if the Dock's Position on Screen setting is Bottom)

Answer 2

Please let Apple know if you find this behaviour non ideal. Personally I would prefer either of the following behaviours:

1. The Application Switcher is always displayed on the monitor on which the menu bar has been placed under System Preferences → Displays → Arrangement.

2. The Application Switcher is displayed on the display with the active (opaque) menu bar.

Answer 3

cmd+tab when you mouse-over the dock. The app switcher will move to the display your mouse is on.

Found this out by accident... the obvious behaviour would seem to be that the app switcher appears on whatever display the cursor is.

Update:

As correctly mentioned in the comments, you don't actually need to cmd+tab when you mouse-over the dock, you can just mouse-over the dock on whichever display you want, from then on the Application Switcher will show on that display.

However, as the question was about showing the Application Switcher, why not do both at once?

Answer 4

I had the same problem. I have my laptop on the left, my external monitor on the right. My dock is always way left on my laptop. If I move the dock to the right, it goes to my external monitor. Now the application switcher defaults to the external monitor. Also system preferences open up on the external monitor side as well. Much nicer--also gives me extra space on my laptop desktop.

Answer 5

In the Display Preferences panel, click on the Arrangement tab. Click on the white menu bar and drag it to the display you wish to make primary.