rcmd

Reimagined Command-Tab

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Category
Utility
WM Type
—
License
free
Open Source
No
Keybindings
Yes
Scripting
No
Last Update
2024-11-19

Features

  • First-letter app switching
  • Right Command key trigger
  • Launch apps if not running
  • Custom key assignment
  • Hide or cycle focused apps
  • Per-app hide/cycle setting
  • Optional app switcher UI
  • Experimental window switching

About

rcmd maps the right Command key to instant app switching — hold it and press an app's first letter to focus it instantly, no cycling required. Custom letter assignments let you override the default first-letter matching per app. Distributed free on the Mac App Store.

Who It's For

rcmd is for keyboard-first Mac users who want to jump to specific apps without looking at a switcher or cycling through ⌘Tab. The core model is muscle memory: you learn that Safari is S, Terminal is T, Finder is F, and from then on switching is a single keypress. It's well-suited for developers and power users who keep the same set of apps open all day and want near-zero-overhead switching.

How It Works

rcmd intercepts the right Command key — a key with no default macOS function — and uses it as a modifier. Holding it and pressing a letter focuses the running app whose name starts with that letter. If multiple apps share a first letter, pressing the letter repeatedly cycles between them. You can assign a custom letter to any app by focusing it and pressing ⌘+⌥+your letter; that assignment also lets you configure whether the key hides or cycles the app when it's already focused, and the app can be launched from the static list if it isn't running.

The optional App Switcher UI can appear on hold, showing all mapped apps in one of three themes: Clean (no transparency, text-based), Compact (less transparency, less padding), or Comfortable (vibrancy, more separation). The switcher is optional — rcmd works entirely without a UI once your key assignments are memorized.

Window switching (focusing a specific window rather than just an app) is experimental and requires Hammerspoon as an external helper. This limitation stems from macOS Sandbox restrictions on App Store apps: "Because of App Store and macOS Sandbox limitations, rcmd needs to use an external app called Hammerspoon to achieve window switching capabilities."

Compared to Alternatives

Compared to sxitch (freemium, $15), rcmd uses a simpler first-letter mapping rather than a tree-based navigation system — there's no leader-key prefix and no multi-letter sequences to learn for a single app. rcmd is faster for single-letter-unique apps but requires custom assignments to handle apps sharing the same first letter. Compared to LeaderKey (free, open-source), rcmd requires no configuration file and works immediately on install; LeaderKey supports scripting and window control actions beyond app launching, while rcmd is focused on app switching only.

Requirements

  • macOS 13.0 or later
  • No Accessibility permission required for core app switching (App Store sandbox)
  • Window switching requires Hammerspoon installed separately
  • macOS 15 Sequoia: Option-only trigger keys are no longer supported — the trigger must include at least one Control or Command key
  • Free on the Mac App Store

Getting Started

Download from the Mac App Store. rcmd works on first launch — press the right Command key and a letter to switch apps by first letter. To assign a custom letter to an app, focus that app and press ⌘+⌥+your chosen letter. Full details at lowtechguys.com/rcmd.

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