AltTabio

Name: AltTabio — Download free. Window switcher replacement
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)
Author: vibeslop

AltTabio — Free Download. Window switcher replacement

AltTabio is a free replacement for the standard Windows task switcher, designed for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. It shows a numbered list of open windows, a live preview of the selected window, and typed search. Switch using the keyboard or mouse, press a number to jump directly to one of the first nine entries, or manage windows with close, minimize, maximize, restore, and terminate commands. It supports light and dark themes, optional desktop previews, and right mouse button plus wheel switching. Settings are stored in a portable INI file alongside the executable, and the program can start automatically. AltTabio is an independent project and is not affiliated with Alt+Tab Terminator. It was created because Alt+Tab Terminator has had a critical issue for years that causes Alt+Tab to stop working correctly.

★★★★★

5.0(1 ratings)

Download AltTabio (Official links)

File size: 0.352 MB

The latest version of AltTabio is: 1.2.0

Operating system: Windows, MacOS

Languages: English

Developer: vibeslop

Price: $0.00 USD (Open Source (MIT))

What’s new in AltTabio

Updated Oct 9, 2026

AltTabio now updates itself on macOS: once a day it checks GitHub Releases for a newer version signed with the same certificate, downloads …
A "Check for Updates…" option in the menu bar menu checks immediately, and "Update automatically" in the settings disables the daily check.
The close button on a window row now closes only the window you pressed it on; previously, if the list changed while you held the button, r…

Full update (+3 more) →

Alt+Tab and Win+Tab replacement. AltTabio intercepts the standard Windows Alt+Tab and Win+Tab key combinations through low-level keyboard hooks. Instead of the default Windows switcher, it opens its own overlay with a numbered window list and a live preview. Each combination can be enabled or disabled separately, so a person can replace only Alt+Tab, only Win+Tab, or both at the same time.
Numbered window list. Every open window in the switcher receives a number from one to nine for the first nine visible entries. Pressing a number key or a numpad number key activates the corresponding window immediately, without cycling through the list. This removes the need to hold Alt and press Tab repeatedly when many windows are open.
Live window preview. The selected window is shown as a live thumbnail rendered through DWM. The preview can display only the window by itself or the window in its actual position on the full desktop. This helps identify the correct window before switching, especially when several windows share similar titles or icons.
Typed search and filtering. Typing any text filters the entry list by window title, application name, or number. Backspace removes one filter character. This is faster than scanning a long list when a specific window must be found among many open applications.
Keyboard and mouse control. Arrow keys, Tab, Shift+Tab, and the mouse wheel change the selected window. Enter or a left click activates it. The right mouse button combined with the wheel also switches entries. Home and End select the first or last window, and Escape closes the switcher without changing focus.
Window command menu. Right-clicking the selected row opens a menu with commands for that window. The available actions include close, minimize, maximize, restore, terminate the process, and launch another instance of the selected application. Function keys F4 through F9 provide the same commands directly from the keyboard.
Launch without elevation inheritance. The F9 command starts another instance of the selected application without inheriting AltTabio's administrator privileges. This is relevant because AltTabio runs elevated, and applications launched from an elevated process would normally receive the same elevation level.
Compact list and icon display. The switcher uses a compact task list by default to leave more room for the live preview. Application icons, window titles, optional application names, large icons, number labels, and visible borders can be adjusted in the settings. Eight app-icon colors are available, with Azure as the default choice.
Automatic startup. Enabling autostart creates a highest-privilege Windows scheduled task that launches the executable from its current location. This ensures the global input hooks are active after every logon. The setting can be turned off again from the same configuration window.
Portable settings file. All preferences are stored in AltTabio.ini next to AltTabio.exe. No registry keys are used for configuration. Moving the executable and the INI file to another folder or drive preserves the settings, which simplifies backup and transfer between machines.
Single-instance enforcement. AltTabio prevents multiple copies of itself from running at the same time. If a second instance is started, it does not create a duplicate tray icon or a second set of hooks. This keeps the global keyboard state consistent and avoids conflicting switcher overlays.
Per-monitor DPI awareness. The executable embeds a per-monitor DPI manifest. The overlay and the preview render correctly on multi-monitor setups where different screens use different scaling percentages. Filtering by the current monitor is also available as a setting.
Light and dark themes. The appearance of the switcher can follow a light or dark color scheme. Theme selection affects the overlay background, text, borders, and highlight colors. The live preview and icon rendering remain consistent in both modes.
Elevation requirement. AltTabio requires administrator privileges for its global input hooks and window-management commands. Windows shows a prompt at every launch unless autostart is configured. The executable embeds its administrator requirement in the manifest.

AltTabio is a native Rust application built directly on Windows APIs. It uses low-level keyboard and mouse hooks, a hand-written Win32 overlay, Direct2D and DirectWrite rendering, and DWM previews of the selected window or its full desktop. Window enumeration and management, the tray icon, settings UI, scheduled-task autostart, portable settings, and single-instance enforcement are also implemented natively. The build produces one AltTabio.exe with its icon, version information, per-monitor DPI manifest, and administrator requirement embedded. The project was created as an independent replacement for Alt+Tab Terminator, which has had a critical issue for years that causes Alt+Tab to stop working correctly.