Microsoft is testing the Windows Alt + Tab switcher experience with the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22526. However, this feature is gaining a controlled rollout and is not currently widely available to all insiders. If you just want to try out the new Apps Switcher experience in Windows 11, here’s how you can do it.
Enable Windowed Alt+Tab Switcher in Windows 11
It is worth noting that this method of enabling the new Alt + Tab switcher works in the construction and modernization of Windows 11 22526. If you try it on a Windows 11 PC running on the stable build, you won’t get a screen for the latest new apps. Apart from that, let’s move on to the steps involved.
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Difference Between Old and New Alt+Tab Switchers in Windows 11
Old vs New Windows 11 Tab Switchers
The main difference between the old and new Alt + Tab current app switchers is the preview in terms of appearance and background. The preview is now significantly smaller when you open multiple windows. However, when you open less than 3 windows you get a great preview.
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Overall, the upcoming Apps screen is closer to what we already had in Windows 10. Unlike the current Windows 11 switcher that completely blurs the background, Blur here is limited to open windows in the Windows Alt + Tab switcher UI.
Get New Windowed Alt+Tab Interface Using ViveTool in Windows 11
1. You can use ViveTool to enable the new Alt+Tab experience right now. If you have not installed ViveTool yet, you should first download the latest ViveTool release from its GitHub page.
2. Extract the ZIP file you just downloaded by right-clicking on it from the file explorer and selecting the “Extract All” option from the context menu.
3. From the file extraction window, click the “Browse” button to change the destination folder.
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4. When the file picker UI appears, navigate to Windows -> System32 and click on “Select Folder”.
5. Having picked the extraction path, click on “Extract” to move ViveTool files to the System32 folder.
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6. You are now all set to use ViveTool via Command prompt with admin permissions to enable the new Alt+Tab switcher experience in your Windows 11 PC. Press the Windows key, type “cmd” in the search bar at the top, and click “Run as administrator” on the right pane to open a new admin Command prompt window.
7. Paste the following command in the command prompt window and hit Enter. After the confirmation message appears, restart your PC.
8. In case you change your mind, you can use the command below to restore Windows 11’s current fullscreen Alt+Tab switcher.
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Turn On Windowed Alt+Tab Switcher Using Registry Editor in Windows 11
1. If you are not interested in installing ViveTool, you can use the Registry editor instead. Navigate to the following path and double-click on “Enabled State” in the right pane.
2. Now, change the value data of EnabledState to “2” and hit “OK”. Once done, restart your Windows 11 PC. Changing the value back to 1 will restore the old fullscreen Alt+Tab switcher.
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Try the New Alt+Tab Interface in Windows 11
The new Alt + Tab switcher could be part of Microsoft’s efforts to bring Windows 11 closer to Windows 10. It feels more familiar while managing to maintain a modern touch. That said, we’ll have to wait for the next Windows 11 feature update for this better experience to reach most Windows 11 users. So, which tab switching interface do you prefer – window or full screen? Let us know in the comments.
