How to Customize the Alt + Tab Switcher in Windows 10 (2024)

The Alt + Tab switcher (otherwise known as "Task Switcher") is a handy multitasking feature in Windows 10. Pressing the Alt + Tab hotkey brings up Task Switcher that displays thumbnail previews of open windows you can switch between by pressing Tab.

However, did you know that you can customize that feature in a few ways with some built-in Windows settings and third-party software? Here's how.

How to Change Which Thumbnails the Task Switcher Shows Using Settings

The Alt + Tab switcher is a Windows feature Microsoft has integrated with its Edge browser. Therefore, you can customize whether Task Switcher shows Edge tabs or not with four different options in Settings. This is how you can change those options.

1. Click Settings on the left of Windows 10’s Start menu.
2. Select the System category.
3. Click Multitasking on the left side of Settings.
4. Then click the Alt + Tab drop-down menu there to view its options.

   

5. To configure Task Switcher to show all Edge tabs, select the Open windows and all tabs option.
6. Alternatively, select one of two options for Task Switcher to display only the five or three most recent Edge tabs.
7. Select Open Windows only to exclude the Edge tab from Task Switcher.

How to Change Windows’ Alt + Tab Switcher Behavior Using Winaero Tweaker

Windows 10 doesn’t incorporate any built-in settings to change the visual appearance of its Alt + Tab switcher.

However, you can change Task Switcher’s appearance with Winaero Tweaker. This is how you can change transparency and desktop dimming to the Alt + Tab Switcher with that customization software.

How to Install Winaero Tweaker on Windows 10

The latest version of Winaero Tweaker—one of the best tools to customize Windows—won’t allow you to tailor the Alt + Tab switcher in Windows 10. If you want to change Alt + Tab hotkey command settings you’ll have to download an older software version. Pick version 1.33 or older for this functionality.

1. Download the version of Winaero Tweaker you want.
2. Double-click the WinaeroTweaker-1.33.0.0-setup file.
3. If you would prefer to install Winaero Tweaker to a folder of your choosing, select the Browse option. Then choose a different directory in the Browse for Folder window and click OK.

   

4. There’s no need to change any of Winaero Tweaker’s default installation settings. So, keep clicking Next to reach and select the Install option.
5. After installing the software, select the Run Winaero Tweaker checkbox in the setup window. Then press the Finish button.

How to Customize Transparency and Desktop Dimming for the Alt + Tab Switcher

With the Winaero application now running, do the following:

1. Double-click Appearance in Winaero Tweaker’s left sidebar.
2. Select the Alt + Tab Appearance option shown directly below.

   

By default, the Alt + Tab switcher’s opaque level is set to 70%. You can make the Task Switcher more transparent by dragging the Alt + Tab background transparency bar’s slider further to the left. Drag it to the right to reduce its transparency level.

The Tab Switcher doesn’t dim the background at all. You can add some background dimming to it by dragging the Dim Background bar’s slider to the right. If you drag that bar’s slider to the far right, Windows 10’s Alt + Tab switcher will have a fully dimmed background.

When you’ve finished configuring those options to your liking, close Winaero Tweaker. Open a few software windows. Then press the Alt + Tab hotkey to see what Task Switcher looks like after you’ve customized it.

Change How the Alt + Tab Switcher Works via a Registry Edit

If you don't want to download Winaero Tweaker, you can also customize the Alt + Tab switcher by editing the Windows registry.

1. Desktop Background Dimming

This hack will allow you to change how much the desktop background is dimmed when you press Alt + Tab. The default is a fully transparent desktop, but you can adjust the percentage that your desktop is dimmed with this method.

1. Open the Registry Editor (see how to open the Registry Editor for steps).
2. Navigate to the following registry location:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer 

3. Right-click on the Explorer folder in the left pane and select New > Key.
4. Name this MultitaskingView.

   

5. Right-click on the MultitaskingView folder in the left pane and select New > Key once more.

6. Name this AltTabViewHost.

   

7. With this folder selected, on the right pane, right-click anywhere on the blank space and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
8. Name this BackgroundDimmingLayer_percent.
9. In the AltTabViewHost folder, double-click the BackgroundDimmingLayer_percent DWORD to modify its value.
10. Under Base, select Decimal.

    

11. In the Value field, enter a number from “0” to “100.” This represents the percentage of dimming, with zero being no dimming at all and “100” being the desktop completely blackened out.

To restore system defaults for desktop dimming with Alt + Tab, simply delete the BackgroundDimmingLayer_percent DWORD.

2. Grid Background Transparency

You can also change how much the thumbnail grid background is dimmed when you use Alt + Tab.

1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the following registry address:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MultitaskingView\AltTabViewHost 

3. You’ll need to create the registry keys MultitaskingView and AltTabViewHost, just like in the method above, if they are absent.
4. On the right pane of the AltTabViewHost folder, right-click on the empty space and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Name this DWORD Grid_backgroundPercent.
6. Double-click this DWORD to modify its value.
7. Select the Decimal radio button and enter a number from “0” to “100” in the value data field. This sets the transparency of the grid background when you press Alt + Tab.

   

8. Zero sets the grid background to be fully transparent, while “100” sets it to be fully opaque.

To restore system defaults of the Alt + Tab grid background transparency, delete the Grid_backgroundPercent DWORD.

3. Choose Which Desktop Windows Show When Alt + Tab Is Pressed

If you like to organize your work with virtual desktops, you may want to switch between windows across desktops. Here’s what you can do to set up Alt + Tab to work over multiple desktops.

1. Open Windows Settings and click on System.
2. Click on the Multitasking tab on the left panel.
3. Scroll down to Virtual desktops.
4. Under Alt + Tab settings, select either All desktops or Only the desktop I’m using to change the Alt + Tab behavior.

   

This should work, but if it doesn’t change which desktops show when Alt + Tab is pressed, you can also use a registry fix. Here’s how:

1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Go to the following registry location:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced 

3. Look for the 32-bit DWORD VirtualDesktopAltTabFilter. (If it doesn’t exist, you’ll have to create it.)
4. Double-click it to change its value data.

   

5. Set its value data to zero if you want to press Alt + Tab to bring up windows from all desktops.
6. Set it to “1” for the Alt + Tab hotkey to bring up windows only from the current desktop.

4. Choose Between Icons and Thumbnails

If you’re a fan of the old Alt + Tab switcher, or if the thumbnail view of Alt + Tab is cluttered or confusing, you can revert to the classic Windows XP Alt + Tab Switcher. After a couple of steps, you'll have a classic-styled Alt + Tab switcher, and you can further customize it to your liking.

Customize Windows 10’s Task Switcher According to Your Preferences

There aren’t many customization settings available for Task Switcher in Windows 10. Nevertheless, you can configure its transparency level, add background dimming, and select whether it shows Edge tabs according to your preferences. There are also some third-party software packages available that add different Alt + Tab switchers to Windows 10.