{
  "dateModified": "2026-08-11",
  "source": "https://wosapp.io/#faq",
  "about": "WOS — Last Recently Seen (LRS) Cmd+Tab switching for macOS",
  "license": "Quotable with attribution to WOS (wosapp.io)",
  "questions": [
    {
      "id": "what-is-wos",
      "question": "What is WOS?",
      "answer": "WOS is a free macOS menu bar utility that replaces the built-in Cmd+Tab application switcher with a Last Recently Seen (LRS) switcher. Instead of cycling only top-level applications, it cycles every target you actually looked at — applications, individual windows, and individual browser tabs — in the order you last saw them. The shortcut stays the same, so existing muscle memory is preserved."
    },
    {
      "id": "what-is-lrs",
      "question": "What does Last Recently Seen (LRS) mean?",
      "answer": "Last Recently Seen orders switch targets by when you last had them visible on screen, rather than by application launch order. The key difference from a conventional most-recently-used list is the unit: LRS ranks the thing you saw — a specific tab or window — not the application that happens to own it. One Cmd+Tab press therefore returns you to the exact context you left, even if it was a browser tab buried among fifty others."
    },
    {
      "id": "vs-native-cmd-tab",
      "question": "How is WOS different from the built-in macOS Cmd+Tab?",
      "answer": "The native macOS switcher is application-first and tab-blind: it lists only top-level apps, orders them by app launch order, cannot jump to a specific browser tab, often leaves minimized windows buried, and offers no search. WOS makes browser tabs and individual windows first-class switch targets, orders everything by true Last Recently Seen order, surfaces hidden and minimized windows, switches across macOS Spaces, and adds a Cmd+Tab+S command bar for searching every open target."
    },
    {
      "id": "replace-or-add-shortcut",
      "question": "Does WOS replace the Cmd+Tab shortcut or add a new one?",
      "answer": "By default WOS intercepts Cmd+Tab itself, including Shift for reverse cycling, so you keep using the shortcut you already know. The shortcut is configurable, and a fallback shortcut (Opt+Tab by default) is available for cases where macOS interferes with Cmd+Tab interception."
    },
    {
      "id": "supported-browsers",
      "question": "Which browsers does WOS support?",
      "answer": "WOS currently supports Safari, Google Chrome, Brave, Opera, Arc and Orion, treating tabs from any of them as equal switching targets. Firefox, ChatGPT Atlas and Comet are planned. WOS is also Chrome profile-aware, so tabs belonging to different Chrome profiles are listed and reachable separately."
    },
    {
      "id": "search-all-tabs",
      "question": "How do I search across all open browser tabs on macOS?",
      "answer": "Press Cmd+Tab+S in WOS to open a command bar that searches every open browser tab, application, window and terminal session at once. Type to filter and press Return to jump straight there. Matching is fuzzy, so a typo still finds the right target, and results are grouped into LRS targets, open apps and all open browser tabs."
    },
    {
      "id": "is-wos-free",
      "question": "Is WOS free?",
      "answer": "Yes. WOS is free to download and use, and no account is required. Development is funded by optional donations via Patreon or cryptocurrency."
    },
    {
      "id": "system-requirements",
      "question": "What are the system requirements for WOS?",
      "answer": "WOS requires macOS 15 or later and runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. It is distributed as a direct DMG download; a Mac App Store version is planned."
    },
    {
      "id": "how-to-install",
      "question": "How do I install WOS?",
      "answer": "Download the DMG from wosapp.io/downloads, open it and drag WOS to your Applications folder. On first launch, grant Accessibility and Input Monitoring permission so WOS can intercept the global shortcut, then approve Automation access for each browser whose tabs you want to switch to. A built-in self-check panel shows which permissions are still missing."
    },
    {
      "id": "privacy",
      "question": "Does WOS send my data anywhere?",
      "answer": "The switching engine runs under a custom kernel-level App Sandbox profile with no network entitlement, so it cannot send data off your machine. The app contains no analytics SDKs, telemetry frameworks, advertising libraries or attribution services. Two scoped network interactions are documented: a periodic update check that transmits only your WOS version and macOS version, and feedback submission, which happens only when you explicitly write and send a message."
    },
    {
      "id": "permissions",
      "question": "What permissions does WOS need, and why?",
      "answer": "WOS needs Accessibility and Input Monitoring to intercept a global keyboard shortcut reliably, and per-browser Automation permission to read tab titles and activate a specific tab. Automation is optional and granted per browser — without it, WOS still switches applications and windows, just not individual tabs. The security page documents the CGEventTap requirement and publishes the complete sandbox profile."
    },
    {
      "id": "spaces-and-displays",
      "question": "Can WOS switch to a window or tab on a different macOS Space?",
      "answer": "Yes. WOS switches across macOS Spaces and Desktops, so a target on another Space is reachable from the same switcher without manually navigating there first. Multi-display setups keep their context as well, which is where the native app-level switcher tends to break down."
    },
    {
      "id": "minimized-windows",
      "question": "Does WOS restore minimized and hidden windows?",
      "answer": "Yes. Minimized and hidden windows appear as normal targets in the switcher and are restored when you select them, instead of staying buried behind a stack of open applications."
    },
    {
      "id": "tab-therapy",
      "question": "What is Tab Therapy?",
      "answer": "Tab Therapy is a WOS feature that scans your open browser windows and identifies stale tabs — ones you have not looked at in more than 24 hours. It lets you export them to TXT, HTML or bookmarks before closing them, so you can reclaim focus and system memory without losing anything."
    },
    {
      "id": "memory-bank",
      "question": "What is the WOS Memory Bank?",
      "answer": "Memory Bank is a searchable Markdown wiki built into WOS. Select text anywhere on macOS and press Option+Cmd+M (⌥⌘M) to save it; press Shift+Cmd+M (⇧⌘M) to open a Spotlight-style HUD, filter as you type, and press Return to paste the snippet back into the app you came from. Everything is stored as plain Markdown at ~/Library/Application Support/WOS/memory_bank.md, so you can edit it in any editor or keep it under version control."
    },
    {
      "id": "clipboard-history",
      "question": "Does WOS include a clipboard manager?",
      "answer": "Yes, and it filters secrets. WOS keeps a clipboard history while detecting and excluding passwords, API keys and tokens, so credentials do not end up sitting in a searchable history or appearing on screen."
    },
    {
      "id": "app-store",
      "question": "Is WOS available on the Mac App Store?",
      "answer": "Not yet. WOS is currently distributed as a direct DMG download from wosapp.io, and a Mac App Store version is planned. The direct build uses a custom kernel sandbox profile because standard App Store sandboxing blocks the inter-process communication required for browser tab switching."
    },
    {
      "id": "alternatives",
      "question": "What are the alternatives to WOS for macOS window switching?",
      "answer": "Other macOS switchers focus on window-level switching or application launching. WOS is distinguished by three things: browser tabs are first-class switch targets rather than being invisible, ordering is true Last Recently Seen rather than most-recently-used application order, and the switching engine runs with no network entitlement under a published kernel sandbox profile."
    }
  ]
}