macOS Command+Tab switcher appears on secondary display

You want to use this command in your Terminal app:

defaults write com.apple.dock appswitcher-dock-display -bool true && killall Dock

It defines a setting on the Dock to make sure the App Switcher doesn't change displays/monitors.

The '&& killall Dock' part restarts the Dock straight afterwards.

If you've defined the 'appswitcher-all-displays' setting so the App Switcher is shown on all displays, you can either delete that setting or set it to false

Delete:

defaults delete com.apple.dock appswitcher-all-displays && killall Dock

Set to false:

defaults write com.apple.dock appswitcher-all-displays -bool false && killall Dock

Expected macOS behavior as that the App Switcher is tied directly to where your Dock is currently active. The standard rule for macOS is that the Cmd + Tab app switcher always follows the Dock, not your active window or cursor position.

What happened during your update?

When macOS updates or restarts, it often resets or shifts the active display focus. If your Dock is set to "Automatically hide and show," or if you frequently drag your mouse to the bottom of the screens, the Dock will quietly hop to whichever monitor your cursor last interacted with.

How to lock it back to your Main Display

You can easily revert to your previous setup and ensure the app switcher stays on your main display.

• Move your mouse cursor over to the main display.
• Hover or pull your cursor straight down against the very bottom edge of the screen for a second or two.
• This action forces the Dock (and the app switcher) back to the Studio Display

If it's on, toggle off the option to Automatically hide and show the Dock in System Settings > Desktop & Dock.

If you are still seeing unexpected behavior, have you rebooted your Mac? If not, that's the first step. If that does not help, then see if the problem is present when you boot in safe mode. That process performs some system cleanup and clears caches, and also disables 3rd party extensions that may cause problems.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

If that does not correct the issue, test in a new user account. A newly-created user account will have all settings at default, and if the issue does not occur in that new account then it provides guidance on what may need to be changed to correct the issue.

Add a user or group on Mac - Apple Support

Once the testing is complete, the new account can easily be deleted.

Delete a user or group on Mac – Apple Support

Those steps will help to isolate the problem.

"Expected macOS behavior as that the App Switcher is tied directly to where your Dock is currently active. The standard rule for macOS is that the Cmd + Tab app switcher always follows the Dock, not your active window or cursor position."

HOWEVER, just as the original poster, this is NOT what I am seeing in macOS Golden Gate.

The Application Switcher seems to now appear on the active screen, regardless of the Dock's position.

My Dock in on the right side, in my MBP screen (and always hidden). The external display is on the left.

It used to be that the Application Switcher always appeared on the internal display.

But now if I click on a window (or the menu bar) in the external screen and then do Command-Tab, the Application Switcher appears on that screen.

FWIW, expected or not, I actually do like this new behavior!

even if i turn off auto hide, and select the window on the secondary screen it still show the app switcher on the secondary screen. until i make the primary window active. I've already crashed and had to reboot and so its still doing it. Been dealing with my Brother DCP 7065 DN Printer not being compatible without install Rosetta.

Also the dock stays on my primary display since it on the right hand side.

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:

HOWEVER, just as the original poster, this is NOT what I am seeing in macOS Golden Gate.

The Application Switcher seems to now appear on the active screen, regardless of the Dock's position.

FWIW, expected or not, I actually do like this new behavior!

Indeed! I typically work in clamshell, but I do see this in Golden Gate when I open my MBP...so I suspect this is the new 'expected' behavior though it differs from Tahoe and Sequoia. I also like it, FWIW.

branmh wrote:

I just set it up for both displays then

defaults write com.apple.dock appswitcher-all-displays -bool true

killall Dock

Interesting. I had no idea one could do that!

It does make the Application Switcher appear on both displays simultaneously.

Note: as usual, one just has to do the same command with false instead of true to undo this; or revert the setting to its default using

defaults delete com.apple.dock appswitcher-all-displays
killall Dock

This new behaviour is awful, it assumes users are always looking at the active window, which is not true at all.

We are used to the muscle memory of looking at the same monitor during app switching.

They are force-feeding a solution to a problem we never had.

I get it if you like it, but at least make it an option... which is unlikely considering is too minor for it to be in the Settings...

sirscan wrote:

This new behaviour is awful, it assumes users are always looking at the active window, which is not true at all.

We are used to the muscle memory of looking at the same monitor during app switching.

They are force-feeding a solution to a problem we never had.

I get it if you like it, but at least make it an option... which is unlikely considering is too minor for it to be in the Settings...

They are not force feeding anything.

You have the option to make it work in whatever way you prefer!

You can:

a) Have it follow the Dock; or

b) Always show in the main display; or

c) Appear in all displays simultaneously.

Just choose whatever you want.

I just set it up for both displays then

defaults write com.apple.dock appswitcher-all-displays -bool true

killall Dock

This did not work. After executing this command, selecting anything on the secondary display causes the switcher to appear on that display not the primary.

This did work; having it on all displays is harmless and maybe even better.

Nope this is the old behaviour, which is exactly what MacOS27 changed.