This QuickStart Guide walks you through the basics of setting up and using SuperTab.
Overview
SuperTab extends your Mac's Command-Tab App Switcher by allowing you to add additional rows of icons beyond the App Switcher's default "Active Applications".
We call these rows of icons "Tab Rows" since you often tab your way through their contents.
Customize SuperTab
SuperTab is flexible enough to suit your working style, not cramp it.
You can start with SuperTab's default configuration and then customize it as you want:
Remove Tab Rows
Re-order Tab Rows
Create new Tab Rows
Split and Restore Tab Rows
Configure & Customize the Contents of Tab Rows
Customize the method by which you activate SuperTab
Control the appearance of SuperTab: Size, Color, Opacity, Backdrop and more...
Tab Rows
SuperTab allows you to create as many Tab Rows as will fit on your Main Screen, and you can choose the type of contents each Tab Row will display.
Creation
To create a new Tab Row, hover the mouse over the lower middle area of an existing Tab Row. A button will appear. Click the button to create a new Tab Row.
Contents
To select the contents of a new Tab Row, or to change the contents of an existing Tab Row, click on the Title of the Tab Row. A menu will display from which you can choose the type of contents:
Deletion
To delete a Tab Row, move the mouse over the Tab Row which will cause a button to appear in the upper left corner of the Tab Row. Click the button to delete the Tab Row.
Ordering
To re-order a Tab Row relative to other Tab Rows, move the mouse over the Tab Row you want to move which will cause a button to appear in the upper right corner of the Tab Row. Click-and-drag the button vertically to re-order the Tab Row.
Configuring
Some Tab Rows are now configurable. Any Tab Row that is configurable displays a Gear Icon next to its Title (when you mouse over the Title). Simply click the Gear to display a menu with actions and settings specific to the Tab Row.
For example, clicking the Gear Icon of a Clipboard History Tab Row lets you configure:
The type of Clippings it will track.
How many recent Clippings it will track.
The default action to perform when you select a Clipping.
You can also choose to remove recent Clippings if you wish.
Splitting
Tab Rows can be split to allow up to three Tab Rows per visual row within SuperTab's interface.
This lets you have more Tab Rows on screen without taking up any extra screen space.
You may start with this:
Then Split the Tab Row into two, and select new contents for the second Tab Row:
To Split a Tab Row, click on its Title and select "Split":
To Restore a Tab Row, click on its Title and select "Make Stand Alone":
Default Tab Rows
When you activate SuperTab by pressing Command-Tab or Option-Tab, the "Active Applications" Tab Row is the default Tab Row that you will initially be interacting with. However, you can specify any Tab Row to be the default Tab Row when you press Command-Tab or when you press Option-Tab.
This would allow you, for example, to have Command-Tab cycle through your Active Applictions while having Option-Tab cycle through, say, your Open Windows.
Command-Tab:
To make a Tab Row the default when you press Command-Tab, click on the Title of the Tab Row and in the resulting menu select the "Make Command-Tab activate..." item.
Option-Tab:
To make a Tab Row the default when you press Option-Tab, click on the Title of the Tab Row and in the resulting menu select the "Make Option-Tab activate..." item.
Tab Row Items
Each icon in a Tab Row is called a Tab Row item.
Each Tab Row item can be selected and activated. You use the Keyboard or Mouse to select and invoke any item, just as you would with the default Application Switcher.
Some Tab Row items can be removed from the Tab Row they are in, and some Tab Row items can also be configured, ordered and previewed.
Removal
An item that can be removed will display a button in the the upper left of its selection box. Click the button to remove the item from its Tab Row.
Configuration
Similarly, an item that can be configured will display a button in the the upper right of its selection box. Click the button to display the item's configuration menu.
Alternately, you can right-click (or control-click) directly on an item to bring up its configuration menu.
Ordering
Items in a Custom Items Tab Row can be placed in any order. To move an item in a Custom Items Tab Row, left-click-and-drag on the item and move it as you wish. You can also drag Tab Row Items from one Custom Items Tab Row and drop it into another.
In fact, SuperTab now natively supports all kinds of Drag and Drop actions that you can take. Take a look!
Previewing
Some items, such as some text documents, images, PDFs, Clipboards & windows, display a preview of their contents.
Simply select an item and wait for half a second. If it is a previewable item, it will display a preview of its contents immediately above or below itself.
Scrolling
If you have more items in a Tab Row than will visually fit on screen, SuperTab will display with arrows at each end of the Tab Row.
Simply hover your mouse over these arrows to scroll the contents of the Tab Row. This ensures that now matter your screen size, you have complete access to all your items.
SuperTab Activation
You can configure SuperTab to be activated by:
Command-Tab
Option-Tab
Double-Pressing Command
Moving your mouse to any Hot Corner of your Mac's Screens
Additionally can configure SuperTab's Voice Control to be activated by:
Control-Option-Command
Shift-Control-Option
When Capslock in Effect
Moving your mouse to any Hot Corner of your Mac's Screens
Open the System Preferences Application and select SuperTab to access SuperTab's Settings. There you can choose the methods you wish to use to activate SuperTab and its Voice Control:
A Note on Command-Tab Activation
Note that you may need to grant SuperTab certain System access in order to activate SuperTab via Command-Tab. To do so:
• Open "System Preferences".
• Click the "Security & Privacy" icon.
• Click the "Privacy" tab.
• Click the "Accessibility" item in the left hand list.
• If the lock in the lower left shows as "locked", click on it and enter your credentials.
• Check the check box next to "SuperTab.app".
To determine which System version your Mac is running, choose "About This Mac" from the Apple menu.
SuperTab Appearance
Not only does SuperTab bring you new ways to access all the things you use your Mac for, it also lets you customize SuperTab's appearance to suit your needs, the size of your Mac's display, or even just your whimsy and style!
To customize SuperTab, open SuperTab in your Mac's System Preferences and click on the "More..." button.
From here you can now control several aspects of SuperTab's appearance.
You can:
Change the Color of Tab Rows
Change the Opacity of Tab Rows
Specify the Max Width of Tab Rows
Indicate the allowed Tab Row Icon Sizes
Choose the Color of the Backdrop
Choose the Opacity of the Backdrop
Choose the Blur Amount of the Backdrop
Together these give you a wide range over the look and feel of SuperTab that is perfect for your working style. Here are just a few examples:
Keyboard Control
When SuperTab is activated by either mouse or keyboard, the following Keys and corresponding Actions are available:
Key
Action
A
Move the selection up to next higher Tab Row
Z
Move the selection down to next lower Tab Row
S
Cycle through previewing the windows of the currently selected Application
H
Hide the currently selected Application (without dismissing SuperTab)
Q
Quit the currently selected Application (without dismissing SuperTab)
O
Open the currently selected Application (without dismissing SuperTab)
W
Close the currently selected Window
Return
Open the currently selected item
ESC
Dismiss SuperTab (with no action taken)
Arrows
Move the selection left, right, up or down
When SuperTab is activated by keyboard (Command-Tab or Option-Tab), the following additional Keys and corresponding Actions are available:
Key
Action
Command-Tab
Move the selection right
Command-`
Move the selection left
Command-Shift-Tab
Move the selection left
Option-Tab
Move the selection right
Option-`
Move the selection left
Option-Shift-Tab
Move the selection left
Video Introduction
We also suggest you watch our Introduction Video which will show you first hand many of the basics of using SuperTab.
