How to Cycle Through Safari Tabs With Keyboard Shortcuts

Navigating between multiple open tabs in the Safari web browser can be done rapidly without ever reaching for your mouse or trackpad. This article provides a quick guide on how to efficiently cycle both forward and backward through your open Safari tabs using the Control-Tab and Control-Shift-Tab keyboard shortcuts.

Cycling Forward to the Next Tab

To move from your current tab to the next open tab on the right, use the Control-Tab shortcut.

  1. Press and hold the Control key on your keyboard.
  2. While holding Control, press the Tab key once. Safari will immediately switch to the next tab to the right.
  3. To move across multiple tabs, keep holding the Control key and tap the Tab key repeatedly until you land on your desired tab.
  4. Release both keys when you are finished.

If you are currently on the furthest tab to the right, using this shortcut will loop you back to the very first tab on the far left.

Cycling Backward to the Previous Tab

To reverse the direction and move to the open tab on the left, use the Control-Shift-Tab shortcut.

  1. Press and hold both the Control key and the Shift key simultaneously.
  2. While holding both keys, press the Tab key once. Safari will switch to the previous tab on the left.
  3. Keep holding Control and Shift while tapping the Tab key to continue moving backward through your open tabs.
  4. Release the keys once you reach the tab you want to view.

If you are on the first tab on the far left, using this shortcut will loop you directly to the last tab on the far right.

Tips for Smooth Navigation

  • Do not confuse Control with Command: Pressing Command-Tab is a system-level macOS shortcut that switches between open applications, not browser tabs. Ensure you are pressing the Control key.
  • Exit Full-Screen Video: If you are watching a video in full-screen mode within a tab, you may need to press the Escape (Esc) key to exit full-screen before these tab-cycling shortcuts will work properly.
  • Works on iPad: If you use an iPad with a connected hardware keyboard (such as a Magic Keyboard), these exact same shortcuts work in the iPadOS version of Safari.