Mac trackpad gestures for managing windows

Swipe up for Mission Control, sideways for Spaces, pinch for the desktop. Every window gesture on a Mac trackpad, the settings behind them, and one more.

Guide · Updated 13 October 2026

The trackpad is the fastest way to move around a Mac, if you know the gestures. All of them live in System Settings, Trackpad, More Gestures.

GestureWhat it does
Three or four fingers upMission Control
Three or four fingers downApp Exposé (if turned on)
Three or four fingers sidewaysSwitch Spaces and full screen apps
Thumb and three fingers apartShow the desktop
Thumb and three fingers togetherLaunchpad
Two fingers sidewaysBack and forward in many apps

Freeing a gesture

Sideways swipes can use three or four fingers for switching Spaces. Pick one, and the other is free for something else.

Swiping along your windows

ClutterFreeMac uses a three or four finger sideways swipe (you choose in Settings, Navigation) to move along your row of windows. The whole row follows your fingers and settles on the next screen, like Spaces. If macOS is using the same number of fingers, Settings tells you which to change. You can also hold ⌃ ⌥ and scroll sideways with two fingers.

Questions

How do I swipe between windows on a Mac?

macOS swipes between Spaces and full screen apps, not windows. A window manager such as ClutterFreeMac adds a swipe that moves along your windows.

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