With all of the time-saving shortcuts available for Apple’s stock apps on the Touch Bar, you’d think Apple would have brought the macOS app switcher to the the new MacBook Pro’s OLED strip. That’s why developer Maxim Ananov set out to create an app, called TouchSwitcher, which does just that. With TouchSwitcher, you can switch between your recently-used apps on the new MacBook Pro right from the Touch Bar.

The app displays your most recently-used apps next to the TouchSwitcher icon to make switching between recent apps as easy as tapping their icons on the Touch Bar.

Apple’s rules allow for a single non-system control to be shown in the Control Strip on the right side of the Touch Bar. “Other Apple apps (like Xcode and iTunes) compete for this space too,” wrote Ananov.

“If they take over, launch TouchSwitcher app again.”

Watch the demo video below to get the idea.

To quit TouchSwitcher, simply tap and hold its icon in the Touch Bar.

TouchSwitcher for Touch Bar is a free download from the official website.

Apple provides its developers a set of tools and guidelines for building Mac apps that take advantage of Touch Bar shortcuts via a new NSTouchBar object that provides dynamic contextual controls in the Touch Bar.

Apps are not permitted to show alerts or widgets in the Touch Bar, but that didn’t stop Adam Bell from making the classic FPS shooter Doom run on the Touch Bar.

If you’re interested in the Touch Bar but don’t have the dime to drop on a pricey new MacBook Pro, check out this hack which simulates Touch Bar shortcuts on any Mac.

Source: Maxim Ananov