# ReTab - Tab Switch for Safari — Tap to hop, hold for a list

> Safari tab switcher with keyboard shortcuts for fast navigation and history access. (iPhone/iPad app by Lychee Isle Co.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retab-tab-switch-for-safari/id6736950080 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Lychee Isle Co](https://appshunter.io/developer/1651467135)
- Category: Utilities, Productivity
- Price: $1.99
- Rating: 3.70/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 19 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 1 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2024-10-17
- Data updated: 2026-08-22
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retab-tab-switch-for-safari/id6736950080/reviews.md

## What is ReTab?

Cmd+Tab — but for your Safari tabs.

Tap Cmd+E to flip between your two most recent tabs. Hold it to summon a Cmd+Tab-style picker for cycling through your tab history — release to land on the highlighted tab. Hold Shift while cycling to reverse direction. One shortcut, two gestures, zero clutter.

What's New in 3.0
A unified, redesigned experience. ReTab now uses a single intelligent shortcut that adapts to how you press it — replacing the old "two separate shortcuts" model. The new visual picker brings the macOS Cmd+Tab feel directly to your tabs, with a frosted-glass overlay that shows where you are in your history at a glance.

Tap to Hop
Tap Cmd+E and let go to instantly flip between your two most recent tabs. The fastest way to compare, copy, or context-switch while you work. Clicking the ReTab toolbar icon does the exact same thing — handy when you're not on the keyboard.

Hold to Cycle
Hold Cmd+E to summon the Cmd+Tab-style overlay. Each subsequent tap of E walks the highlight one step forward through your tab history; release the modifier to commit. Hold Shift to step backwards. Prefer arrows? ← and → step through the picker the same way. Prefer the mouse? Click any card to jump straight to that tab. Up to 9 recent tabs at your fingertips.

Jump Back on Tab Close
Closing a tab automatically returns you to your most recently active tab — no more hunting after Safari drops you on a random neighbor. Toggle this off any time in extension settings if you'd rather keep Safari's default.

Customizable Shortcuts
Safari 26 and later let you remap ReTab's shortcut directly in Safari Settings → Extensions to fit your workflow. On older Safari versions, tools like Karabiner-Elements or BetterTouchTool do the job.

Private by Design
Nothing ever leaves your Mac. No analytics, no remote calls, no tracking.

Safari will warn you on install that ReTab "can read and alter webpages" and "see your browsing history" — that's the standard wording for any extension that touches tab data. Here's exactly how each permission is used:

• Script access — only to draw the picker overlay on the tab you're already viewing.
• Tab access — only to read titles and icons of your open tabs so the picker can list them in the right order.

That's the complete list. Your tab history, the picker, everything — stays on this Mac.

Built for Your Flow
Whether you're a developer jumping between docs and code, a researcher comparing sources, or a power user juggling dozens of tabs — ReTab keeps you in the zone.

Just install, enable in Safari Settings → Extensions, visit a couple of tabs, and tap Cmd+E. That's it.

## Key features

- Instant tab switching
- Cycle through tab history
- Jump back on tab close
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Lightweight and private
- Works with Safari extensions

## Recent user reviews (10 of 19)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retab-tab-switch-for-safari/id6736950080/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Most useful extension for Safari

*2026-07-05*

It makes Safari 10x more enjoyable to use!

### 5/5 — Smooth as Butter

*2026-07-03*

I love ReTab. This keyboard shortcut is legit one of my favorites. A critical option if you are a Safari user!!!

**Developer response:** Thanks so much for your encouragement! Let us know if you got any suggestions to improve ReTab!

### 3/5 — Works but…

*2026-06-09*

This extension works but it requires read access to every page you visit (or want to cycle through), meaning it can access very sensitive information like passwords, credit cards, SSN, etc. To me it’s just too risky, which is such a shame since I really find it useful.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the feedback and totally understand the concerns. The reason is that we have to use the "scripting" permission in order to display the list of tabs on each webpage, and the permission includes read access which we can't omit. We promise that we never read any content of the web pages, and you can open the developer console to verify no network call is ever made by ReTab. 

On the side, we could make a "ReTab Lite" which doesn't show the list of tabs but you can just use key combinations to switch blindly, which would only require tab history permission - if you think you'd like it better that way let us know!

### 5/5 — Simple mais essentielle

*2026-03-20*

Pour mon travail j’ouvre beaucoup de tabs different pour les différents outils (Confluence, ServiceNow) et je dois souvent passer d’un tab à l’autre pour copier/coller du texte. ReTab me permet de me concentrer sur mon travail sans perdre du temps et de l’energie dans la recherche du bon tab

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work for the one thing I needed

*2026-01-25*

All I wanted was to close a tab and go back to the previous tab, something that should be native to Safari in the first place. I bought this and opened the extension options and the toggle for this feature is set, yet it doesn’t work. Complete waste of $2

**Developer response:** Sorry to hear that, please give a try to the fresh 3.0 which just came out and made significant improvements.

### 4/5 — Finally Safari is usable

*2025-10-25, version 2.4*

Works well, just wish the shortcut could match Arc/Zen (Ctrl+tab instead of Cmd+tab)

### 5/5 — works like a charm

*2025-09-22*

Quite useful for switching the tabs. Will be more helpful if it opens the tabs I closed recently.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the kind words! Wouldn't Cmd+Shift+T work for you to reopen closed tabs?

### 5/5 — Saved me from my headache switching over tabs

*2025-09-21*

This thing actually works! I always have way too many tabs open and kept losing track of stuff. Now I can just quickly jump back to whatever I was looking at before. Super simple to use and doesn't mess with anything else. Definitely worth getting if you're like me and can't keep your tabs organized.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the kind words and glad it's helpful!!

### 5/5 — A handy tool if you are a shortcut freak like me!

*2025-09-21*

If you’re obsessed with shortcuts, ReTab is a gem. Flying through Safari tabs feels effortless, and you can even set your own keys. I just wish it had a few extra tricks, like closing the current tab while cycling. Overall, a great tool!

### 5/5 — Very useful extension

*2025-09-12*

I’ve been waiting for one like this for a long time, so glad to see ReTab, well worth the price.

## Frequently asked questions about ReTab

### How do I install ReTab on Safari?

Simply install the extension, then enable it in your Safari Extensions settings. Once enabled, you can start using its features immediately.

### What is the price of ReTab?

ReTab is a paid application priced at $1.99. This one-time purchase grants you access to all its features.

### What devices does ReTab support?

ReTab is available for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It is designed to enhance your browsing experience across Apple devices.

### How often is ReTab updated?

The latest version, 2.5, was released on March 17, 2026. The developer, Lychee Isle Co, has a history of updating the application.

### Is ReTab safe to use?

Yes, ReTab is designed to be lightweight and private. It only requests tab permissions and does not read, collect, or transmit your browsing data.

### Can I customize the keyboard shortcuts in ReTab?

Yes, with Safari 26 and later, you can customize all ReTab keyboard shortcuts directly within Safari's Extensions settings. For older versions, custom key mapping tools can be used.

### What is the age rating for ReTab?

ReTab has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users. It is a simple utility tool with no mature content.

### What do users like about ReTab?

Users appreciate ReTab's speed and efficiency in switching between Safari tabs, as well as its privacy-focused design. The ability to quickly jump back to recent tabs is a key highlight.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.3 — 2026-08-14

ReTab 3.3 — Minimal permissions by default

• ReTab now installs with zero access to your pages or browsing data. Quick tab switching (tap Cmd+E to flip between your two most recent tabs) works out of the box with no permissions at all.
• The visual tab picker (hold Cmd+E) is now an opt-in feature. Turning it on grants exactly what it needs — drawing the picker on the page and reading tab titles — with a clear explanation of why, once, in ReTab Settings. Decline and the quick switch keeps working forever.
• Existing users: nothing changes. Permissions you've already granted stay granted, and the picker keeps working exactly as before.
• "Jump back to your most recent tab when you close a tab" is now off by default — it surprised more people than it helped. Turn it back on anytime in ReTab Settings; if you already flipped the toggle yourself, your choice is kept.
• As always: no analytics, no remote calls, nothing leaves your Mac. This release just makes that promise visible in the permission sheet.

Recent updates

• 3.2.3 — Performance and reliability refinements for long browsing sessions.
• 3.2.2 — Hover to commit: hover any tab card while holding Cmd+E and release to switch to it, mirroring macOS Cmd+Tab's "hover wins" behavior.
• 3.2.1 — Stuck-picker fix: ReTab now detects the modifier release even when the keyup event is absorbed by an iframe or focus blip, and commits cleanly.
• 3.2 — VoiceOver narrates the picker: position, selection, and tab titles, with focus restored on release.

Note: if your custom shortcut isn't responding, re-confirm it once in Safari Settings → Extensions.

### 3.2.3 — 2026-06-26

ReTab 3.2.3 — Under-the-hood polish

• Performance and reliability refinements, including more efficient background processing during long browsing sessions.

What was new in 3.2.2 — Hover to commit

• Hover any tab card while holding Cmd+E and release — ReTab switches to that tab. Mirrors macOS Cmd+Tab's "hover wins" behavior: the hovered card lights up in the same selection style as the keyboard cursor, the keyboard highlight steps aside while the mouse is over a card, and releasing commits to whatever the cursor is on. Move the mouse off the picker before releasing and the keyboard cursor takes over again, exactly like before.
• No change to the keyboard-only flow — tap, hold, arrows, Shift, click-to-switch all behave identically.

What was new in 3.2.1

• Stuck-picker fix, finalized. A few users reported the picker occasionally stayed on screen after releasing Cmd+E, requiring a click to commit. Root cause: the modifier keyup event was being absorbed before reaching ReTab — most often by a focused cross-origin iframe (YouTube embed, OAuth popup, embedded editor), but also by brief OS focus blips and pages that intercept keyboard events. ReTab now infers a release the moment any subsequent event (mouse move, click, scroll, keypress) shows the modifier is no longer held, and commits cleanly.

What was new in 3.2

• VoiceOver now narrates the picker. Holding Cmd+E announces "Recent tabs" and each highlighted card as you cycle, with position-in-list and selection state — closely matching the cadence of macOS's own Cmd+Tab. Releasing the modifier returns focus exactly where you left it. Thanks to the visually-impaired user whose feedback drove this fix.
• Cleaner shortcut announcement. The keyboard-shortcut row in Safari Settings is now labeled simply "ReTab", so screen readers don't re-read the full description on every cycle step.
• Initial stuck-picker safety nets. An inactivity watchdog and a synchronous abort on tab-hide so the picker dismisses even when keyup is lost.

What was new in 3.1

• Per-window tab history. ReTab now tracks tabs separately for each Safari window. Cycling stays scoped to the window you're in, and the picker dismisses automatically when you switch windows.
• Arrow keys to navigate. While the picker is up, ← walks the highlight backwards and → walks it forward — alongside the existing chord-key tap and Shift+chord gesture.
• Click to switch. Mouse-click any card in the picker to jump directly to that tab. Hover hints make clickable cards obvious.
• System-aligned typography. The picker now renders at the same body text size as macOS Cmd+Tab, with proportionally larger favicons.
• Dark Reader friendly. The picker stays consistently readable even when the Dark Reader extension is active.

What was new in 3.0

• Unified shortcut. The separate hop and cycle commands are now one intelligent shortcut — tap Cmd+E to instantly flip between your two most recent tabs, hold it to summon the visual picker.
• Cmd+Tab-style picker. A frosted-glass list of your recent tabs appears while you hold the shortcut. Each tap walks the highlight forward through your history; release to land there.
• Hold Shift to reverse. While cycling, hold Shift to walk the picker backwards — just like Cmd+Shift+Tab does for apps.
• Click to hop. Clicking the ReTab toolbar icon performs an instant hop to your last tab, no keyboard needed.
• Customizable in Safari. On Safari 26+, remap ReTab's shortcut directly in Safari Settings → Extensions.
• Refined under the hood. Faster overlay injection, smarter favicon caching, more reliable behavior across Safari restarts and slow-loading tabs.

Note: if your custom shortcut isn't responding, re-confirm it once in Safari Settings → Extensions.

### 3.2.2 — 2026-06-04

ReTab 3.2.2 — Hover to commit

• Hover any tab card while holding Cmd+E and release — ReTab switches to that tab. Mirrors macOS Cmd+Tab's "hover wins" behavior: the hovered card lights up in the same selection style as the keyboard cursor, the keyboard highlight steps aside while the mouse is over a card, and releasing commits to whatever the cursor is on. Move the mouse off the picker before releasing and the keyboard cursor takes over again, exactly like before.
• No change to the keyboard-only flow — tap, hold, arrows, Shift, click-to-switch all behave identically.

What was new in 3.2.1

• Stuck-picker fix, finalized. A few users reported the picker occasionally stayed on screen after releasing Cmd+E, requiring a click to commit. Root cause: the modifier keyup event was being absorbed before reaching ReTab — most often by a focused cross-origin iframe (YouTube embed, OAuth popup, embedded editor), but also by brief OS focus blips and pages that intercept keyboard events. ReTab now infers a release the moment any subsequent event (mouse move, click, scroll, keypress) shows the modifier is no longer held, and commits cleanly.

What was new in 3.2

• VoiceOver now narrates the picker. Holding Cmd+E announces "Recent tabs" and each highlighted card as you cycle, with position-in-list and selection state — closely matching the cadence of macOS's own Cmd+Tab. Releasing the modifier returns focus exactly where you left it. Thanks to the visually-impaired user whose feedback drove this fix.
• Cleaner shortcut announcement. The keyboard-shortcut row in Safari Settings is now labeled simply "ReTab", so screen readers don't re-read the full description on every cycle step.
• Initial stuck-picker safety nets. An inactivity watchdog and a synchronous abort on tab-hide so the picker dismisses even when keyup is lost.

What was new in 3.1

• Per-window tab history. ReTab now tracks tabs separately for each Safari window. Cycling stays scoped to the window you're in, and the picker dismisses automatically when you switch windows.
• Arrow keys to navigate. While the picker is up, ← walks the highlight backwards and → walks it forward — alongside the existing chord-key tap and Shift+chord gesture.
• Click to switch. Mouse-click any card in the picker to jump directly to that tab. Hover hints make clickable cards obvious.
• System-aligned typography. The picker now renders at the same body text size as macOS Cmd+Tab, with proportionally larger favicons.
• Dark Reader friendly. The picker stays consistently readable even when the Dark Reader extension is active.

What was new in 3.0

• Unified shortcut. The separate hop and cycle commands are now one intelligent shortcut — tap Cmd+E to instantly flip between your two most recent tabs, hold it to summon the visual picker.
• Cmd+Tab-style picker. A frosted-glass list of your recent tabs appears while you hold the shortcut. Each tap walks the highlight forward through your history; release to land there.
• Hold Shift to reverse. While cycling, hold Shift to walk the picker backwards — just like Cmd+Shift+Tab does for apps.
• Click to hop. Clicking the ReTab toolbar icon performs an instant hop to your last tab, no keyboard needed.
• Customizable in Safari. On Safari 26+, remap ReTab's shortcut directly in Safari Settings → Extensions.
• Refined under the hood. Faster overlay injection, smarter favicon caching, more reliable behavior across Safari restarts and slow-loading tabs.

Note: if your custom shortcut isn't responding, re-confirm it once in Safari Settings → Extensions.

### 3.2.1 — 2026-06-01

ReTab 3.2.1 — Stuck-picker fix, finalized

• A few users reported the picker occasionally stayed on screen after releasing Cmd+E, requiring a click to commit. Root cause: the modifier keyup event was being absorbed before reaching ReTab — most often by a focused cross-origin iframe (YouTube embed, OAuth popup, embedded editor), but also by brief OS focus blips and pages that intercept keyboard events. ReTab now infers a release the moment any subsequent event (mouse move, click, scroll, keypress) shows the modifier is no longer held, and commits cleanly. Combined with the watchdog and tab-hide abort added in 3.2, the picker now dismisses reliably in every scenario we could reproduce.
• No visual or behavioral changes for the common case — same gestures, same picker.

What was new in 3.2

• VoiceOver now narrates the picker. Holding Cmd+E announces "Recent tabs" and each highlighted card as you cycle, with position-in-list and selection state — closely matching the cadence of macOS's own Cmd+Tab. Releasing the modifier returns focus exactly where you left it. Thanks to the visually-impaired user whose feedback drove this fix.
• Cleaner shortcut announcement. The keyboard-shortcut row in Safari Settings is now labeled simply "ReTab", so screen readers don't re-read the full description on every cycle step.
• Initial stuck-picker safety nets. An inactivity watchdog and a synchronous abort on tab-hide so the picker dismisses even when keyup is lost.

What was new in 3.1

• Per-window tab history. ReTab now tracks tabs separately for each Safari window. Cycling stays scoped to the window you're in, and the picker dismisses automatically when you switch windows.
• Arrow keys to navigate. While the picker is up, ← walks the highlight backwards and → walks it forward — alongside the existing chord-key tap and Shift+chord gesture.
• Click to switch. Mouse-click any card in the picker to jump directly to that tab. Hover hints make clickable cards obvious.
• System-aligned typography. The picker now renders at the same body text size as macOS Cmd+Tab, with proportionally larger favicons.
• Dark Reader friendly. The picker stays consistently readable even when the Dark Reader extension is active.

What was new in 3.0

• Unified shortcut. The separate hop and cycle commands are now one intelligent shortcut — tap Cmd+E to instantly flip between your two most recent tabs, hold it to summon the visual picker.
• Cmd+Tab-style picker. A frosted-glass list of your recent tabs appears while you hold the shortcut. Each tap walks the highlight forward through your history; release to land there.
• Hold Shift to reverse. While cycling, hold Shift to walk the picker backwards — just like Cmd+Shift+Tab does for apps.
• Click to hop. Clicking the ReTab toolbar icon performs an instant hop to your last tab, no keyboard needed.
• Customizable in Safari. On Safari 26+, remap ReTab's shortcut directly in Safari Settings → Extensions.
• Refined under the hood. Faster overlay injection, smarter favicon caching, more reliable behavior across Safari restarts and slow-loading tabs.

Note: if your custom shortcut isn't responding, re-confirm it once in Safari Settings → Extensions.

### 3.2 — 2026-05-27

ReTab 3.2 — VoiceOver support and a stuck-picker fix

• VoiceOver now narrates the picker. Holding Cmd+E announces "Recent tabs" and each highlighted card as you cycle, with position-in-list and selection state — closely matching the cadence of macOS's own Cmd+Tab. Releasing the modifier returns focus exactly where you left it. Thanks to the visually-impaired user whose feedback drove this fix.
• Cleaner shortcut announcement. The keyboard-shortcut row in Safari Settings is now labeled simply "ReTab", so screen readers don't re-read the full description on every cycle step.
• Stuck-picker fix. In rare cases — focus inside a YouTube embed, an OAuth popup, or another cross-origin iframe at the moment you released the modifier — the picker could stay on screen until you clicked a card. Two new safety nets (an inactivity watchdog and a synchronous abort on tab-hide) make sure the picker always dismisses cleanly within a second or two, even when the keyup event itself is lost in transit.
• Same picker, same gestures, no visual changes.

What was new in 3.1

• Per-window tab history. ReTab now tracks tabs separately for each Safari window. Cycling stays scoped to the window you're in, and the picker dismisses automatically when you switch windows.
• Arrow keys to navigate. While the picker is up, ← walks the highlight backwards and → walks it forward — alongside the existing chord-key tap and Shift+chord gesture.
• Click to switch. Mouse-click any card in the picker to jump directly to that tab. Hover hints make clickable cards obvious.
• System-aligned typography. The picker now renders at the same body text size as macOS Cmd+Tab, with proportionally larger favicons.
• Dark Reader friendly. The picker stays consistently readable even when the Dark Reader extension is active.

What was new in 3.0

• Unified shortcut. The separate hop and cycle commands are now one intelligent shortcut — tap Cmd+E to instantly flip between your two most recent tabs, hold it to summon the visual picker.
• Cmd+Tab-style picker. A frosted-glass list of your recent tabs appears while you hold the shortcut. Each tap walks the highlight forward through your history; release to land there.
• Hold Shift to reverse. While cycling, hold Shift to walk the picker backwards — just like Cmd+Shift+Tab does for apps.
• Click to hop. Clicking the ReTab toolbar icon performs an instant hop to your last tab, no keyboard needed.
• Customizable in Safari. On Safari 26+, remap ReTab's shortcut directly in Safari Settings → Extensions.
• Refined under the hood. Faster overlay injection, smarter favicon caching, more reliable behavior across Safari restarts and slow-loading tabs.

Note: if your custom shortcut isn't responding, re-confirm it once in Safari Settings → Extensions.

## Apps similar to ReTab

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| --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| [QuickScroll for Safari](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quickscroll-for-safari/id6759132470) | — | $0.99 | Utilities |
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## More apps by Lychee Isle Co

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All apps by Lychee Isle Co: https://appshunter.io/developer/1651467135

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-22.*