Every app in a ring. At your cursor.
Hold a modifier key (Option by default) and every running app appears in a ring around your cursor. Flick toward the one you want, or walk the ring with the arrow keys, and release to switch. Gyre is a radial app switcher for macOS — nothing to learn beyond one held key.
Hold Option: every running app, in a ring at your cursor
14
Days of full trial — everything works, nothing is watered down
1
Network request the app ever makes: the license check
3
Macs a single license covers — no subscription attached
Switching, without the trip
A held key, a ring at your cursor, and a release — for apps, for windows, for the things you were done with anyway.
The ring
Every running app, in a ring at your cursor
Hold a modifier key — Option by default — and every running app appears in a ring around your cursor, exactly where your hand already is. Flick toward the one you want and release. Or walk the ring with the arrow keys. Either way, you never travel to the dock or the middle of the screen.
The ring of running apps around the cursor
Windows
Land on the exact window, not just the app
Once an app is selected, the left and right arrows move through that app's individual windows, so you can land on the document you meant instead of whatever the app last surfaced. Optional live previews show each window's real content as you choose — previews are off until you turn them on, and macOS asks for Screen Recording permission to provide them.
Window-level switching inside the selected app
The hub
A small desk in the middle of the ring
The center of the ring is a hub. Drag an app's card into it to quit that app. Drag a file in to send it somewhere with AirDrop — or keep holding, and it goes to the Trash instead. The switcher doubles as the place where things leave your hands.
Hub actions: quit, AirDrop, Trash
Under the hood
Local, quiet, and yours
A native macOS app that stays on your Mac.
Native
Swift for macOS
A focused, native app. No hidden browser engine and no always-on helper draining your battery.
Local
everything it does
Switching, previews, and hub actions all run on your Mac. Gyre works with the network turned off.
1
network request, ever
The only network request the app ever makes is the license check. No telemetry, no analytics, no account.
11
interface languages
The ring, the settings, and the onboarding speak your language — eleven of them.
And everything else that matters
From the first held key to the license that outlives the trial.
Recents first, anchor steady
The ring is ordered by when you last used each app, so the one you want is usually one flick away — and a stable anchor at 12 o'clock keeps positions from jumping while you browse.
Letter and number shortcuts
Optionally, every slot answers to a letter or number key, so a well-used ring becomes a keyboard map you can hit blind.
Universal binary
One DMG for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, on macOS 14 or later.
No account
A license key activates on up to 3 Macs. There is nothing to sign into, and nothing to cancel.
No auto-updater
Gyre ships without a built-in updater and no background agent: new versions are on the Releases page, one click away.
Source-available
The app is licensed under a custom, source-available licence, and credits the Orbit concept it reimplements.
Comparison
A ring at the cursor, not a strip down the screen
The switcher macOS ships with is a horizontal strip in the middle of the screen, and it stops at apps: it cannot land you on the window you wanted, and your eyes travel to it every time. Gyre puts the same list in a ring around your cursor — the one place your hand already is — walks it with the mouse or the arrow keys, and goes one level deeper, to the exact window, with optional live previews to confirm the landing.
Gyre
Command-Tab
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Permissions, licenses, privacy, and what Gyre does on your Mac.
What does Gyre actually do?
It is an app switcher with a different shape. Hold a modifier key — Option by default — and every running app appears in a ring around your cursor. Flick toward the one you want and release to switch, or walk the ring with the arrow keys if you would rather not move the mouse.
Which permissions does Gyre need?
Switching needs the Accessibility permission — reading where windows are and moving focus between apps is exactly what it governs — and Gyre asks for it on first launch. The optional live window previews need the Screen Recording permission in addition, which is why previews are off until you turn them on. You can revoke either at any time in System Settings.
How does window-level switching work?
With an app selected in the ring, the left and right arrows move through that app's individual windows, so you land on the document you meant rather than whatever the app surfaces first. Turn on live previews in Settings and each window shows its real content as you choose.
How is the ring ordered?
By when you last used each app, so the one you are about to want is usually a single flick away. The order is most-recently-used, but the anchor is stable: the 12 o'clock position does not jump around while you browse, which is what makes the ring learnable. Optional letter and number shortcuts give every slot a key as well.
What is the hub in the middle for?
Drag an app's card into the hub to quit that app. Drag a file in to send it somewhere with AirDrop — keep holding, and it goes to the Trash instead. The place you switch between things is also the place things leave.
What are the system requirements?
macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon and Intel (universal): the released DMG is one universal build, so the same download runs on both chips. The interface ships in 11 languages.
How much does Gyre cost?
Free for 14 days, then a one-time license. No subscription, no account, and nothing to cancel. A license covers up to 3 Macs. Checkout is not open yet, so there is nothing to buy today — the trial is simply the trial.
What does the license cover?
Everything in the app: ring switching, window-level targets and the optional live previews, the hub actions, the letter and number shortcuts, and all future updates. One license activates up to 3 Macs.
Who handles payments and refunds?
Dodo Payments is the merchant of record: the checkout, the email your license key arrives in, and any refund request are all handled there, under their terms. The app itself only ever sees the key.
What does Gyre send over the network?
One thing: the license check. It sends the license key and a per-install instance id to the license server, which forwards it to Dodo Payments. No telemetry, no analytics, no account — and switching works with the network off.
How is Gyre related to Orbit?
Gyre is an independent reimplementation of the Orbit concept by Yuze Pan. It is its own product with its own name, icon and code, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the original author.
Where can I report a bug or ask a question?
Open an issue on GitHub. Issues are read and answered, and release notes for every version are published there too.
Hold a key. Pick from the ring.
14-day trial, then a one-time license. Download the DMG, drag it to Applications, and hold Option — your whole Mac is arranged around the cursor.
No account. No telemetry. macOS 14 or later.