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Profiles let you maintain different sets of pinned apps for different contexts. Instead of constantly pinning and unpinning apps throughout the day, create profiles and switch between them instantly.

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What are profiles?

A profile is a named collection of pinned apps. When you activate a profile, your pinned apps change to match that workflow. Example:
  • Coding profile: Xcode, Simulator, Terminal
  • Design profile: Figma, Safari, Preview
  • Writing profile: Notion, Safari, ChatGPT
Switch profiles from the menu bar, from Settings, or with Option+`. Your active profile persists across restarts.

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Setting up profiles

1

Create a new profile

  1. Open Settings > Profiles
  2. Enter a name in the New Profile field (e.g., “Coding”)
  3. Click Add
Profile names are freeform. Use whatever makes sense for your workflow: “Work”, “Gaming”, “Research”, “Deep Focus”, etc.
2

Pin apps to the profile

  1. In Settings > Profiles, click Activate next to your new profile
  2. Switch to the Pinned Apps tab
  3. Click apps in the Running Apps section to pin them
Each profile has its own independent set of pinned apps. Pinning an app in one profile doesn’t affect other profiles.
3

Switch profiles

You can switch profiles three ways:
  • Menu bar dropdown - click the HopTab icon and select a profile
  • Settings > Profiles - click Activate next to any profile
  • Keyboard shortcut - press Option+` to cycle through profiles
The profile switcher works just like the app switcher: hold Option, press ` to cycle, release Option to activate.

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Example setups

Here are real-world profile configurations based on the workflows HopTab was designed for.

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Coding

Pinned apps: Xcode, Simulator, Terminal When to use: Building and debugging iOS/macOS apps Why it works:
  • Jump between code (Xcode) and the running app (Simulator) instantly
  • Drop into Terminal to run git commands or build scripts
  • Everything else (Slack, Safari, Spotify) stays out of the way
  1. Create a profile named Coding
  2. Launch Xcode, Simulator, and Terminal
  3. Pin all three apps in the Pinned Apps tab
  4. Press Option+Tab to hop between them
Simulator is notoriously stubborn about coming to the front on macOS 14+. HopTab uses AXUIElementPerformAction(app, kAXRaiseAction) to force-raise it.

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Design

Pinned apps: Figma, Safari, Preview When to use: UI/UX work, design review, asset export Why it works:
  • Toggle between design files (Figma) and reference sites (Safari)
  • Preview exported assets or mockups in Preview
  • Keep Slack and Notion in the background for async updates
  1. Create a profile named Design
  2. Launch Figma, Safari, and Preview
  3. Pin all three apps
  4. Assign this profile to a dedicated desktop (see Desktop assignment)

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Writing

Pinned apps: Notion, Safari, ChatGPT When to use: Documentation, research, content creation Why it works:
  • Draft in Notion while referencing docs in Safari
  • Use ChatGPT for brainstorming or editing
  • No distractions from dev tools or Slack
  1. Create a profile named Writing
  2. Launch Notion, Safari, and your browser with ChatGPT open
  3. Pin all three apps
  4. Press Option+Tab to flow between writing, research, and AI assistance
If you use ChatGPT in a browser, you can pin the browser twice (once for docs, once for ChatGPT) or use a separate browser profile.

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Communications

Pinned apps: Slack, Mail, Calendar When to use: Catching up on messages, email triage, meeting prep Why it works:
  • Batch-process comms without context-switching to dev tools
  • Quickly check Slack, respond to email, and review your schedule
  • Switch back to a focused profile when done
  1. Create a profile named Comms
  2. Launch Slack, Mail, and Calendar
  3. Pin all three apps
  4. Use Option+` to switch to this profile during breaks or start-of-day

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Desktop assignment

This is where profiles become powerful. Assign a profile to a macOS desktop (Space) and it auto-activates when you swipe there.

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How it works

  1. Swipe to the desktop you want to assign
  2. Open Settings > Profiles
  3. Click Assign to this desktop next to the profile you want there
  4. Repeat for other desktops
Now when you swipe between desktops, your pinned apps change automatically.
HopTab uses CGSGetActiveSpace (a private API) to identify macOS Spaces. Space IDs can change after a reboot or when you add/remove desktops.

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Example: 3-desktop workflow

Desktop 1 → Coding profile
  • Xcode, Simulator, Terminal
  • Press Option+Tab to hop between dev tools
Desktop 2 → Design profile
  • Figma, Safari, Preview
  • Press Option+Tab to hop between design tools
Desktop 3 → Comms profile
  • Slack, Mail, Calendar
  • Press Option+Tab to hop between communication apps
Swipe to Desktop 1 and Option+Tab becomes a laser-focused toggle for coding. Swipe to Desktop 3 and the same shortcut now hops between Slack, Mail, and Calendar. Zero manual switching.
If your desktop assignments stop working after a reboot, macOS may have reassigned Space IDs. Just reassign the profiles — it takes 5 seconds.

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Reassigning or removing assignments

To change which desktop a profile is assigned to:
  1. Swipe to the new desktop you want
  2. Open Settings > Profiles
  3. Click Reassign to this desktop next to the profile
To remove a desktop assignment:
  1. Open Settings > Profiles
  2. Click Remove next to the assigned desktop indicator

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Tips and tricks

Create a Deep Focus profile with just your editor and terminal. No Slack, no browser, no distractions.Activate it when you need flow state, then switch back to your regular profile when done.
Assign each profile to a dedicated desktop and use Control+←/→ to switch between them.HopTab detects the desktop change and activates the assigned profile automatically.
If Safari is useful in both Design and Writing profiles, pin it to both.Each profile maintains its own pin list independently.
Don’t over-engineer. Start with:
  • A Default profile for general use
  • A Focus profile for deep work
Add more profiles as you discover natural context boundaries.

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Managing profiles

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Renaming a profile

  1. Open Settings > Profiles
  2. Click the pencil icon next to the profile name
  3. Enter a new name and click Save

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Deleting a profile

  1. Open Settings > Profiles
  2. Click the trash icon next to the profile
You cannot delete your only profile. HopTab always maintains at least one profile (usually “Default”).

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Reordering pinned apps

In Settings > Pinned Apps, drag apps up or down in the Pinned Apps section to reorder them. The order affects cycling: Option+Tab cycles through apps in the order they appear in the list.
If you enable Move recently switched app to front in Settings > Shortcut > Behavior, the app you just switched from moves to the front of the list for faster toggling.

Initial setup

First launch, pinning apps, and testing shortcuts

Profiles reference

Complete API for profiles, desktop assignment, and profile switching

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