Android 14 has quietly added a new way to switch between tablet apps while using the keyboard: pressing Alt+Tab on a wireless or USB keyboard connected to a tablet (or other large screen) running Android 14 will cause a A small horizontal strip of apps now appears.

The strip can display up to six apps. The currently selected app is highlighted with a gray line around the preview. You can also quickly switch to the last used app by pressing and releasing the Alt+Tab key. It is also possible to display all recently used apps by holding down the Tab key while holding down the Alt key, reaching the "show x more apps" card at the end of the strip, and then releasing the Tab key.

In Android 13, pressing Alt+Tab on the keyboard simply displayed the Recent screen. On this screen, it was possible to move from app to app by holding down the Alt key and pressing the Tab key, but there were no visual cues to indicate which app was selected.

Also, pressing Alt+Tab did not switch to the most recently used app; it simply flashed the recent screen and returned to the current app.

This handy little productivity hack comes from developer Huy Minh, who first noticed the change while testing an Android 14 QPR2-based custom ROM on a Raspberry Pi 5. They also noticed that this new UI also appears in Android 14 QPR1; a report by Android Authority, with the help of developer Maxr1998, confirms that this new UI also appears in early releases of Android 14

This new UI is also visible in the early releases of Android 14.

This new change has received relatively little attention, probably because few consumers use keyboards on their tablets. However, the discovery could not have come at a better time, as it was recently reported that Google may release a new pen and keyboard for the Pixel tab. Android 14 is tablet-specific compared to some of the improvements made to phones like the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8. While it was relatively light on tablet-specific features, it's good to know that there are still some hidden gems out there.

Google has a Google I/O event coming up later this month, which will likely be accompanied by a number of new announcements about upcoming features and products. Most anticipated among these will be more information about Android 15 for both phones and tablets; we will keep you updated on news and rumors at the Google I/O hub.