How to switch between list and board in Linear on Mac: ⌘B and Display options

Start in a view that supports board layout

Board layout works in issue views inside teams and custom views. Linear merged its separate Board view into those views in May 2022, so you no longer open a different board page. You switch the layout of the view you already have. If you open a team's issues and see a Display options button in the top right, the board switch belongs there.

Some places in Linear do not offer board layout. Triage and Inbox use different interfaces and workflows, so the switch isn't there. A view without a Display options button doesn't support board layout either. If you can't find the switch, check which view you are in before you look for a setting.

Switch with ⌘B, the fastest method

On a Mac, press ⌘B to toggle between list and board. That is Command plus B. The shortcut flips the layout of the view you are in. Press it again to switch back. On Windows and Linux, the same toggle uses Ctrl B.

The shortcut only reaches the view when no text box has focus. If you just typed in the search box or a comment field, the keystroke goes there instead. Click an empty part of the issue area first, then press ⌘B.

Use the board and list icons next to Display options

Linear puts layout controls near the top right of the view. The board and list icons sit next to the Display options button. Click the board icon to see columns, and the list icon to see rows. Linear's docs don't describe what these icons look like, so match them by their position beside Display options.

This method helps when you don't want to memorize a key. It also helps when you share your screen with someone who doesn't use shortcuts. One click changes the view.

Switch from Display options and the Layout section

Display options controls how issues appear. Open it with the Display options button in the top right, or press Shift V. Scroll to the Layout section. Choose Board for columns, or List for rows. The same section lists the ⌘B shortcut, so you can learn it while you are there.

Display options also holds your grouping and ordering choices. Board and list share one ordering. An order you set in one layout shows up in the other, so you don't need to sort twice.

Use the command menu when you prefer typing

Linear's command menu opens with ⌘K on Mac. It is the fastest way to reach a command by name, and you don't need to know where the control lives. Type board, then pick Show in board view from the list. If you already use the command menu for other tasks, this route fits your habits. Read how to open the command menu in Linear on Mac for the basics.

The entry may read a little differently in your version, so look for the item that mentions board view. The command menu also includes Show display options, which opens the panel that holds the Layout toggle. That gives you a second route to the same switch.

What changes when you switch to board

A board groups issues into columns. By default, boards group by Status, so each column matches one status. You see where work sits at a glance. The columns follow each issue's status, not its assignee or its project.

Boards let you hide columns from the three-dot menu. Hidden columns move to the last position on the board, so you can still reach them. Turn off the Show empty groups option to hide empty columns. That trims a board with many unused statuses.

Lists group issues differently. Lists only let you hide groups temporarily, through filters. Once you clear the filter, the group comes back. Use the table below to compare the two layouts.

Make board the default for one view

Linear doesn't offer a workspace-wide default layout. You can make board the default for a single view. Switch that view to board, open View options, and select Set as default. Other members can still change the layout.

The default applies only to that view. If your team uses a team view and a custom view, set the layout on each one. Check the view name in the header before you save, so you don't change the wrong view.

Where board layout is missing

Board layout depends on the view, not on your account. If you open Triage or Inbox, you won't see the switch. The docs say those places use different interfaces and workflows. Go back to a team or custom view to use board layout.

What the plans change, and what they don't

Plans change how many teams and issues you can have. Linear's docs don't say that board layout depends on your plan, and the pricing page doesn't mention it either. Check the current rates on the pricing page before you choose a plan.

• Free: $0, unlimited members, 2 teams and 250 issues.
• Basic: $10 per user per month, billed yearly, with 5 teams and unlimited issues.
• Business: $16 per user per month, billed yearly, with unlimited teams and issues.

Desktop app or web: does the switch change?

The layout switch works the same way in the Mac desktop app and in the browser. Linear's docs say nearly all functionality, including offline mode, is on the web too. They support the most recent three versions of Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

The desktop app adds OS notifications, tabs, linear:// links, and automatic background updates. The docs also say its shortcuts are less likely to clash with browser shortcuts. That matters for ⌘B, because browsers use many Command shortcuts of their own.

Common mistakes when switching layouts

The first mistake is hunting for a macOS menu bar item. Linear's docs describe Display options, the Layout toggle, the command menu and ⌘B. They don't describe a Mac menu bar entry for this switch, so skip that search.

The second mistake is expecting a default for the whole team. A default applies to one view, and anyone can change it. The third mistake is pressing ⌘B while a text box has focus. Click back into the issue area first.

The fourth mistake is assuming the switch reorders your issues. Board and list share one ordering, so the order stays put. Only the layout changes.

A worked example: moving from list to board for a review

Say you are reviewing a team's open work before a planning call. You start in list view because it's easy to scan the titles. Then you want to see where each issue sits in the workflow, so you switch to board.

Press ⌘B to switch. The columns show each status, so you can spot where work piles up. Then press Shift V, open the Layout section, and confirm the board groups by Status. If a column you don't need takes space, open the three-dot menu and hide it.

When the review ends, press ⌘B again. You're back in list view, with the same order you had before. Nothing was reset, because the layout switch doesn't change ordering.

Keyboard shortcuts that help once you are on a board

Once you are on a board, selection is the next step. Use ⌘A to select every issue in view, X to select one issue, and Esc to clear the selection. Those keys work on both layouts. Read how to select multiple issues in Linear on Mac for bulk selection in more detail.

Check your version when the menus look different

Linear's docs don't publish app version numbers or minimum macOS versions. So the steps on this page aren't tied to a version. The last layout change the docs confirm is the May 2022 merge.

The March 12, 2026 UI refresh made headers, navigation and view controls consistent across projects, issues, reviews and documents. The changelog doesn't say where the layout toggle moved. If your screen differs, press ⌘B first, then try the command menu.

When a list is still the better choice

List view suits scanning and sorting. A list shows titles in a tight, readable order, which helps when you check a long run of issues.

Board view suits seeing stages. Choose board when the question is where work sits, not what the next title says.

Pick whichever answers your question right now. Switching takes one keystroke, so you don't need to commit to a layout for the whole day.