diff --git a/prefs/zen/glance.yaml b/prefs/zen/glance.yaml
index 458b71d39d..1814b2f643 100644
--- a/prefs/zen/glance.yaml
+++ b/prefs/zen/glance.yaml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   value: true
 
 - name: zen.glance.activation-method
-  value: "ctrl" # ctrl, alt, shift
+  value: "alt" # ctrl, alt, shift
 
 - name: zen.glance.long-press-duration
   value: 300 # in milliseconds
diff --git a/src/browser/components/preferences/zen-settings.js b/src/browser/components/preferences/zen-settings.js
index 7b97c304b4..a278dfc86f 100644
--- a/src/browser/components/preferences/zen-settings.js
+++ b/src/browser/components/preferences/zen-settings.js
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ var gZenWorkspacesSettings = {
     let updateGlancePreferencesVisibility = {
       observe() {
         const glanceEnabled = Services.prefs.getBoolPref("zen.glance.enabled", true);
-        const activationMethod = Services.prefs.getStringPref("zen.glance.activation-method", "ctrl");
+        const activationMethod = Services.prefs.getStringPref("zen.glance.activation-method", "alt");
 
         const triggerWrapper = document.getElementById("zenGlanceTriggerWrapper");
         if (triggerWrapper) {
@@ -1206,7 +1206,7 @@ Preferences.addAll([
   {
     id: "zen.glance.activation-method",
     type: "string",
-    default: "ctrl",
+    default: "alt",
   },
   {
     id: "zen.glance.long-press-duration",
diff --git a/src/zen/glance/ZenGlanceManager.mjs b/src/zen/glance/ZenGlanceManager.mjs
index 986eb8a41e..7e119f9daa 100644
--- a/src/zen/glance/ZenGlanceManager.mjs
+++ b/src/zen/glance/ZenGlanceManager.mjs
@@ -1719,7 +1719,7 @@ class nsZenGlanceManager extends nsZenDOMOperatedFeature {
   openGlanceForBookmark(event) {
     const activationMethod = Services.prefs.getStringPref(
       "zen.glance.activation-method",
-      "ctrl"
+      "alt"
     );
 
     if (!this.#isActivationKeyPressed(event, activationMethod)) {
diff --git a/src/zen/glance/actors/ZenGlanceChild.sys.mjs b/src/zen/glance/actors/ZenGlanceChild.sys.mjs
index 00c744568b..5686d4c7bd 100644
--- a/src/zen/glance/actors/ZenGlanceChild.sys.mjs
+++ b/src/zen/glance/actors/ZenGlanceChild.sys.mjs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ XPCOMUtils.defineLazyPreferenceGetter(
   lazy,
   "activationMethod",
   "zen.glance.activation-method",
-  "ctrl"
+  "alt"
 );
 
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyPreferenceGetter(