Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac (2024)

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Table of Contents

macOS User Guide

  • Welcome
    • What’s in the menu bar?
    • Work on the desktop
    • Search with Spotlight
    • Quickly change settings
    • Use Siri
    • Get notifications
    • Open apps from the Dock
    • Organise your files in the Finder
    • Connect to the Internet
    • Browse the web
    • Preview a file
    • Take a screenshot
    • Change your display’s brightness
    • Adjust the volume
    • Use trackpad and mouse gestures
    • Use Touch ID
    • Print documents
    • Keyboard shortcuts
    • Apps on your Mac
    • Open apps
    • Work with app windows
    • Use apps in full screen
    • Use apps in Split View
    • Use Stage Manager
    • Get apps from the App Store
    • Install and reinstall apps from the App Store
    • Install and uninstall other apps
    • Create and work with documents
    • Open documents
    • Mark up files
    • Combine files into a PDF
    • Organise files on your desktop
    • Organise files with folders
    • Tag files and folders
    • Back up files
    • Restore files
    • Change System Settings
    • Choose your desktop wallpaper
    • Add and customise widgets
    • Use a screen saver
    • Add a user or group
    • Add your email and other accounts
    • Automate tasks with Shortcuts
    • Create Memoji
    • Change your login picture
    • Change the system language
    • Make text and other items on the screen bigger
    • Set up a Focus to stay on task
    • Set up Screen Time for yourself
    • Use Dictation
    • Send emails
    • Send text messages
    • Make a FaceTime video call
    • Edit photos and videos
    • Use Live Text to interact with text in a photo
    • Start a Quick Note
    • Get directions
    • Work across devices using Continuity
    • Use iPhone as a webcam
    • Use iPhone with Desk View
    • Stream audio and video with AirPlay
    • Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
    • Hand off between devices
    • Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
    • Make and receive phone calls on your Mac
    • Sync music, books and more between devices
    • Manage Apple ID settings
    • Set your Apple ID picture
    • What is iCloud?
    • What is iCloud+?
    • Store files in iCloud Drive
    • Share and collaborate on files and folders
    • Manage iCloud storage
    • Use iCloud Photos
    • What is Family Sharing?
    • Set up Family Sharing
    • Set up Screen Time for a child
    • Share purchases with your family
    • Watch and listen together with SharePlay
    • Share a Photo Library
    • Collaborate on projects
    • Find content shared with you
    • Find your family and friends
    • Play games with your friends
    • Play music
    • Listen to podcasts
    • Watch TV shows and movies
    • Read and listen to books
    • Read the news
    • Track stocks and the market
    • Apple Music
    • Apple TV+
    • Apple Arcade
    • Apple News+
    • Podcast shows and channels
    • Manage subscriptions in the App Store
    • View Apple family subscriptions
    • Guard your privacy
    • Use Mail Privacy Protection
    • Control access to your camera
    • Use Sign in with Apple for apps and websites
    • Set up your Mac to be secure
    • Keep your data safe
    • Create a passkey
    • Understand passwords
    • Keep your Apple ID secure
    • Find a missing device
    • Get started with accessibility features
    • Vision
    • Hearing
    • Mobility
    • Speech
    • General
    • Connect an external display
    • Use the built-in camera
    • Connect a Bluetooth device
    • Use AirPods with your Mac
    • Optimise your Mac battery life
    • Optimise storage space
    • Burn CDs and DVDs
    • Control accessories in your home
    • Use Windows on your Mac
  • Resources for your Mac
  • Resources for your Apple devices
  • Copyright
Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac (1)

You can create your own keyboard shortcuts for menu commands in any macOS app, including the Finder. This might be useful if a global shortcut, which works the same with most apps, conflicts with a specific app shortcut. In this case, you could create a new key combination.

  1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac (2)>System Settings, click Keyboard Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac (3) in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), then click Keyboard Shortcuts on the right.

    Open Keyboard settings for me

  2. Select App Shortcuts on the left, click the Add button Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac (4), click the Application pop-up menu, then choose a specific app or All Applications.

    For example, to set a shortcut for a TextEdit command, choose TextEdit. If an app isn’t in the list, choose Other, then locate the app using the Open dialogue. Some apps may not allow you to set keyboard shortcuts.

    If you want to set a shortcut for a menu command that appears in many apps, choose All Applications.

  3. In the Menu Title field, type the menu command for which you want to create a shortcut, exactly as the command appears in the app, including the > character (type ->), ellipses (type three periods without spaces or press Option-; (semi-colon)) or other punctuation.

    For example, to set a shortcut for the default ligature command in TextEdit (Format > Font > Ligatures > Use Default), you would type Format->Font->Ligatures->Use Default in the Menu Title field. To set a shortcut for the Export as PDF command (File > Export as PDF…), you would type File->Export as PDF… in the field.

  4. Click in the Keyboard Shortcut field, press the key combination that you want to use as the keyboard shortcut, then click Done.

    For example, press the Control, Option and Z keys at the same time. You can use a key only once in a key combination.

You can create keyboard shortcuts only for existing menu commands. You can’t create keyboard shortcuts for general purpose tasks, such as opening an app.

If you create a keyboard shortcut that already exists for another command or another app, your new shortcut won’t work — you need to change your new shortcut or the other shortcut. To change a shortcut, select it, click the key combination, then press a new key combination. See Change a conflicting keyboard shortcut.

To remove a shortcut that you created, select the shortcut, then click the Delete button Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac (5).

See alsoApple Support article: Use the function keys on MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

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Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac (2024)

FAQs

Create keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac? ›

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Keyboard in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), then click Keyboard Shortcuts on the right. Select App Shortcuts on the left, click the Add button , click the Application pop-up menu, then choose a specific app or All Applications.

How do you create a shortcut for an app on a Mac? ›

Tip: You can also create a new shortcut by Control-clicking the Shortcuts app in the Dock and then choosing New Shortcut. For information on rearranging your shortcuts collection, see Reorder shortcuts on Mac.

How do I create a custom shortcut key on a Mac? ›

In the Shortcuts app on your Mac, click in the toolbar. An empty, untitled shortcut appears in the shortcut editor. Click Shortcut Name, then type a name for your shortcut. Select a category from the sidebar on the right (Documents, for example), then double-click an action in the list that appears.

How do you change the shortcut for an app on a Mac? ›

Quickly switch between app windows

Scroll through all open apps: Press and hold the Command key, press the Tab key, then press the Left or Right arrow key until you get to the app you want. Release the Command key.

How do I create a keyboard shortcut? ›

To assign a keyboard shortcut do the following: Begin keyboard shortcuts with CTRL or a function key. Press the TAB key repeatedly until the cursor is in the Press new shortcut key box. Press the combination of keys that you want to assign.

How do you use Keyboard Shortcuts on a Mac? ›

To use a keyboard shortcut, press and hold one or more modifier keys and then press the last key of the shortcut. For example, to use Command-C (copy), press and hold the Command key, then the C key, then release both keys.

How do I create a keyboard shortcut in Word for Mac? ›

Create a keyboard shortcut

On the Tools menu, select Customize Keyboard. In the Categories list, select a tab name. In the Commands list, select the command that you want to assign a keyboard shortcut to. Any keyboard shortcuts that are currently assigned to the selected command will appear in the Current keys box.

Why are keyboard shortcuts not working on Mac? ›

Make sure you're using the latest version of the app. If the keyboard shortcut uses a function key, you may also need to press and hold the Fn key or the Globe key on the keyboard to perform the shortcut (depending on your Mac model, if you're using a Magic Keyboard, and how you set an option in Keyboard settings).

How do I create a custom desktop shortcut? ›

Right-click the program name, and then click Send To > Desktop (Create shortcut). A shortcut for the program appears on your desktop.

How do I create a website shortcut on my Mac desktop? ›

Click and drag the address onto the Mac OS X desktop and release the mouse button. A shortcut pointing to the Web page is created on the desktop.

Where is shortcut menu on Mac? ›

You can open the shortcut menu of something on the Mac screen by Control-clicking it. That is, while pressing the Control key (bottom row), click the mouse on your target. Right-click.

How do I create a shortcut to a website on a Mac? ›

Click and drag the address onto the Mac OS X desktop and release the mouse button. A shortcut pointing to the Web page is created on the desktop.

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