While macOS allows users to create their own keyboard shortcuts to perform functions in apps, there isn't a built-in way to launch the apps themselves using a similar maneuver. AppleInsider shows you one way to create app-launching keyboard shortcuts, using the included Automator utility.
Apple included a fairly simple way to create custom keyboard shortcuts within System Preferences, which can easily be used to produce shortcut combinations for app functions that do not already have one defined. While the Shortcuts settings also enables various other system functions to run, the extensive list simply doesn't have an option to run a user-defined app.
Download QuickLinks: Shortcuts for Mac for macOS 10.12 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. QuickLinks allows you to add in an unlimited number of shortcuts. Whenever you require access to these important shortcuts tap on the menu bar icon and select the item from the dropdown list. Dec 15, 2016 All these shortcuts are related to the macOS environment, there are also a ton of excellent shortcuts for Safari as well, so with a little time and study, you have an opportunity to be a Mac power user. Jul 19, 2019 View keyboard shortcuts for an app. Download Button Shortcuts from the Mac App Store. It will run in the menu bar and on first launch, the app will guide you through its features. Once you’ve gone through the guide, switch to whichever app it is you want to use.
This doesn't mean it is impossible to launch an app by creating a shortcut, but handily it is possible to trigger something else that in turn can load an app. In this case, we will be creating a keyboard shortcut to trigger an Automator-produced event, which will open up the selected app.
First, we need to create an Automator service that, when prompted, will open our selected application.
Open Automator. It can be found in the Applications folder, accessible by selecting Go then Applications in the Finder menu or by using the keyboard shortcut Shift Command A.
- Mar 15, 2020 How to Create Desktop Shortcuts on Mac. The first method is the simpler of the two, as it involves using the app’s/folder’s menu to create an alias which you can then move to any desired location on your Mac. To do this: 1. Open up the location of the folder or app you want to create a shortcut for.
- Dec 05, 2019 Control-Command-F: Use the app in full screen, if supported by the app. Space bar: Use Quick Look to preview the selected item. Command-Tab: Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps. Shift-Command-5: In macOS Mojave or later, take a screenshot or make a screen recording. Or use Shift-Command-3 or Shift-Command-4 for.
If this is your first time in Automator, you should be presented by an initial window offering to start a new document, though if it doesn't appear, select File then New in the menu to start from scratch. At this point, select Service then the Choose button.
In the top section starting 'Service receives,' set the dropdown box to 'no input,' and check to make sure the second dropdown is set to 'any application.'
Click Actions in the top-right corner, scroll down the list of actions in the second column to find Launch Application, and drag it into the main workflow box to the right. This will add a new Launch Application section to the workflow box.
Select the application you want to open from the shortcut using the Launch Application dropdown box.
Select File then Save in the menu, enter an appropriate name for the command, and click Save. Close Automator.
Creating the shortcut
Select the Apple logo in the Menu, and select System Preferences then the Keyboard icon in the second row. Select the Shortcuts tab, which should be in the middle of the five tabs near the top of the window.
Select Services in the left-hand column, then scroll down to the service with the same name as the command created in Automator. If the side tick isn't visible, click it before clicking the command, then click the Add Shortcut button that appears.
At this point, select the key combination you want to use to open the selected application and press the buttons at the same time. If macOS accepts the combination, it will then show the keyboard combination in the listing.
Close the System Preferences window and test out the keyboard command.
Further Thoughts
While this tip largely centers around opening an app, the same principles can be used to create keyboard shortcuts to do a multitude of tasks. If a sequence of events is set up in Automator and saved as a service, it can be assigned a keyboard shortcut, and could be used to perform multi-stage tasks with a single collective key press.
Also, be aware of setting a keyboard shortcut that may duplicate one that is already in use by another system function or app, in case they conflict with each other or fail to perform an action at all. The last thing you want is to go to the trouble of setting up a key combination that ultimately doesn't do what you want.
AppleInsider has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased through affiliate links. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content.
Mac has lots of hidden shortcuts to get things done quickly. However, some shortcuts may vary based on the applications and it is not possible for you remember all. Normally, you can click on each menu item in the top bar to view the keyboard shortcuts. However, there is another way way to view all available menu shortcuts with single key. In this article, we will explain how to find the keyboard shortcuts of any app in Mac using CheatSheet app.
What is CheatSheet?
CheatSheet is a third-party app for Mac that allows you to get all the shortcuts of the active app. You can press and hold the “Command” key to get the list of keyboard shortcuts in a pop-up and release the command key to close the pop-up. This is a super easy way to quickly find all available shortcuts for any Mac app.
Downloading CheatSheet
CheatSheet app needs the macOS version 10.10 or later to work. Therefore, first update your macOS if you are still using the old version. Go to the official CheatSheet website and download the latest version to your Mac. The app is available in English and German version, therefore choose the language and download the installation package.
Mac will ask you to confirm file download from the website. Click on the “Allow” option to download the file.
Installing CheatSheet App in Mac
After downloading, go to your “Downloads” folder and look for the CheatSheet app. You will see two files – app and the installation zip file. You can safely delete the zip file and move the app to “Applications” folder.
Double click on the app and you will see a warning message like below that shows the app can’t be opened because it was not downloaded from the App Store.
Mac Keyboard Shortcut App
Click on the “Show in Finder” button to open the app location. Alternatively, click on “OK’ button and go to “Finder > Applications” folder to locate the app yourself.
Opening the App
When you are in “Finder > Applications” folder, control + click or right click on the app file. Select “Open” option to access the app.
Mac will ask you to confirm opening the app downloaded from internet, click “Open” to confirm.
Note that the downloaded CheatSheet file is an app and not a disk image or installation package. If you haven’t moved the app to “Applications” folder then Mac will ask you to do so when you open the app. We strongly recommend you move the app to “Applications” folder to avoid wrongly deleting it.
Using CheatSheet App
Now that you have installed and allowed access to the app on your Mac. Open any application like Word or Pages or Safari on your Mac and press “Command” key for some time. You will see a pop-up appears showing a nice list of all available keyboard shortcuts for that app. Below is an example of Word shortcuts shown using CheatSheet app.
Customizing CheatSheet App
The tiny app also has some useful configuration settings. When you long press “Command” key to view the shortcuts, click on the settings gear icon on the lower right corner.
You have the following options to customize:
- Print – use this option to print all the shortcuts for handy use.
- Check for Update – use this option to update the app.
- Support – report a problem to the developer by sending a support email.
- Delay – change the delay of long pressing command ley to view the shortcuts.
- Quit – close the po-up. You don’t need to use this as leaving the command key will close the pop-up automatically.
Final Words
There are minor things that will really help in our daily life. CheatSheet is one such small app with 4.2MB in size that will help you to get the shortcuts of any app quickly.