For those who are curious, how can we modify and add keyboard shortcuts in macOS—whether system-wide or within specific apps? For example, how do we change default shortcuts or create our own key combinations? Is this done through System Preferences or third-party tools?
How do you customize macOS keyboard shortcuts?
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You need to look in the "Keyboard" section under "System Preferences," which is macOS's built-in tool for customizing shortcuts. There, under the "Shortcuts" tab, you can select "App Shortcuts" from the list on the left and add new shortcuts, like assigning custom shortcuts to default commands such as "New Tab" for Safari. However, the limitation here is that you can only create shortcuts based on menu titles, meaning you need the exact name of the command.
As for third-party tools, they offer more flexibility. Apps like Mencal let you create global shortcuts, even assigning them to commands that aren’t listed in the menu. But remember, third-party apps sometimes have restricted permissions due to system security, like requiring Accessibility access. So, what do you do if you want to assign a shortcut to a custom command that doesn’t match the default menu title?
Thanks for sharing this info! Is this set through the "Keyboard" settings in System Preferences, or is it tucked away in some more hidden spot?
You can't make changes through a GUI like in Windows, but macOS is actually quite flexible. In Windows, you'd use Shift + F10, while on macOS, you manage system-wide or app-specific shortcuts via `System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts`. If the system has its own menus, default shortcuts come from there (e.g., ⌘+O in Finder), but to change them, you enter the app name and desired command in the "App Shortcuts" section. For third-party tools, there's "Karabiner Elements," which lets you customize commands endlessly—even remapping Caps Lock to a Hyper key and redefining everything, similar to Windows' PowerToys but with deeper customization.
I started in System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts, but there were only defaults there. So I ran an AppleScript in Xcode to add my own shortcut. Then, with HyperSwitch, I created new combinations for switching between apps and saved a lot of time. My favorite trick, though, was assigning a wake-from-sleep command to F12.
macOS's shortcut system isn't as flexible as Linux's `dconf` or Windows' `AutoHotkey`, but it's still quite powerful. If you're used to Windows' Registry hacks, it might feel a bit limited here. Similarly, we don't have the same freedom as with `xbindkeys` on Linux, but we can at least tweak shortcuts with a few system-level adjustments.
If you want to change built-in shortcuts for apps like Finder or Xcode, a third-party tool like [Karabiner-Elements](https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/) is a lifesaver. It's similar to Windows' `PowerToys` in that you can define both global and app-specific custom shortcuts. It's not as simple as `AutoHotkey`, but it does let me remap the extra buttons on my MX Master mouse to work properly with macOS.