macOS is a great operating system. Unlike iOS, Apple allows all customization options on macOS. You can change the default Mail app and browser, and make other changes to your preferences. Among them, macOS’ ability to create custom keyboard shortcuts for the most used tasks is my favorite addition.
By default, macOS comes with the most essential keyboard shortcuts to improve your productivity. But there may be times when you want repeated access to certain menus or functions like Notification Center or Do Not Disturb mode and miss the absence of those quick shortcuts. Thankfully, you can always assign custom keyboard shortcuts to them.
The functionality does not end here. You can also create shortcuts for third-party applications like Firefox, Pixelmator, etc.
In this post, we will talk about how to create custom keyboard shortcuts on Mac. I’ll explain how you can simplify your workflow by setting up custom keyboard shortcuts for macOS menus, functions, and third-party apps. Start.
Create shortcuts for frequently used words and phrases
This is similar to iOS. You can create shortcuts for frequently used words and phrases. I cannot stress enough how much time it has saved me over the years.
You can set shortcuts for email IDs, home addresses, and other phrases you use often. Follow the steps below to set them up.
Step 1: Tap on the Apple icon in the upper left corner and open System Preferences.
Step 2: Navigate to Keyboard > Text.
Step 3: Tap the ‘+’ icon in the bottom left corner and add a shortcut for the phrase. For example, you can type ’email’ there and replace the phrase with your actual email ID.
You can create as many shortcuts as you want in macOS. I created shortcuts for special characters including degrees, rupees and a few more of my email addresses. I just type ‘degrees’ and macOS replaces it with the degree symbol.
Note: You can create custom keyboard shortcuts for emails, but don’t try to do the same for passwords. Anyone using your Mac can access the Keyboard menu without any authentication. So it is not wise to create custom keyboard shortcuts for passwords.
As mentioned earlier, macOS comes with a lot of keyboard shortcuts to improve your productivity. But it does not support all menus and functions on Mac. That’s where the Mac keyboard customization options come in. You can view the default keyboard shortcuts in Mac, delete them, and even assign new shortcuts to other macOS menus.
Go through the steps below to set them up.
Step 1: Open Spotlight Search (use the keyboard shortcut Command + Space) and type System Preferences in it.
Step 2: Go to Keyboard > Shortcuts.
Step 3: You will see a bunch of options on the left side. You can view the assigned keyboard shortcuts. You can disable the shortcut for it and even double-tap it and assign a new shortcut.
In some options, you’ll see ‘none’ written on either side. That means the system hasn’t assigned any keyboard shortcuts to it yet, but you can add one depending on your preference.
For example, you can go to Mission Control and assign keyboard shortcuts to Show/Hide Notification Center and Enable/Disable Do Not Disturb mode.
macOS also lets you add shortcuts for other services like Photos, Messaging, Files and Folders, Search, Text, and the Internet. For example, I use Pixelmator to edit images. Instead of selecting images and then opening them from the context menu, I can assign keyboard shortcuts to the images.
Go to Services > Photos > Open with Pixelmator Pro and assign a keyboard shortcut to it. Next time, just select the photo you want to edit in the app and use the shortcut to open the photo in the app and start editing.
Note: Do not assign keyboard shortcuts that are already enabled in macOS. Trying to use a single key combination doesn’t affect other keyboard shortcuts on your Mac.
Create App Shortcuts
Most Mac apps have keyboard shortcut support right out of the box. But it might not be enough for you as they don’t support keyboard shortcuts for every menu or function. In such cases, you can always create custom application shortcuts.
Step 1: Tap on the Apple icon in the upper left corner and open System Preferences.
Step 2: Navigate to Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts and tap the ‘+’ icon in the bottom left corner.
Step 3: You can create a common shortcut for all applications or jump to a specific application.
Step 4: Now, you need to enter the exact name of the menu command you want to add. Add a menu title and shortcut to it.
That’s it. You can now use the specified shortcut in the application to access the relevant menu. Let me remind you again, be aware that setting a shortcut can overlap with a shortcut already used by another application or system function if they conflict with each other or fail to perform an action at all. any.
The last thing you want is to go through the trouble of setting up keystrokes that end up not performing an action.
macOS offers the flexibility to customize and assign keyboard shortcuts to every menu and option on the OS. Go through the tips above and customize the shortcuts you like and experience your productivity soar. Have any specific custom keyboard shortcuts that you’ve created and want to share with others? Mention them in the comments below.
Next: Looking to improve your productivity on your Mac? Read the post below to find the seven best Mac apps to stay organized.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
