{"id":67672,"date":"2017-07-19T09:10:35","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T16:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/?p=67672"},"modified":"2017-07-19T09:10:35","modified_gmt":"2017-07-19T16:10:35","slug":"how-to-make-custom-keyboard-shortcuts-for-any-macos-menu-items-and-to-launch-your-favorite-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/how-to-make-custom-keyboard-shortcuts-for-any-macos-menu-items-and-to-launch-your-favorite-apps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Custom Keyboard Shortcuts for Any macOS Menu Items, and to Launch Your Favorite Apps"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Trackpads and mice are great for some things, but inefficient for others. For example, to select a menu item, you must move the cursor to the menu bar, click, move it to the item you want, and then click again. It\u2019s much faster to use a keyboard shortcut.<\/p>\n

But not all menu items have keyboard shortcuts, nor do some important\u00a0macOS actions, like launching specific apps. In this article, you\u2019ll learn how to define keyboard shortcuts for both of those things.<\/p>\n

Create an app-specific custom keyboard shortcut<\/h3>\n

Open TextEdit and click the File menu. You\u2019ll see Export as PDF \u2014 a useful action \u2014 lacks a keyboard shortcut. Let\u2019s rectify that.<\/p>\n

Open System Preferences, select the Keyboard<\/strong> pane, and then click the\u00a0Shortcuts<\/strong> tab. From the sidebar, select App Shortcuts<\/strong>. Click the +<\/strong> button, and from the Application<\/strong> menu, choose TextEdit<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Create<\/p>\n

In Menu Title<\/strong>, type the menu item\u2019s name exactly<\/em> \u2014 Export as PDF\u2026 (the ellipsis character is required<\/em> \u2014 type that with Option+;). In Keyboard Shortcut<\/strong>, define a shortcut for the item, such as Command+E. Click Add<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Back in TextEdit, click the File menu. You\u2019ll see your new shortcut, ready to use.<\/p>\n

Override existing macOS keyboard shortcuts<\/h3>\n

Although you can\u2019t remove existing keyboard shortcuts from menu items, you can change them. For example, if you sometimes accidentally quit Safari when trying to close a window (given that Q is right next to W), you can add an extra layer of safety.<\/p>\n

\"Override<\/p>\n

In System Preferences, follow the process outlined for adding the Preview shortcut, but select\u00a0Safari for the application, and use Quit Safari for\u00a0the menu title. For the shortcut, use Ctrl+Command+Q, which is much harder to trigger by mistake than Command+Q.<\/p>\n

Create a systemwide custom keyboard shortcut<\/h3>\n

Many applications share common shortcuts, and these can also be defined in System Preferences. For example, Window > Zoom<\/strong> has a window make better use of available screen space, by expanding vertically, or sometimes filling the entire screen.<\/p>\n

\"Create<\/p>\n

In System Preferences, create a Zoom shortcut by choosing All Applications<\/strong> from Application<\/strong>, and typing Zoom in the Menu Title<\/strong> field. However, don\u2019t go for the obvious shortcut, Command+Z \u2014 that\u2019s already taken by Undo. Two menu items cannot have the same shortcut, and Undo\u2019s would disappear if you created something new that clashed with it. Instead, use something like Ctrl+Command+Z.<\/p>\n

Launch macOS apps and documents with the keyboard<\/h3>\n

Rather than bringing up the Dock and clicking on an app or document \u2014 or, worse, having to locate it in Finder \u2014 you can use the keyboard to launch such things.<\/p>\n

\"Launch<\/p>\n

The built-in way in macOS is Spotlight. Command+Space brings up the Spotlight window, and you start typing the name of what you want to launch. Apps are usually listed first, with\u00a0folders and documents further down.<\/p>\n

BetterTouchTool<\/a>, which we mentioned in a piece on unlocking the power of your Mac\u2019s trackpad<\/a>, provides an even faster route to often-used apps and files. Install and launch the app, and select Preferences<\/strong> from its menu bar extra.<\/p>\n

\"Add<\/p>\n

In the Keyboard<\/strong> tab, click Add New Shortcut or Key Sequence<\/strong>. In the Trigger Preferred Action<\/strong> menu, expand Controlling Other Applications<\/strong> and click Open Application\/File\/AppleScript<\/strong>. In the drop-down sheet, navigate to and select what you\u2019d like to create a shortcut to \u2014 let\u2019s use Safari.<\/p>\n

Click Open<\/strong>\u00a0to confirm your choice.\u00a0The sheet will close, and the Shortcut field will be highlighted in the main BetterTouchTool window. Type your shortcut, again taking care to ensure there are no clashes with shortcuts in apps you use. Ctrl+S will be fine for most people,\u00a0or Ctrl+Shift+S.<\/p>\n

\"BetterTouchTool<\/p>\n

You can create many such memorable shortcuts, for super-fast access to all of your favorite apps and folders.\u00a0And\u00a0all those seconds saved you\u2019d otherwise have spent using the trackpad or\u00a0hunting through folders will soon add up.<\/p>\n

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New to Mac? Learn\u00a0tips and tricks at\u00a0our\u00a0New Mac User Center!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Want to get the most out of your new MacBook, iMac or other Apple computer? Whether this is your first laptop or you\u2019ve just switched from Windows, there are a few things you should know about your new Mac, like basic keyboard shortcuts or how to use the various features macOS has to offer. Learn more about what your Mac computer can do for you at the Intego New Mac User Center: Get started now!<\/strong><\/a><\/address>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Trackpads and mice are great for some things, but inefficient for others. For example, to select a menu item, you must move the cursor to the menu bar, click, move it to the item you want, and then click again. It\u2019s much faster to use a keyboard shortcut. But not all menu items have keyboard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":68161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[10,11],"tags":[3544,3175],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n