How to Customize Keyboard Shortcuts on macOS

Learn to create custom keyboard shortcuts on your Mac to improve workflow efficiency. Step-by-step guide for System Settings and App Shortcuts.

1. Open Keyboard settings. Click the Apple Menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings. Navigate to the Keyboard section in the sidebar. Click the Keyboard Shortcuts button.
2. Select App Shortcuts. Within the Keyboard Shortcuts window, locate App Shortcuts in the left-hand navigation list. Click the plus (+) icon located below the list to begin creating a new shortcut.
3. Assign the application and command. Select an application from the Application dropdown menu. Type the exact menu command name into the Menu Title field. Ensure the spelling and punctuation match the application's menu bar item exactly.
4. Record your key combination. Click into the Keyboard Shortcut field and press the desired combination of keys on your keyboard. macOS will capture the key sequence and display it in the field.
5. Save the shortcut. Click the Done button to finalize the assignment. If the application is currently open, you may need to quit and relaunch it for the new shortcut to become active.
6. Test the new command. Open the target application and navigate to the menu bar. Locate the command you modified to see the new shortcut listed next to the menu item. Press the keys to trigger the action.