How to Create and Customize Keyboard Shortcuts on Mac

Normally, you use your keyboard to write, to search for things on your Mac, or to browse the web, but what if we told you that there's a lot more you can do with it?

While keyboard shortcuts are common, you may not know it, but you can create and customize keyboard shortcuts on your Mac in just a few clicks.Here, we'll discuss what you need to do to get started.

How to Change the Default Keyboard Shortcuts on Mac

There are tons of ways to customize your Mac, and you can even use apps to personalize your Mac however you want.

However, if installing third-party apps isn't your thing, you can take advantage of macOS's built-in customization options, including keyboard shortcuts.Here's how you can customize keyboard shortcuts:

1. Go to Apple menu > System Settings from the menu bar.

2. Scroll down and select Keyboard from the sidebar.

3. On the right side of the window, click Keyboard Shortcuts.

4. A new window will pop up.On the left, you can see all the options for changing keyboard shortcuts.Choose the option you want.

5. To change a keyboard shortcut, double-click the key combination next to the current action, then enter the new key combination you want to use.

All keyboard shortcuts are enabled by default, but you can disable them by clicking the checkmark next to the action.

For example, if you want to customize VoiceOver's keyboard shortcuts, you'll need to click Accessibility on the left menu, then double-click the current key combination (Command+F5 by default).Then, you can enter any key combination you want.

When you're done customizing your shortcuts, click "Done" in the lower-right corner of the window.On the other hand, if you want to restore the default key combinations, click Restore Defaults at the bottom of the window.

How to Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts on Mac

Assuming you've mastered all the most useful Mac keyboard shortcuts, what next?Well, you can create your own keyboard shortcuts.However, keep in mind that you cannot create keyboard shortcuts for MacOS.Instead, you can create custom shortcuts for specific applications.

Most apps have keyboard shortcuts that you can access by tapping the option that appears on the menu bar.While many of these options have specific keyboard shortcuts you can use, some don't.You can choose any of these actions and create a keyboard shortcut.We know it sounds tricky, but it's actually easier once you start doing it.

To give you an example, we'll use the Mail application and create a keyboard shortcut for the item Import Mailbox.In the beginning, the process is similar to the steps we mentioned above, so it should be easy to get started.

1. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard.

2. Tap the keyboard shortcut on the right.

3. On the left menu of the new window, click App Shortcuts.

4. Under All Apps, tap the plus (+) icon.

5. Tap All Apps and select the app you want to create a keyboard shortcut for.As we mentioned, we're going to choose Mail.

6. Just next to the menu title, type the name of the action you want to create a keyboard shortcut for.It is very important that you write it exactly the way you see it in the application menu.As we mentioned, we want to create a shortcut for the Import Mailbox item, which means we have to write "Import Mailbox".

7. Next to Keyboard shortcut, enter the key combination you want to use.Remember, you need to use a unique combination.If your Mac already uses another combination, your shortcut won't work.

8. Tap "Done" in the lower right corner of the screen, then tap "Done" again.

There are two ways to make sure you're doing it right.First, you can open the app for the keyboard shortcut you created and find that specific action in the menu bar options.If you see your keyboard combination next to that item, that means it worked.

The second way is to open the app and try out the keyboard shortcut you just created.If it works, that means you can start using it.If not, repeat the same steps above and make sure you entered the name of the action correctly.

Keyboard Shortcuts to Help You Be More Productive

As you can see, macOS lets you customize or create new keyboard shortcuts in an instant.You can use your own key combinations, so it's easier to remember your shortcuts, and you might even become more productive if you use them correctly.

Remember, if you don't like any of the changes you've made, you just need to click the Restore Defaults button and your shortcuts will revert to their default key combinations.