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How to Create or Change Your Own Keyboard Shortcuts on Mac

Tap each step to see how to build your own keyboard shortcuts on Mac.

  1. Open Keyboard in System Settings

    Open System Settings, go to "Keyboard," and click the "Keyboard Shortcuts" button.

  2. Select the "App Shortcuts" category

    Choosing "App Shortcuts" from the list on the left opens the screen for assigning shortcuts to a specific app's menu commands.

  3. Add a new shortcut with the + button

    Click the "+" button at the bottom, pick the app, type the exact name of the menu command as written, then press the key combination you want to assign.

  4. Change an existing shortcut

    In other categories, such as "Accessibility" or "Mission Control," double-clicking a built-in shortcut lets you replace it with a new key combination immediately.

  5. Why the menu command name has to match exactly

    An App Shortcut only applies if the command name is typed exactly as it appears in the app's menu, so it's safest to open the app first and copy the menu wording exactly before entering it.

  6. Confirm the shortcut is applied

    After setting it up, open the app and check its menu -- your assigned shortcut now appears next to the command, and you can test that pressing it actually works.

Fix the shortcuts you keep reaching past

A frequently used command that is buried three menus deep, or that has no default shortcut at all, is exactly what App Shortcuts is built for -- assign it once and stop hunting for it in the menu bar.

How this differs from a general keyboard-shortcut reference

A broader guide that also covers Word and a Windows shortcut icon only has room to summarize the Mac steps in one line. This guide stays entirely on macOS, covering the exact-menu-name requirement and how to override existing system shortcuts, both of which trip people up in practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

I typed the shortcut but it isn't working. Why?

The most common cause is a mismatch between the menu command name you typed and the app's actual wording -- open the app, check the menu text exactly (including capitalization and ellipses), and re-enter it precisely.

Can I remove a shortcut I created?

Yes -- select it in the Keyboard Shortcuts list and click the "-" button, or uncheck its checkbox to disable it without deleting it.