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This wikiHow teaches you how to set a keyboard shortcut to open apps on your Mac. To do this, you'll need to use the Automator app, which is already on your Mac.
Steps
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Press and hold ⌘ Command . In order to set a keyboard shortcut to open an app, you'll need to create a new Service in Automator. -
Press Space once. Doing so will bring up Spotlight search.Advertisement -
Type in "Automator." -
Press ↵ Enter . -
With the Automator app selected, click File . It's at the top left corner of the menu bar. -
Click New . -
Click the "Quick Action" icon. It looks like a cog. -
Click Choose .
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Navigate to the service input settings. They're the drop-down menus at the top of the window. -
Click the "Service receives selected" drop-down menu. -
Click no input . -
Click Actions . It's at the top left of the Service window. The list of available actions should be displayed in a scroll bar underneath the search window. -
Use the scroll bar to find "Launch Application." -
Click and drag "Launch Application" to the right side. A drop-down menu will appear under the newly added "Launch Application" action. -
Click the drop-down menu. -
Click on an app. -
Click File . It's at the top left of the menu bar. -
Click Save . -
Type in a name for your service. This is what you'll use to assign the keyboard shortcut, so make it something memorable! -
Click Save .
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Click the Apple icon. It's at the top left corner of the menu bar. -
Click System Preferences . -
Click the "Keyboard" icon. -
Click Shortcuts . -
Click Services . It's on the menu on the left pane of the Shortcuts window. -
Scroll to find your newly created service. The list of services is located on the right side of the window. -
Click on your service to select it. -
Click Add Shortcut . -
Type in your custom keyboard shortcut.- Make sure that you enter a unique shortcut, meaning that the keyboard combination is not already designated to perform another task.
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Click the red "x" button. -
Click on your desktop. -
Enter your new keyboard shortcut. Your newly assigned shortcut will open the app!
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I program the key to open in a specific part of an application? For example, I want to program a keyboard shortcut that opens image capture for a specific printer/scanner?Phantom MeCommunity AnswerJust press and hold the Windows hardware button and then press Volume Down (on the left side of the device). This is analogous to pressing Win + PrtScr and will auto-save the screenshots in the Screenshots folder in the Pictures Library.
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