PDF download Download Article
Easy steps to create a new shortcut to the Spotlight search app
PDF download Download Article

To quickly open the Spotlight search app on your Mac, all you have to do is press Command + Spacebar on your keyboard. [1] However, if you have that key combination assigned to some other command, you can create a new shortcut for Spotlight. In this article, we’ll talk you through how to create a custom Spotlight shortcut on your Mac.

How to Set a Spotlight Shortcut on a Mac

Open the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Click Keyboard to open the Keyboard menu. Choose the Shortcuts tab and select Spotlight from the left column. Click Show Spotlight Search and select the current shortcut. Then, type in the new combination of keys.

  1. On your Mac’s desktop, navigate to the Apple menu at the top left corner of the screen. Click it to open a dropdown menu. [2]
  2. This will open a new window on your desktop. [3]
    Advertisement
  3. Depending on your operating system, you may find this option in the middle of the of the System Preferences menu or close to the bottom, in the same row as Software Update . Click the Keyboard button once to open the Keyboard window. [4]
  4. Click Shortcuts in the horizontal list of tabs at the top of the Keyboard window. This will display a list of utilities and apps and the keyboard shortcuts currently associated with them. [5]
  5. Click
    Mac Spotlight
    Spotlight in the list of utilities on the left side of the Shortcuts window. [6]
  6. In the righthand column, select the top option, Show Spotlight Search . Once it’s selected, it will be highlighted in blue. [7]
  7. To the right of Show Spotlight Search , you’ll see the default shortcut combination, ⌘Space . Click on it to select it so you can type in a new combination.
  8. Enter any combination of keys in the highlighted text input box. You’ll need to hold down all the keys at once, just like you would if you were using the shortcut command. [8]
    • You won’t be prompted to confirm your selection. As soon as you hold down the new combination of keys, the shortcut will be automatically updated.
    • To reset the shortcut to the default key combination, click Restore Defaults at the bottom of the window.
  9. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      About This Article

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 50,839 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement