Top Keyboard Shortcut Apps & Tools to Enhance Productivity

Top Keyboard Shortcut Apps for 2024

Small actions have a big impact over time. Did you know that keyboard shortcuts, for example, could save you hours over the course of a year? The education platform Brainscape estimates that using a combination of essential shortcuts on PC/Mac, Gmail, and your web browser can help you save eight entire workdays.

Keyboard shortcut apps take these time-saving benefits even further. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the tools available for Mac and Windows. We’ll also cover:

What is a keyboard shortcut?

Top keyboard shortcut apps for Mac

Top keyboard shortcut apps for Windows

How to start using keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts in TextExpander

FAQs

Helpful resources

What is a keyboard shortcut?

A keyboard shortcut is a key (or key combination) you use to issue a command on the computer, such as Ctrl + T or Cmd + T to open a browser tab. Some keyboard shortcuts are universal, which means they work across multiple applications. You can also create your own keyboard shortcuts for different apps.

Anyone who uses Ctrl C + Ctrl V knows that using keyboard shortcuts has definite advantages. With keyboard shortcuts, you can issue commands with just one action (as opposed to having to click several times), all without lifting your fingers from the keyboard.

This saves you time in the long run: Brainscape estimates that you lose an average of 2 seconds per minute of work by switching back and forth from your mouse to perform tasks; using keyboard shortcuts saves you several minutes each day that add up to full workdays in the long run.

But using keyboard shortcuts isn’t just about doing things faster; it’s also about doing them more conveniently. For most people, it makes performing all sorts of computer tasks easier — from opening a new browser tab, printing, and starting a bulleted point list to adding a character in a language other than the one their keyboard is configured in. For those without a mouse, using keyboard shortcuts also minimizes the discomfort of using the trackpad exclusively.

What is a hotkey?

A hotkey, also known as a shortcut key, is a specific combination of one or more keys on a computer keyboard that, when pressed simultaneously, performs a predefined function or command within an operating system or software application. Hotkeys are designed to provide quick access to commonly used functions without navigating through menus or multiple mouse clicks. Common examples include “Ctrl+C” to copy, “Ctrl+V” to paste, and “Alt+Tab” to switch between open applications in many operating systems. Hotkeys can greatly enhance productivity by allowing you to perform tasks more efficiently.

Keyboard shortcut software

In the sections below, we’ll discuss keyboard shortcut software. Note that downloading software isn’t a requirement for using keyboard shortcuts; shortcuts are built into systems and apps (see Mac keyboard shortcuts, Windows keyboard shortcuts, keyboard shortcuts for Google Docs, and Chrome keyboard shortcuts).

Once you’ve mastered the essential keyboard shortcuts (see “What are the 20 shortcuts?”) you might want to explore productivity apps that help you do even more with your keyboard. Keyboard shortcut applications work more or less the same way as keyboard shortcuts: through triggers and actions.

Top keyboard shortcut apps for Mac

The top keyboard shortcut apps for Mac include BetterTouchTool and TextExpander.

BetterTouchTool

BetterTouchTool (BTT) lets you set up custom hotkeys for specific actions — for example, fn as a shortcut for reducing screen brightness and the key sequence T-H-X for triggering “Thank you!” as a text replacement.

The app has multiple other features. One of the things you can use it for is to turn trackpad gestures into actions — for example, a one-finger tap in the center of your trackpad for toggling full-screen mode.

You can also use BTT for key remapping (changing what a key does) and window management (maximizing, scaling to different sizes, setting up split views, etc.).

The app, which costs around $7, seems more suitable for those who are tech-savvy.

TextExpander

If you want to unlock the full potential of text expansion, look no further than TextExpander. Text replacement isn’t a feature in TextExpander. It’s the entire app.

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