Change a conflicting keyboard shortcut on Mac (2024)

macOS Sequoia 15

macOS Sonoma 14

macOS Ventura 13

macOS Monterey 12

macOS Big Sur 11.0

macOS Catalina 10.15

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Change a conflicting keyboard shortcut on Mac (1)

It’s possible to have a keyboard shortcut that performs a different action depending on which app you’re using. For example, Command-Space bar opens the Spotlight menu, but in another app it might do something else. You can change conflicting keyboard shortcuts so the same shortcut doesn’t perform different actions in different apps.

Note: Keyboard shortcuts in apps may vary depending on the language and keyboard layout you’re using on your Mac. If shortcuts don’t work as you expect, look in the app menus in the menu bar to see the correct shortcuts. You can also use the Keyboard Viewer to see your current keyboard layout, known as an input source.

On your Mac, choose Apple menu >System settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Open Keyboard settings for me
Click Keyboard Shortcuts, then select a category in the sidebar, such as Mission Control or Spotlight.
A warning icon is shown next to conflicting keyboard shortcuts.
Double-click the shortcut you want to change, then press the new key combination you want to use. See Customize keyboard shortcuts.

See alsoCreate keyboard shortcuts for apps on Mac

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