Shortcat - An app that makes it easy to use your Mac without a mouse

Your Mac's trackpad or mouse lets you navigate your computer. 

Install and customize Shortcat

Shortcat is a free Mac app that indexes clickable UI elements on the screen and assigns keyboard shortcuts or lets you search for them, making navigating your Mac just a few keystrokes away. You can use Shortcat to scroll, click buttons, open compatible applications, browse the web, etc. without a trackpad or mouse. So whether the mouse doesn't work on your Mac or you prefer to keep your hands on the keyboard, Shortcat is a great app to try.

Here's how to install and customize Shortcat after downloading it using the link above:

1. Double-click the downloaded Shortcat file and click Open on the pop-up window.
2. You will see a welcome window prompting you to grant permissions to the app. Click the Request Permission and Open System Settings button on the next page. Turn on the switch next to Shortcat.
3. Click Next on the next page that opens to confirm that permission has been granted.
4. You can set Shortcat's keyboard activation shortcut on the next window or click Next if you're happy with the default Cmd + Shift + Space .
5. The next window displays a quick tutorial on how to use Shortcat. Click Next > Open Preferences  to customize Shortcat to your liking.
6. When finished, click Finish Tutorial .

Once installed, you can return to the preferences menu at any time by clicking the Shortcat icon in the menu bar and selecting Preferences .

Use Shortcat to search and select elements on the screen

Shortcat provides several ways to search for clickable on-screen elements without taking your hands off the keyboard. You can activate Shortcat using the selected keyboard shortcut or the default Cmd + Shift + Space . Here are some ways to use Shortcat to interact with elements on the screen:

Search and select using letter hints

One of the fastest ways to search for elements on the screen using Shortcat is to select the two-letter suggestions that appear in the yellow boxes above them. After activating Shortcat using the keyboard shortcut Cmd + Shift + Space , you will see yellow boxes appear, each containing one or two letters.

Enter the letters corresponding to the element you want to select and press Return (or Enter ). For example, to go to Notification settings (in the screenshot below), type AJ to highlight the item and press Return .

Search by entering the component name

Another quick way to interact with elements on the screen is to enter the element name in the Shorcat search box. For example, enter Notification in Shortcat's search bar and press Return . This works best when you know what you're looking for.

Filter by element type

Sometimes you may want to narrow your search by specifying the type of element you're looking for. For example, if you just want to select a link on your screen, you can enter Link in Shortcat's search bar. This will filter out any other elements and display only links on the screen, which you can select using the two-letter hint.

Select commonly used elements using Cmd + Number

Shortcat allows you to use the Cmd + Num keyboard shortcut to select from frequently used elements in a list with minimal effort. Hold Cmd and press the corresponding number key to select the element.

Use Shortcat to simulate many mouse actions

In addition to selecting UI elements on the screen, Shortcat also allows you to simulate many mouse actions such as clicking and scrolling with the keyboard. Here's a breakdown of the main mouse actions you can perform with Shortcat:

Left, right and double click actions with Shortcat

After selecting a clickable element, as described above, press Return (or Enter ) to perform a left-click. To simulate a double click, press Return twice. For example, to open a file on a Mac, you would select the file and press Return twice. Finally, to simulate a right-click and open a context menu, just press Control + Return .

Click add-in using Shortcat

Shortcat also supports various modifier clicks, performed by holding down the modifier key and Return . For example, you can use Cmd + Return to open a link in a new tab or Shift + Return to select multiple items on the screen.

How to scroll with Shortcat

Shortcat allows you to scroll through on-screen content using just the keyboard. Hold Space + Cmd and I, J, K or L to scroll up, left, down or right respectively. For example, to scroll down, just hold Space + Cmd and press K repeatedly until the desired section shows up.

Additionally, Shortcat allows you to use keyboard shortcuts to navigate active windows just like using arrow keys (because arrow keys are used to navigate clickable UI elements when Shortcat is active). dynamic). Hold down the spacebar and press I, J, K, or L to simulate arrow key functions in an active window.

Jessica Tanner

Update 27 August 2024