How does licensing work?
A one-time license costs US$9.99. Download the app separately and activate it with a license key. Check sales availability on the license page. There is no subscription.
When you work across Windows and macOS, shortcuts should match muscle memory.
Press Hotkeys is built for people who moved to Mac from Windows, work
in both systems, or switch keyboard layouts often. Instead of mentally
translating Ctrl into Cmd, the app sends the
matching macOS action for the shortcut you already know. Your hands keep
moving, and your attention stays on the task.
Choose the keyboard-layout switcher that feels natural.
Use Alt+Shift, Ctrl+Shift, Cmd+Shift,
or record your own shortcut. Press Hotkeys detects it globally, switches
the input source through macOS, and updates the menu-bar language badge
immediately. If the shortcut is already reserved by macOS, the app points
you to the setting that needs attention.
Features
Familiar control without putting another system on top of macOS.
Windows-style commands.
Common shortcuts such as Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V,
Ctrl+A, and Ctrl+S become the matching macOS commands.
- Global layout switching.Pick one shortcut once, then use it in any app.
- Clear shortcut catalog.Each row shows what already works, what can be enabled, and where behavior depends on macOS or the current app.
- Conflict management.Press Hotkeys helps free
Ctrl+SpaceandCtrl+Option+Spacewhen those macOS input-source shortcuts conflict with your setup. - Launch at login.Autostart is controlled from the app and uses the standard macOS Login Items mechanism.
- Local by default.Hotkey processing and settings stay on your Mac. The app has no telemetry. A server connection is required to activate a license or release an installation slot.
See the app before installing
The screenshot follows your selected site theme: light mode shows the light app UI, and dark mode shows the dark app UI.
Hotkeys
The main shortcut groups are already organized in settings.
The current catalog includes 146 Windows-style entries across 143 ranked scenarios. Reliable mappings can be enabled right away, potentially conflicting actions stay off by default, and shortcuts without a stable macOS equivalent are marked as limited or informational.
Cmd + Shiftdefault layout-switching shortcutAlt + Shiftfamiliar Windows-style option146Windows-style entries in the current catalogLocalsettings stay on your Mac
Status labels separate ready-to-use behavior from system limits: works means the action is supported; can be enabled means it is available but off by default; native means macOS already behaves as expected; limited means there is no exact or safe global equivalent.
| Category | Shortcuts | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layout switching | Cmd + Shift, Alt + Shift, Ctrl + Shift | The input language changes with the shortcut your hands already know. | Works |
| System conflicts | Ctrl + Space, Ctrl + Option + Space | The app helps find and disable macOS input-source shortcuts when they conflict with your chosen layout switcher. | Needs macOS setup |
| Core commands | Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + X, Ctrl + A, Ctrl + Z, Ctrl + S, Ctrl + F | Copy, paste, cut, select all, undo, save, and find. | Works |
| App commands | Ctrl + P, Ctrl + Y, Ctrl + N, Ctrl + O, Ctrl + W, Ctrl + T, Ctrl + Shift + T, Ctrl + Tab, Ctrl + Shift + Tab, F5, Ctrl + R, Ctrl + L | Print, redo, create and open files, manage tabs, reload, and focus the address bar. | Works or native |
| Text navigation | Home, End, Ctrl + Left, Ctrl + Right, Ctrl + Home, Ctrl + End, Up, Down, Ctrl + Up, Ctrl + Down, Page Up, Page Down | Move to line ends, words, document edges, paragraphs, and pages. | Works or native |
| Text selection | Shift + Left, Shift + Right, Shift + Up, Shift + Down, Ctrl + Shift + Left, Ctrl + Shift + Right, Ctrl + Shift + Up, Ctrl + Shift + Down, Shift + Home, Shift + End, Ctrl + Shift + Home, Ctrl + Shift + End, Shift + Page Up, Shift + Page Down | Select characters, words, lines, paragraphs, and larger text ranges. | Works or native |
| Deletion | Backspace, Delete, Ctrl + Backspace, Ctrl + Delete, Shift + Delete | Delete characters and words. Dangerous deletion without Trash is not mapped as a global command. | Mixed |
| Windows | Alt + Tab, Alt + F4, Win + D, Win + Tab, Win + Left, Win + Right, Win + Up, Win + Down, Win + M, Win + Shift + M | Switch and close windows, show the desktop, open Mission Control, tile, minimize, and restore windows. | Can be enabled; window actions need Accessibility |
| Spaces | Win + Ctrl + D, Win + Ctrl + Left, Win + Ctrl + Right, Win + Ctrl + F4 | Switching Spaces works through Mission Control shortcuts; creating and closing Spaces is limited by public macOS behavior. | Partial |
| System | Ctrl + Shift + Esc, Win + E, Win + L, Win + R, Win + S, Win + I, Win + V, Win + P, Win + K, Win + A, Win + N, Win + H, Win + U | Activity Monitor, Finder, Lock Screen, Spotlight, System Settings, displays, notifications, dictation, and accessibility features. | Partial |
| Screenshots and symbols | Win + Shift + S, PrtScn, Win + PrtScn, Win + ., Win + ;, Win + +, Win + Esc | Screenshots, the emoji picker, and zoom controls through the closest macOS actions. | Works; some behavior depends on system settings |
| Finder and browser | Alt + Left, Alt + Right, Alt + Up, Ctrl + Shift + N, F2, Alt + Enter | Back, forward, parent folder, new folder, rename, and item information. | Can be enabled; behavior depends on the app |
| Legacy | Ctrl + Insert, Shift + Insert | Copy and paste shortcuts still used in terminals and corporate apps. | Works |
| No stable equivalent | Ctrl + Alt + Delete, Win + G | Windows Security Screen and Xbox Game Bar cannot be reproduced reliably by a third-party macOS utility. | Informational |
Setup
A regular DMG and a few clear steps.
Download the disk image, move the app to Applications, activate your license, grant macOS permissions, and choose your shortcuts.
- 1
Download the DMG
Open the disk image and move PressHotkeys.app to Applications.
- 2
Launch it from Applications
This lets macOS treat it as an installed utility rather than an app running from the disk image.
- 3
Activate your license
Buy a one-time license and enter the key in the app. Activation needs an internet connection.
- 4
Allow Input Monitoring and Accessibility
Input Monitoring detects global shortcuts. Accessibility sends the matching macOS actions and controls windows.
- 5
Choose a preset or record your own
Test layout switching first, then enable only the Windows-style commands you actually use.
FAQ
Before you install
Why does macOS ask for system permissions?
Input Monitoring lets the app detect enabled global shortcuts even when another app is active. Accessibility is required to send the matching macOS commands and perform window actions such as tiling a window to half of the screen.
What is the minimum macOS version?
The minimum macOS version is 13 Ventura. The universal build runs on both Intel Mac and Apple Silicon.
Does the app read everything I type?
Input Monitoring technically grants access to keyboard events. Press Hotkeys uses it to recognize enabled shortcuts only. Keyboard events stay on your Mac; activation sends the license key and installation ID to the license server. There is no usage telemetry.
Will it break standard macOS shortcuts?
Ambiguous or potentially conflicting scenarios are off by default. Each mapping can be enabled or disabled separately, so the setup can match your apps and habits.
Why is "Alt+Shift" for layout switching, and what key is that on a Mac?
"Alt+Shift" names the position of the keys on a Windows keyboard: the key right next to the Space bar, plus Shift. On a Mac keyboard (or a PC keyboard with modifiers swapped in System Settings) that same key sends Command, so the default layout shortcut is really Cmd+Shift. On an unswapped PC keyboard, the key next to Space is still labeled Alt and sends Option, so pick "Option" in Press Hotkeys' keyboard-type setting to match. Either way, the default trigger fires on release, not on press, so it never fires early.
Does Press Hotkeys remap keys the same way in every app?
No. It applies a per-app policy: normal remapping in most apps, a terminal policy that keeps control characters like Ctrl+C working as SIGINT in terminal emulators, an optional "let the app handle Ctrl keys" mode for apps with their own Windows-style or vim/Emacs keymap, and pass-through for remote-desktop clients, VMs, and games. See Help, "Apps", or the app's App compatibility settings.
Why does Ctrl+C copy in one terminal and interrupt in another?
By default (Native terminal mode) Ctrl+C always reaches the shell as ^C, so it interrupts a running command. An optional Windows Terminal mode adds a smart Ctrl+C: it copies the current selection if there is one, and otherwise still sends ^C. That smart mode currently needs the Accessibility permission and works in Terminal.app; other terminals are added once they're verified.
I use a PC keyboard on my Mac. Why do Win/Alt shortcuts land on the wrong key?
macOS maps a PC keyboard's own Win key to Command and its own Alt key to Option, the opposite of an Apple keyboard's usual Command/Option order unless you swap modifiers. Press Hotkeys has a keyboard-type setting (with a Detect button) so it can tell which physical key you actually have; it also suggests the matching swap in System Settings, Keyboard, Modifier Keys.
License
Set up familiar shortcuts and work on Mac without translating every gesture.
Get a one-time license, download the notarized DMG, and activate Press Hotkeys. The app stays in the menu bar and handles shortcuts locally.
