How to Create a Keyboard Shortcut to Open Any App on Mac

If you are a web developer, a graphic designer, or a writer, there is a very high probability that you use one specific application (like Visual Studio Code, Photoshop, or a specialized text editor) dozens of times every single day. Using your mouse to click the app icon in the Dock, or pressing Command+Spacebar to type the name of the app in Spotlight Search, takes a few seconds every time you do it. To vastly improve your workflow efficiency, you can configure macOS to instantly launch your most important application the moment you press a custom keyboard shortcut.

Creating the Action in the Shortcuts App

macOS does not have a simple “Keyboard Shortcuts” menu for launching apps. Instead, we must use Apple’s powerful automation tool, the Shortcuts app.

1. Press Command (⌘) + Spacebar, type Shortcuts, and press Enter to launch the Shortcuts application.
2. Click the + (Plus) button in the top menu bar to create a new, blank shortcut.
3. In the searchable list of actions on the right side of the screen, search for Open App.
4. Double-click the Open App action to add it to your main workflow canvas.
5. On the canvas, the action will say “Open [App]”. Click the faint blue word App and select the exact application you want to launch from the drop-down menu (e.g., Google Chrome).

Assigning the Keyboard Shortcut

Now that the automation knows what to do, you must give it a trigger.

6. Look at the right-hand sidebar menu. Click the small Info (i) icon (Shortcut Details).
7. Click the button labeled Add Keyboard Shortcut.
8. A small recording box will appear. Physically press the exact keyboard combination you want to use. (Tip: Try using a complex modifier like Control + Option + Command + [Letter] to ensure you do not accidentally overwrite a standard system shortcut).
9. Click the title of the shortcut at the very top of the window to rename it something logical, like “Launch Chrome.”

You can now close the Shortcuts app entirely. The automation will run silently in the background of macOS forever. The absolute instant you press your custom keyboard combination, your chosen application will snap open on your screen.