Macbook keyboards have 78 keys, or 109 if you have a keyboard with a numeric keypad. This is a lot of keys, which means you have more possibilities to customize it according to your needs and usage patterns. However, this is not an easy thing to do, and even though it is not difficult, some people may find it too difficult. In this article, we will show you how to create a custom keyboard layout on your Mac and change it easily. We will do this using two apps: Ukelele and Karabiner.
So, if you've ever secretly wished you could map some of your Mac's keys to different functions (functions that you might personally need more), then these apps are for you. So, read on.
Ukulele: Create a custom keyboard layout
Ukelele is an application that allows users to edit or create custom keyboard layouts on Mac. The app has a simple and easy-to-understand interface. You can create a layout from scratch by manually entering the functions that different keys on your Mac's keyboard perform. Identifying a key is easy as you simply press a key on your Mac and the corresponding key lights up in the Ukelele interface.
When you first start Ukulele, you will notice that some keys are already filled with corresponding actions. These keys are the default function keys. can You can edit them if you want, but we recommend keeping the default values - don't worry, these keys can also be adjusted and you can always revert them to their standard values if you mess something up.
Customize a preset layout in Ukulele
Customizing a preset layout in Ukelele is easier than creating one from scratch. It's a lot less work, just edit the keys you need to change. The best part is that you can switch between your edited keys and the defaults with just two clicks whenever you want. To customize an existing layout, follow these steps:
1. Start the ukulele. File -> New from current input sourceThis will open a window where you can set the name of your layout bundle and the name of the layout that will be displayed when you select it in Keyboard settings.
2. Next, Double-click the name of the layout When you open the app you just created in Ukelele, you will see the default values for the keys in the layout.
3. Suppose you want to change Press the “b” key and type “beebom.com”To do this, Double-click the “b” key On the ukulele, and The new output string is “beebom.com”Click “end”.
4. Or your Tab key is broken. Press Esc to execute the tabTo do this Double-click the Tab keyto find out Unicode Value for “tab”.
next, “ESC” Keys, and Enter the value of the “Tab” key Instead of the default value “end”.
Five. when finished After editing the key you want to change,File -> SavePress ” ” or “Command + S“The bundle you created in step 1 is saved in Documents by default. finderand Copy a bundle Created in the documentation.
6. Next, click “Command + Shift + GType ” ” and then “/Library/KeyboardLayouts/Click ” to go to the keyboard layout, Paste your bundle here.
Enable the new layout
To enable a layout you need to add it to the layouts in your keyboard settings. To do this, follow the steps below:
1. Go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Input SourcesClick here Click the “+” icon In the lower left Select a custom layout Select from the list in the sidebar.
2. Click Input Sources icon in the menu barand Choose your layoutNow whenever you press the modified key, the function you mapped will be performed instead of the default function.
Ukelele lets you easily customize your Mac's keys, save them as layouts, and switch between them on the fly. And that's not all. The app QWERTY, AZERTY (French), Qwarts You can create new layouts using the (German), Dvorak, and Colemak layouts, and you can also export your custom layouts to an installable disk image so you can bring your custom layout to any computer you need it on.
Install Ukelele: (free)
Note: If you edit your custom layout later, you'll need to go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Input Sources and add it again for the changes to take effect.
Karabiner: Easily change the function of modifier keys
Karabiner is an app that lets you change the functions performed by modifier keys on your Mac keyboard to suit your needs. But it doesn't stop there: the app also lets you enable a lot of useful shortcuts and change the behavior of your keyboard. Below we'll discuss some of the coolest things you can do with Karabiner.
Press Cmd+D to show the desktop
In fact, almost all files I create recently are saved to the desktop, especially screenshots are saved to the desktop by default. This means that to drag and drop a file from the desktop, I need to pinch out with four fingers to show the desktop, drag the file with one finger, and pinch in with four fingers to go back to the application I want to drop the file into. This is when using a Force-touch enabled trackpad. On a normal trackpad, I need to use two fingers to drag the file, plus the four-finger gesture. With Karabiner, I can just press Cmd+D to show the desktop, and press the same combination again to go back.
To enable this shortcut, Launch the carabinerSearch for ; “desktop”. next, “Mission control, for the dashboard.” “Show desktop with command + DType ” ” and you're done. Now you can press Cmd+D to show or hide the desktop.
Switch between Bluetooth and WiFi with a shortcut
Karabiner also lets you turn Bluetooth and WiFi on and off. fn+band fn+w Respectively. This feature is definitely useful, especially for those who use the keyboard a lot, as switching between keyboard and mouse can be a pain. To enable one or both of these shortcuts, follow the steps below:
1. Karabiner “Shortcuts” “Custom Shortcuts“Scroll down a bit and you'll see the option to toggle Bluetooth. Fn+B,WiFi is Fn+W.
2. Please check the checkbox You can switch between Bluetooth and WiFi directly from your keyboard by clicking next to the shortcut you want to use.
Hold D to go to Dashboard, or Shift+D to go to Dashboard
Apple may not pay much attention to Dashboard anymore, but it's still a very useful part of the macOS environment. However, accessing Dashboard with a three- or four-finger swipe can be tedious, especially if you have many desktops open on your Mac. Karabiner can help here, too: you can set up a shortcut (long-press D or Shift + D) to access Dashboard directly.
To set this up, “Dashboard” and”Mission Control, DashboardCheck the box next to “”.Hold down the “D” key to go to the dashboard“, or “Hold Shift+D to go to Dashboard” “.
Change what Command+Q does
Command + Q is notorious for being pressed accidentally when you actually mean Command + W. Luckily, Karabiner lets you change this default behavior to make it less accident-prone. You can require pressing Cmd + Q twice to quit an application, or you can set it to only quit applications with a long press. Both of these options can save you a lot of trouble.
To set these up in Karabiner, Custom shortcuts And the following Custom shortcuts Check the boxes next to the actions you want Cmd + Q to perform.
Karabiner gives you more customization on your Mac and helps you get more out of your keyboard. And that's not all that Karabiner offers in terms of the various custom settings it offers. The application also gives you the option to create your own keyboards. Multiple Profilesyou can switch using Keyboard shortcutsSo it's always ready for all the applications you use. Apart from that, Karabiner also allows you to export profiles, which is very similar to Ukelele, but Karabiner profiles are exported as shell scripts and can be imported from the terminal. For more information on how to use Karabiner, please refer to the Karabiner manual.
Install Karabiner: (free)
See also: How to control the mouse pointer using the keyboard in Windows 10
Custom Keyboard Mapping: Customize your Mac keyboard to your liking
Not everyone uses their keyboard exactly the same way as others. Apps like Karabiner and Ukelele allow users to customize their keyboard to work just the way they like it. You can also use these apps to map keyboards designed for use with Windows PCs to work well with Macs. Considering the fact that Apple keyboards are much more expensive than other Windows keyboard options, you might be better off choosing a keyboard designed for Windows PCs and using an app like Ukelele or Karabiner to customize it to work well with a Mac.
Have you ever wanted to map a specific key on your keyboard to a specific function? If so, how did you do it? Did you use any of the applications mentioned in this article? We'd love to hear about your experience remapping your keyboard on your Mac and any issues you faced. Let us know in the comments section below.
