How to Create Keyboard Shortcuts for Apps in Windows 11

Do you want to open your favorite Windows 11 apps quickly and easily? Are you bored with clicking icons on the desktop or Start menu? If the answer is yes, then you might be interested in creating keyboard shortcuts for any Windows 11 app.

Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that you can press to execute certain commands, such as opening an app, copying and pasting text, or closing a window. With keyboard shortcuts, you can save time and increase your productivity.

In this article, we will show you how to create a keyboard shortcut for any Windows 11 application by two different methods: using the Properties menu and using a third-party application called AutoHotkey. We will also provide some tips and tricks to create effective and memorable keyboard shortcuts.

Using the Properties Menu

One of the easiest ways to create keyboard shortcuts for any Windows 11 app is to use the Properties menu. The Properties menu is the context menu that appears when you right-click on an application icon, either on the desktop, Start menu, or File Explorer.

The Properties menu lets you change various app settings, including name, location, icon, and compatibility. One of the settings you can change is keyboard shortcuts.

Here are the steps to create a keyboard shortcut for any Windows 11 app using the Properties menu:

1. Find the icon of the application for which you want to create a keyboard shortcut, either on the desktop, Start menu, or File Explorer. If the app doesn’t have an icon, you can create your own by right-clicking on the app, selecting Send to, and then selecting Desktop (create shortcut).
2. Right-click on the app icon, then select Properties.
3. In the Properties window, click the Shortcut tab.
4. Under the Shortcuts tab, you’ll see a field called Shortcut key. This field indicates the keyboard shortcut currently assigned to the application, if any. If it doesn’t exist, this field will be empty.
5. Click on the Shortcut key field, then press the key you want to use as a keyboard shortcut. You can use the keys of any letter, number, or symbol, but you must combine them with the keys Ctrl, Alt, or both. For example, if you want to create a Ctrl+Alt+P keyboard shortcut for the Paint application, you must press Ctrl+Alt+P in the Shortcut key field. You can’t use F1 keys until F12, Esc, or Print Screen as keyboard shortcuts, as these keys already have built-in Windows 11 functionality.
6. After you press the desired key, you will see that the Shortcut key field will display the key combination you selected. If you want to change or delete a keyboard shortcut, you can click on the Shortcut key field again and press a different key or press the Backspace key.
7. Click OK to save your changes and close the Properties window.
8. Now, you can try your newly created keyboard shortcut. Press the key combination you selected, and you will see that the application will open automatically. If you create a keyboard shortcut for an app that’s already open, the keyboard shortcut moves focus to that app.

Here’s a table showing some examples of keyboard shortcuts you can create for any Windows 11 app using the Properties menu:

Using AutoHotkey

Another method to create keyboard shortcuts for any Windows 11 app is to use a third-party app called AutoHotkey. AutoHotkey is a free and open source application that allows you to create scripts that can automate various tasks in Windows 11, including creating keyboard shortcuts.

With AutoHotkey, you can create more flexible and customizable keyboard shortcuts, since you can use any key, including F1 keys up to F12, Esc, or Print Screen, and you can add additional conditions or actions, such as checking if an app is open or not, or displaying a pop-up message.

Here are the steps to create a keyboard shortcut for any Windows 11 app using AutoHotkey:

1. Download and install AutoHotkey from its official website: https://www.autohotkey.com/.
2. Create a new text file in the location you want, for example on the desktop. You can use any text application, such as Notepad or WordPad.
3. Rename the text file to the name you want, but make sure the extension is .ahk. For example, if you want to create a file for the Paint keyboard shortcut, you can name it Paint.ahk.
4. Right-click on the .ahk file you just created, and then select Edit Script. This will open the file with the text app you are using.
5. In the text file, type the AutoHotkey script that corresponds to the keyboard shortcut you want to create. The AutoHotkey script has the following general format:

Hotkey::Action

Where Hotkey is the key combination you want to use as a keyboard shortcut, and Action is the command you want to execute when pressing the keyboard shortcut. You can use any key as a hotkey, but you must add + marks for Shift, ^ marks for Ctrl, ! marks for Alt, and marks for Win.

For example, if you want to use Win+F1 as a hotkey, you must write F1. You can also use other symbols, such as < for left, > for right, ^ for top, and v for bottom.

For actions, you can use any command supported by AutoHotkey, but the most common is Run. The Run command lets you run an application, file, or folder by specifying its full location or path. For example, if you want to run Paint, you should write:

Run, C:\Windows\System32\mspaint.exe

You can find an app’s location or path by right-clicking on its icon and then selecting Open file location. You can also add additional options after the Run command, such as Min to minimize the application, Max to maximize the application, or Hide to hide the application. You can find a full list of AutoHotkey options and commands in the official documentation: https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/AutoHotkey.htm.

Here is an example AutoHotkey script to create a Win+F1 keyboard shortcut to run Paint:

F1::Run, C:\Windows\System32\mspaint.exe

6. Save the text file, and then double-click on the.ahk file to run the script. You will see an AutoHotkey icon appear in the system tray, indicating that the script is active.
7. Now, you can try your newly created keyboard shortcut. Press the key combination you selected, and you will see that the application will open automatically. If you create a keyboard shortcut for an app that’s already open, the keyboard shortcut moves focus to that app.

Here is a table showing some examples of AutoHotkey scripts you can create for any Windows 11 app:

You can create more complex AutoHotkey scripts by adding additional conditions or actions, such as checking whether an application is already open, or displaying a pop-up message. You can find more advanced examples of AutoHotkey scripts on its official website: https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/Scripts.htm.

Tips and Tricks for Creating Effective and Memorable Keyboard Shortcuts

Now you already know how to create keyboard shortcuts for any Windows 11 application, using both the Properties menu and AutoHotkey. However, there are some tips and tricks you can follow to create more effective and memorable keyboard shortcuts. Here are some of them:

• Select the button associated with the name or function of the application. For example, you can use P for Paint, N for Notepad, or C for Calculator. This will help you remember keyboard shortcuts more easily.
• Avoid using keys already used by Windows 11 or other apps as keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can’t use Ctrl+C or Ctrl+V as keyboard shortcuts, because these keys are already used to copy and paste text. If you use the same key, you will interfere with the built-in functioning of Windows 11 or other applications, and you may get unwanted results.
• Use easy-to-reach and convenient key combinations. For example, you can use a combination of Ctrl+Alt or Win+F as keyboard shortcuts, as these keys are close to each other and easily accessible with one hand. Avoid using key combinations that are difficult to reach or inconvenient, such as Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Z or Win+Q.
• Create consistent and logical keyboard shortcuts. For example, you can use Win+F1 to Win+F12 as keyboard shortcuts for 12 different apps, or you can use Ctrl+Alt+P for Paint, Ctrl+Alt+N for Notepad, and so on. This will help you group and organize your keyboard shortcuts better, and avoid confusion or conflicts.
• Use comments or labels to document your AutoHotkey script. If you use AutoHotkey to create keyboard shortcuts, you can add comments or labels at the beginning or end of your script to explain what the script does, or to provide an associated application name or description. You can use the ; mark to create comments, or the : mark to create labels. For example, you could write:

; This script creates a shortcut keyboard for Paint
F1::Run, C:\Windows\System32\mspaint.exe
; End of script

Or:

:Paint
F1::Run, C:\Windows\System32\mspaint.exe
Return

These comments or labels won’t affect the functionality of your script but will help you remember or identify your script more easily.

That’s how to create a keyboard shortcut for any Windows 11 application by two different methods: using the Properties menu and using AutoHotkey. We hope this article was useful for those of you who want to open your favorite Windows 11 apps quickly and easily. Good luck!