Keyboard shortcuts

Last updated 20 October 2026

Every keyboard shortcut in MindLake for Mac, grouped by where you use it, and which ones you can change.

Press ⌘? in MindLake and choose Shortcuts to see these in the app, a section at a time. Most work while MindLake is in front; the first table lists the ones that work from any app while MindLake is running, including when only its menu bar icon is showing. Pointing at a button also shows its shortcut, unless you turn hints off in Settings ▸ General ▸ Hints. The iPhone app has no keyboard shortcuts.

Global, from any app

Shortcut	What it does
`⌥⌘K`	Open the command bar over the app you’re in: search, add a task or note, paste a snippet
`⌥Space`	Also opens the command bar, once you turn on Also open with ⌥Space (off unless you do)
`⌥N`	New note
`⇧⌘1` to `⇧⌘3`, `⌃⇧4` and `⌃⇧5`	Screenshots: Area, Window, Full Screen, Full Screen in 3s, Copy Text from Area
Dictation key, held	Dictate while you hold it; let go to type the words where your cursor is
Dictation key, pressed twice	Start dictating hands-free
`Esc`	Cancel a screenshot in progress, or a dictation take

The dictation key is Fn unless you choose another, and it only works once Dictate anywhere is on. See Recording and dictation and Changing shortcuts.

App and windows

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘N`	New: starts a recording unless you set ⌘N creates to New text note in Settings ▸ General ▸ New (⌘N)
`⌘1`	New note. While you’re typing in a note, ⌘1 is Heading 1 instead
`⌃⌘1`	New note, recording into it straight away
`⇧⌘N`	New text note
`⇧⌘T`	New list
`⇧⌘D`	New canvas
`⇧⌘O`	Convert Document…: turn a file into a note. With the caret in a note, ⇧⌘O makes a numbered list instead
`⌘K`	Command center (Go ▸ Command Center…)
`⌘F`	Find in the open note, or search the section you’re in
`⌘R`	Scan the vault for changes on disk (File ▸ Scan Vault)
`⇧⌘]`	Next tab
`⇧⌘[`	Previous tab
`⌥⌘1` to `⌥⌘9`	Show tab 1 to 9
`⌘W`	Close tab
`⇧⌘W`	Close window
`⌘,`	Settings
`⌘?`	MindLake Help: what each section is for, its shortcuts and tips

Each note, list or canvas you open gets a tab along the top of the window. File ▸ New from Template is always in the File menu; it has no shortcut.

Sections

Shortcut	What it does
`⌃1`	All Notes
`⌃2`	Tasks
`⌃3`	Schedule
`⌃4`	Contacts
`⌃5`	Chats
`⌃6`	Graph
`⌃7`	Sources
`⌃8`	Snippets
`⌃9`	Organise
`⌥⌘G`	Show or hide the graph
`⌥⌘A`	Show or hide the Sources section
`⌘/`	Open or close the AI panel
`⇧⌘A`	Ask the AI about what you’re looking at (File ▸ Ask Claude)
Two-finger swipe left	Tuck the sidebar away; again, bring out the AI panel
Two-finger swipe right	Close the AI panel; again, bring the sidebar back

Hold ⌃ to see each section’s number in the sidebar. The numbers stay fixed: a section you hide gives up its shortcut until you show it again, and the others keep theirs. ⌘/ and ⇧⌘A need AI features turned on in Settings ▸ AI; see Chats.

Notes and the editor

With a note open:

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘←`	Back to the list
`⌘↑` `⌘↓`	Previous or next note
`⌘.`	Show or hide the note’s Sources panel
`⇧⌘Y`	Show or hide the style bar
`⇧⌘L`	Lock the note
`⌥⌘L`	Seal your locked notes, or unlock them
`⌘+` `⌘−`	Bigger or smaller text, in every note
`⌥⌘0`	Reset the text size
`⌘Z`	Straight after a snippet expands, put back what you typed
`Esc`	Dismiss the format bar. In a new note you haven’t typed in, throw it away and go back

⌘←, ⌘↑ and ⌘↓ work in an open list too. The text size keys work while you’re typing in a note.

On a recording’s transcript

Shortcut	What it does
`Space`	Play or pause
`←` `→`	Back or forward 10 seconds

These work as soon as the transcript opens, until you click into its text to edit it.

Markdown files from outside your vault

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘S`	Save
`⌘E`	Switch between the rendered note and its raw Markdown

A file like this opens in its own window, and it also saves as you type and when you close it. Its ⋯ menu exports or shares it as a PDF, copies the Markdown, reveals it in Finder, opens it in your default app, or saves a copy into your vault with Save to MindLake. See Notes you already have.

Formatting and headings

These work while you’re typing in a note or in a Markdown file’s window. The Note menu lists them too.

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘B`	Bold
`⌘I`	Italic
`⌘U`	Underline
`⇧⌘X`	Strikethrough
`⇧⌘M`	Highlight
`⇧⌘C`	Inline code
`⌘1` to `⌘6`	Heading 1 to 6
`⌘0`	Body text (clears the heading)
`⇧⌘B`	Blockquote

Link and Table are in the Note menu with no shortcut. ⌘K used to add a link; it now opens the command center, and a web address you paste or type becomes a link by itself.

Lists and tables

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘L`	Bulleted list
`⇧⌘O`	Numbered list
`⌘T`	Task (checkbox)
`⏎`	Continue a list; on an empty item, end it
`⇥` `⇧⇥`	Nest a list item under the one above, or bring it back out

Tables in a note

Shortcut	What it does
`⇥`	Next cell; after the last cell, add a row
`⇧⇥`	Previous cell
`⏎`	Cell below; on the last row, add a row
`⌃⌘↓` `⌃⌘↑`	Add a row below or above
`⌃⌘→` `⌃⌘←`	Add a column after or before
`⌥⌘↑` `⌥⌘↓`	Move the row up or down
`⌥⌘←` `⌥⌘→`	Move the column left or right
`⌃⌘⌫`	Delete the row
`⌃⇧⌘⌫`	Delete the column
`⌘C` `⌘V`	Copy or paste cells as spreadsheet data
`⌫`	With cells selected, clear them; a whole row or column picked by its grip is deleted
Arrows, then `⏎`	Beside a table, the arrows step onto its edge; ⏎ there adds a line above or below it
Pinch	Open a table wider than the page out into the margins, or fold it back (Full Width)

The row and column keys work while you’re editing a cell, and match the cell’s ⋮ menu. Full Width is also on that menu.

In a list’s own tab

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘←`	Back to where you were
`⌘↑` `⌘↓`	Previous or next item
`⌘C` `⌘V`	Copy the selected cells, or paste spreadsheet data at the selection
`⌫`	Clear the selected cells

Recording and dictation

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘N`	Start a recording, unless you’ve set ⌘N to make a text note
`⌃⌘1`	New note, recording into it straight away
Dictation key, held	Dictate while you hold it; let go to type the words in. A pause doesn’t end it
Dictation key, pressed twice	Start a hands-free take
Dictation key, pressed once	During a hands-free take: finish, and type the words in
`Esc`	Cancel the take

The dictation key is Fn unless you choose Right Option, Right Command or Right Control in Settings ▸ Audio ▸ Dictation, and it works once Dictate anywhere is on there. A hands-free take also finishes after a pause of about a second and a half, and any take stops at 90 seconds. See Dictation and Recording meetings.

Teleprompter

The notch’s Prompter button plays a note beneath the notch. Click the script to play or pause it; that also gives it the keyboard, and clicking back in your app gives the keyboard back. Then:

Shortcut	What it does
`Space`	Play or pause
`↑` `↓`	Move the script back or forward by hand (scrolling does too)
`−` `+`	Slower or faster
`R`	Start again from the top
`Esc`	Close the teleprompter

Pointing at the teleprompter shows the same controls as buttons. See The notch.

Screenshots

These work from any app while MindLake is running. Change them in Settings ▸ Screenshots. Pick a Window, Scrolling Capture and Repeat Last Capture start in Not in use, with no shortcut; drag one into use and it takes ⌃⇧6, ⌃⇧7 or ⌃⇧8 unless you set another. See Screenshots.

Shortcut	What it does
`⇧⌘1`	Capture Area
`⇧⌘2`	Capture Window
`⇧⌘3`	Capture Full Screen
`⌃⇧4`	Full Screen in 3s
`⌃⇧5`	Copy Text from Area
`Esc`	Cancel a capture, in any mode, a timed or scrolling one included

The setup steps can put Area, Window and Full Screen on ⇧⌘4, ⇧⌘5 and ⇧⌘3 instead. Those only reach MindLake once the Mac’s own screenshot shortcuts are off in System Settings ▸ Keyboard ▸ Keyboard Shortcuts ▸ Screenshots.

While you drag an area

Shortcut	What it does
`Space`	Hold to move the selection
`⌥`	Hold to draw the selection out from its centre
`←` `↑` `↓` `→`	Nudge the corner you’re dragging by a point, or ten with ⇧

Markup window

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘S`	Save the marked-up shot onto its file, and close
`⌘C`	Copy the selected marks; with none selected, copy the shot and close
`⌘V`	Paste copies of the marks you copied
`Esc`	Close. It copies the shot first unless you change When Esc closes markup
`⌘Z` `⇧⌘Z`	Undo or redo
`⌘+` `⌘−`	Zoom in or out
`⌘0`	Zoom to fit
`⌘1`	Actual size
`⌫`	Delete the selected marks
`⏎`	Apply the crop you’ve drawn
`⇥`	Copy the colour of the pixel under the pointer
`⌥`-drag	Drag out a copy of a mark, with any tool
`⇧`-click or `⌘`-click	Add a mark to the selection, or take it out, to move, recolour or delete several together
Hold `1`, `←` or `→`	Show a horizontal ruler
Hold `2`, `↑` or `↓`	Show a vertical ruler

To add a label, just start typing: it begins under the pointer. Clicking the picture also copies a pixel’s colour code.

Capture card and pinned shots

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘C`	On the capture card: copy the shot and close the card. On a pinned shot: copy it
`⌘S`	On the capture card: close it, keeping the file
`Space`	On the card, a stacked shot or a pin: see it big, and back
`⌘W` or `Esc`	Close a pinned shot
Pinch	Make a pinned shot bigger or smaller
Two-finger swipe	Tuck a pin against that edge of the screen; click the sliver to bring it back

Command bar and ⌘K

⌘K opens the command center over the library window; ⌥⌘K opens the command bar from any app, without bringing MindLake forward. Inside either:

Shortcut	What it does
`↑` `↓` or `⌃P` `⌃N`	Move through the results
`↩`	The main action: open, run, paste or add
`⌘↩`	The second action, named in the footer, such as Join & Record or Copy
`⇥`	Complete a / command
`Esc`	Close, and give the keyboard back to the app you were in

Type / to list every command. See Search and the command bar.

Tasks

On the Tasks page:

Shortcut	What it does
`↑` `↓` or `J` `K`	Move through the list
`Space` or `X`	Complete the task, or reopen it
`⏎` or `E`	Edit the task
`1` `2` `3` `0`	Priority: high, medium, low or none
`T`	Due today
`S`	Add the task to the selection, or take it out
`⇧`-click	Select a run of tasks
`⌘`-click	Add a task to the selection, or take it out
`⌫`	Delete the task, or the selection
`Esc`	Clear the selection
`⌘Z` `⇧⌘Z`	Undo or redo the last change to a task: a tick, an edit or a delete

While you edit a task, ⏎ saves it and Esc leaves it as it was.

Schedule panel

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘↩`	Save the meeting you’re editing
`Esc`	Discard your changes to it
`⌘`-click or `⇧`-click	Away from Schedule, in the calendar panel: add or remove a day, or pick a run of days

Chats

On the Chats page:

Shortcut	What it does
`↑` `↓`	Move through your conversations, showing each one
`⇧↑` `⇧↓`	Grow the selection up or down
`⌘`-click	Add a conversation to the selection, or take it out
`⇧`-click	Select a run of conversations
`⌘A`	Select every conversation shown
`⌫`	Move the selected conversations to the Trash; more than one asks first
`Esc`	Clear the selection

AI panel

Shortcut	What it does
`⏎`	Send
`⇧⏎`	Start a new line without sending

Sources

In the Sources section:

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘`-click	Add a file to the selection
`⇧`-click	Select a run of files
`⌘A`	Select everything on screen
`Esc`	Clear the selection

In the viewer

Shortcut	What it does
`←` `→`	Previous or next item
`⌘C`	Copy the open picture (⌃C works too)
Right-click	Copy Image, Copy Text in Image, Copy File Path, Share, open, annotate or pin the picture
`Esc`	Close the viewer
`Space`	Close the viewer, except on a video, where it plays or pauses

In a note’s Sources panel

Shortcut	What it does
`↑` `↓`	With a source open, open the one above or below
`⌘`-click	Pick sources one by one
`⇧`-click	Pick a run of sources

Notes list

Shortcut	What it does
`↑` `↓`	Move through the list, or a row at a time in the card view
`←` `→`	Move along a row in the card view
`⏎` or double-click	Open the highlighted note
`⌫` or `⌘⌫`	Delete the highlighted note or the selection, after asking
`⇧`-click	Select a run of notes
`⌘`-click	Add a note to the selection, or take it out

Graph

Shortcut	What it does
`⌃6`	Go to the Graph
`⌥⌘G`	Show or hide the graph
Scroll	Zoom
Drag the background	Pan
Click a node	Open the note
Drag a node	Pin it where you put it

Canvas

Shortcut	What it does
`⌘L`	Put a note on the canvas
`⌘G`	Wrap the selection in a titled frame
`⌘D`	Duplicate the selection
`⌘C` `⌘V`	Copy or paste
`⌘A`	Select everything
`⌘0`	Fit everything on screen
`⌫`	Delete the selection
`←` `↑` `↓` `→`	Nudge the selection a grid square, or a single point with ⌥ held
`⌘` while dragging	Place freely, off the grid
`Esc`	Clear the selection

Contacts, Snippets and Organise

Shortcut	What it does
`⌫`	In Contacts, delete the selected contacts
`⇥`	In a snippet’s category field, complete the suggested category
`↑` `↓`	In Organise, with the job wheel selected, turn to the previous or next job
`←` `→`	In Organise, going one by one: the previous or next suggestion
`⏎`	Going one by one: do what the bar proposes (the tick, or the bin for an empty recording, which asks first), or open the note where only you can decide
`⌫`	Going one by one: don’t suggest this again. Nothing is deleted
`Esc`	Going one by one: back to the list

Organise’s keys for going one by one work with no modifier held, and not while you’re typing in a field. See Organise.

Help

⌘? opens MindLake Help (also in the Help menu, and the ? button at the bottom of the sidebar). A row along the top picks a section, plus Editor and App, and Help opens on the section you’re in. The switch beside Done chooses what you see for it: About, what the section is for and what you do there, which Help opens on; Shortcuts, its keys; and Tips, the finer points. The shortcuts come from the same table the menus use, so they always match the keys the app takes.

Organise’s bar has a ? of its own, What everything here does (⌘?), which opens Help on Organise’s About: each job, the page and every button in the bar.

Changing shortcuts

Most shortcuts are fixed. These you can change; click a shortcut’s key cap and press the new keys, press Esc to keep the old one, point at it and click × to clear it, or right-click the row to go back to the standard keys.

Shortcut	Where to change it
Command bar, from any app	Settings ▸ General ▸ Command bar ▸ Open from any app, and Also open with ⌥Space
Screenshot chords	Settings ▸ Screenshots, one per capture mode; drag a mode into Not in use to free its keys
Dictation key	Settings ▸ Audio ▸ Dictation ▸ Dictation key: Fn, Right Option, Right Command or Right Control
What `⌘N` makes	Settings ▸ General ▸ New (⌘N): Start a recording or New text note
What `Esc` does in markup	Settings ▸ Screenshots ▸ Markup ▸ When Esc closes markup: Save, Copy or Nothing

If another app already holds a chord, Settings says it couldn’t be set. ⌥N can’t be changed.