Keyboards

Inputs
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Best practices

Support Full Keyboard Access when possible.

Respect standard keyboard shortcuts.

Standard keyboard shortcuts

In general, don’t repurpose standard keyboard shortcuts for custom actions.

Custom keyboard shortcuts

Define custom keyboard shortcuts for only the most frequently used app-specific commands.

Use modifier keys in ways that people expect.

List modifier keys in the correct order.

Avoid adding Shift to a shortcut that uses the upper character of a two-character key.

Let the system localize and mirror your keyboard shortcuts as needed.

Avoid creating a new shortcut by adding a modifier to an existing shortcut for an unrelated command.

Platform considerations

visionOS

Write descriptive shortcut titles.

Recognize that people see an overlay when they use a physical keyboard with your visionOS app or game.


For the complete guidance, including worked examples and illustrations, see the canonical page: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/keyboards

Apple HIG text and imagery are © Apple Inc. This page is a structured index of Apple’s canonical documentation (snapshot 2025-02-02), provided for quick reference and AI-agent consumption — it isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Apple. Read the original at developer.apple.com (opens in new tab).

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