Getting started

When KeySteer starts, it quietly waits in the Windows tray or the macOS top status area and does not interfere with normal typing. For your first use, you do not need to memorise every command or create a configuration file.

One simple session

Primary+E to start → h j k l to move → ; to click → Esc to finish

Primary is cross-platform: the shipped setting is left Alt on Windows and Command on macOS.

First use

1. Start KeySteer.

2. Press the entry key:

   Windows	macOS
   Left Alt + E	Command + E

3. Hold these keys to move the pointer:

          K  up
   H  left  J  down  L  right

4. Press ; to left-click.

5. Press Esc to return to Idle and restore normal keyboard input.

Once you have moved the pointer and clicked once, you know KeySteer's most common workflow.

No response on your first macOS use?

Grant Accessibility permission first; see macOS installation and permissions.

View available keys at any time

Add "?" = "key_help" under [normal.bindings], then press ? (Shift+/ on a US keyboard) to show the available keys and actions in a rounded panel centered at the bottom of the current screen. Press it again to close the panel. Omit or comment out this binding to disable it.

Available key hintsPreview the panel, then bind key_help to a key of your choice.

Your first window adjustment

Your first Window sessionMove, resize, centre and control audio with the keyboard.

1. Place the pointer over an ordinary window.
2. Press Alt+W (Option+W on macOS), then release the entry keys.
3. Use H/J/K/L to move it. Press S to switch to centred resizing, then use the same keys.
4. Press Z to undo an adjustment, or Q to finish and keep it.

Want a split screen? Press A from Window, then H for the left half. Want to arrange several windows? Press E; arrangement takes effect immediately and Z undoes it. T groups windows into tabs and R opens saved presets.

Quick, Editor, Tabs, and Restore use Q to return to Window; another Q returns to Idle. Hold Primary to temporarily use Normal pointer controls.

Follow the Window guide for side-by-side layouts, tab groups, saved workspaces, audio controls, and a mode-specific key reference.

Choose your next window task

Key in Window	What happens	Learn more
A	Choose placement and ratios with direction keys.	Quick: fast split layouts
E	Tile immediately; swap numbered windows and adjust regions.	Editor: tile and edit regions
T	Group compatible windows by application.	Tabs: group windows
R	Save an arrangement, then fill it with the windows you need today.	Restore: saved layouts and tab templates

Save from Editor or Tabs with Ctrl+S → optional note → Enter. An empty note uses an automatic name.

The operating model at a glance

Most of the time you only switch between Idle and Normal. The three targeting modes are optional; there is no need to learn them all at once.

Window is the starting point for window management. Quick, Editor, and Tabs are optional ways to arrange your windows.

When the pointer needs to travel farther

What you want to do	Key	Mode
Reach an approximate area quickly	g	Grid
Target a very small control precisely	f	Recursive Grid
Select a button, link, or input directly	Primary+F	UI Hint

Press Esc in a targeting mode to return to Normal; press it again to return to Idle.

Everyday controls

Default key layoutLearn the colour groups first, then add commands when you need them.

qwertyuiop

Capsasdfghjkl;'

Shiftzxcvbnm,.SlashRShift

CtrlPrimaryAltSpace

• Move
• Click
• Speed
• Scroll
• Hold / drag
• Application navigation
• Mode switch

Key	Action	A way to remember it
m / ,	Scroll down / up	Scroll from the main key area
Caps Lock / Left Shift	Precision / slow movement	Hold while pressing h j k l
v or b	Fast movement	Hold while moving
' / Right Shift	Right / middle click	Next to ;, the left click

Show every default key (read this once you are comfortable)

Key	Action
h j k l	Move left, down, up, and right
Caps Lock / Left Shift	Precision / slow mode for movement and scrolling
v or b	Fast mode for movement and scrolling
m / ,	Scroll down / up
; / ' / Right Shift	Left / right / middle click
n	Toggle a held left button for dragging
t / y / i / u	Send Home / End / Page Up / Page Down
g / f / Primary+F	Grid / Recursive Grid / UI Hint
Primary+S / Primary+D	Switch the pointer display / move the window under the pointer to the next display, keeping the pointer's relative position within it
q or Esc	Return to Idle

Want different keys?

Open the Configuration & Simulator to view the keyboard, edit bindings and colours, then download your own TOML. KeySteer does not require a configuration file; start from the shipped default.

Primary is a cross-platform name: it defaults to left Alt on Windows and Command on macOS. Advanced users can map it to another physical key with [key_aliases].

Status menu, diagnostics, and configuration locations

Right-click the Windows tray icon or click the macOS top status icon to pause, reload configuration, send the active configuration to the web simulator, enable launch at login, check for updates, or quit. Signed Windows releases can install and restart after downloading. KeySteer first verifies that both versions use the same publisher certificate and restores the previous version if startup fails. Unsigned development builds and macOS downloads continue to use manual replacement.

Use these commands to inspect a configuration or diagnose the environment:

keysteer --check -c keysteer.user.toml
keysteer --doctor
keysteer --dump-config

• On Windows portable builds, configuration and logs are normally next to the program.
• In a packaged macOS app, they are in ~/Library/Application Support/KeySteer/.

You can download the complete default configuration. See Configuration and Modes and actions for more.

Edit bindings in your browser

Open Configuration & Simulator... from the tray menu. It opens your browser and requires network access. The simulator is an editor and preview; native app behavior is authoritative.

Edit W and A bindingsChoose a key on the full keyboard, then choose its action.