⌃⌥1
FavSlots on British, German, French and other keyboards
On a U.S. keyboard, Option + a number types rarely used symbols. On many others it types characters you need every day, like # on a British keyboard or [ ] and { } on German ones. FavSlots checks before it takes anything.
On the Mac App Store · macOS 14 or later · No permissions needed
Check your layout
Open FavSlots for the first time.
The gesture step shows the shortcut FavSlots chose, and why, in one quiet line.
Decide.
Keep Control-Option, or choose Use Option Instead. The same line then tells you what Option will take.
Change it later.
Settings › Shortcut lists the characters your layouts would lose with each modifier.
What FavSlots does
- On first launch it checks every keyboard layout you have enabled.
- If Option + a number would cost you a character, it starts with Control-Option and tells you which character.
- Number keys work by position, so ⌥1 is the key labelled 1 (or &/1 on French keyboards).
- You can always choose Option anyway, with one click.
Keyboard shortcuts
- ⌃⌥1–9
- Types nothing on any layout
- ⌥3
- # on a British keyboard
- ⌥5
- [ on a German keyboard
Free or unlocked?
Choosing and arranging your favorites, and every setting, is free. No purchase needed.
Questions and answers
Does it work on AZERTY and other layouts?
Yes. Shortcuts use the physical number row, so on a French keyboard ⌥ plus the key labelled &/1 is slot 1.
Which layouts lose characters with Option?
Among others: British (#), German and Swiss ([ ] | { }), Swedish and Norwegian (@ $ | [ ]), Spanish (| @ #) and Czech (@ # $). Dead keys count too.
Will the shortcut change if I add a layout later?
No. The default is decided once, on first launch, and never changes on its own. Settings shows a note if a new layout is affected.
More guides
How to open apps with a keyboard shortcut on Mac
Give your favorite apps a keyboard shortcut each, and open them from anywhere. Read the guide ⌥123Switch apps on your Mac with Option + number
Switch between your apps with ⌥1 to ⌥9, and what happens in every case. Read the guide ⌥See your favorite apps: hold ⌥
Hold ⌥ for a moment to see your favorites, numbered, right above the Dock. Read the guide ⌘←→Choose and arrange your nine favorite apps
Choose your nine apps, drag them into place and drop new ones in from Finder. Read the guide ⌥⌃Change the shortcut: Option, Control-Option or Control
Option, Control-Option or Control: which to use, and how to change it. Read the guide
Nine apps. Nine keys. Zero friction.
Your favorites. One key away.