Otterdock Global Keyboard Shortcuts: Open Dock Groups from Any App
Use Otterdock global hotkeys (Ctrl+1–6) to open Dock groups from any app. No mouse needed, no Accessibility permission required. Full keyboard navigation inside popups.
Key takeaway: Otterdock lets you open any Dock group from any app with a single keyboard shortcut — no mouse needed, no Accessibility permission required.
What are global hotkeys in Otterdock?
Global keyboard shortcuts let you open an Otterdock Dock group from anywhere on your Mac — whether you are in a full-screen browser, a terminal, or a presentation. Press the assigned shortcut and the group popup appears instantly near your cursor, ready for you to launch an app, open a file, or navigate to a folder.
Default shortcuts: Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+6
Out of the box, Otterdock assigns Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+6 to your first six groups. These defaults are intentionally lightweight — the Control key rarely conflicts with app-level shortcuts, and single-digit numbers are easy to memorize by group position. If you have fewer than six groups, only the active ones are bound.
How to customize shortcuts per group
Open Otterdock Settings → select a group → click the hotkey field. Press any modifier combination (Ctrl, Option, Shift, Command) plus a key to set a custom shortcut. The change takes effect immediately — no restart required. To remove a shortcut, click the clear button next to the field.
Technical: system-level Carbon hotkeys
Under the hood, Otterdock registers shortcuts using macOS Carbon hotkey APIs. This means they work system-wide without requiring Accessibility permission — unlike tools that use CGEvent taps for keyboard interception. Your shortcuts activate even when Otterdock is not the frontmost app, and they do not interfere with the standard macOS keyboard shortcut system.
Popup appears near your cursor
When you trigger a hotkey, the group popup opens near your current cursor position instead of anchoring to the Dock. This is especially useful in multi-monitor setups where the Dock may be on a different screen. The popup appears where your attention already is, reducing the distance your eyes and hand need to travel.
Full keyboard navigation inside popups
Once the popup is open, you never need to touch the mouse. Use ↑ / ↓ arrow keys to move between items, Enter to launch the selected item, and Esc to dismiss the popup. Combined with the global hotkey, this creates a fully keyboard-driven workflow: shortcut → arrow → Enter — three keystrokes from any app to any item in your group.
Step-by-step: set up your first global shortcut
- Open Otterdock from the menu bar or Dock.
- Go to Settings and select the group you want to configure.
- Click the hotkey field and press your desired key combination (e.g. Ctrl+1).
- Close Settings — the shortcut is active immediately.
- From any app, press the shortcut to open the group popup near your cursor.
- Use arrow keys to navigate and Enter to launch an item.
Product context
Global keyboard shortcuts are available in both the free and Pro tiers. Free users get two groups with hotkeys; Pro unlocks unlimited groups with individual hotkey bindings. Otterdock runs on macOS 14 Sonoma+, stores data locally, and updates via Sparkle (direct) or the Mac App Store.