KeyNav

A free, open-source keyboard navigation app for macOS. Navigate and click any UI element using only your keyboard.

Features

• Hint Mode - Press ⌘⇧Space to show clickable hints on all UI elements. Type to search/filter, then type the hint code to click.
• Scroll Mode - Press ⌘⇧J to scroll using Vim-style keys (H/J/K/L).
• Search Mode - Press ⌘⇧/ to search across all visible UI elements in all windows.
• Custom Shortcuts - Bind global hotkeys to specific UI elements for one-key actions.

Installation

Homebrew

brew install --cask keynav

Manual Download

Download the latest .dmg from GitHub Releases.

Requirements

• macOS 13.0 or later
• Accessibility permission (granted on first launch)

Usage

1. Launch KeyNav - it appears as a keyboard icon in your menu bar
2. Grant Accessibility permission when prompted
3. Press ⌘⇧Space to activate hint mode
4. Type to filter elements, then type the hint code to click

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
⌘⇧Space	Activate hint mode
⌘⇧J	Activate scroll mode
⌘⇧/	Activate search mode
Escape	Cancel/exit current mode

Scroll Mode Keys

Key	Action
H	Scroll left
J	Scroll down
K	Scroll up
L	Scroll right
D	Page down
U	Page up
G	Scroll to bottom
gg	Scroll to top

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/keynav.git
cd keynav
./scripts/build-app.sh

This creates KeyNav.app in the project directory. To grant accessibility permissions:

1. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility
2. Click + and add KeyNav.app
3. Run with open KeyNav.app

Development Build

For quick iteration without the app bundle:

swift build
swift run

Note: Running via swift run requires adding Terminal.app to Accessibility permissions instead.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

• Inspired by Homerow and Vimac
• Uses HotKey for global hotkey registration