Cap Desktop supports configurable global shortcuts. They can trigger Cap while another application is focused.
Cap's shortcut store starts empty. There are no default Cmd/Ctrl + Shift recording bindings to memorize or depend on.
Configure a shortcut
- Open Cap Desktop.
- Open Settings > Shortcuts.
- Select the action you want to configure.
- Press the key combination you want to register.
- Test it before starting an important recording.
The settings page currently exposes shortcuts for:
- Open the recording picker
- Open the picker for a display, window, or area
- Stop recording
- Restart recording
- Pause or resume recording
- Cycle the recording mode
- Capture a display screenshot
- Capture a window screenshot
- Capture an area screenshot
On macOS, Cmd + , opens Cap's settings while Cap is focused. It is an application shortcut rather than one of the configurable global recording shortcuts.
How a configured shortcut behaves
Picker shortcuts open the relevant selection workflow. Recording-control shortcuts act on the current recording. Screenshot shortcuts start the matching screenshot selection or capture flow.
The exact available action depends on Cap's state. For example, a stop or pause shortcut requires an active recording.
Resolve conflicts
If registration fails or the shortcut does not trigger:
- Choose a different combination in Settings > Shortcuts.
- Check for the same combination in screenshot tools, launchers, meeting software, and other recorders.
- Restart Cap after changing operating-system permissions.
- Test the action with Cap open before relying on it from another application.
Screen, camera, and microphone permissions are separate from shortcut registration. See Installation and Camera & Microphone for those permissions.