Send system shortcuts to the host#
Windows Shortcuts (Jump Desktop for Windows) and macOS Shortcuts (Jump Desktop for Mac) are session toggles for sending system shortcuts to the host. While a toggle is on, Jump Desktop sends the keyboard input it receives to the host, including system shortcuts such as Alt+Tab, the Windows key, Cmd+Tab, and Spotlight. While it is off, your own computer handles those shortcuts.
For example:
- Work full screen on an office PC and switch its apps with Alt+Tab, or open its Start menu with the Windows key.
- Use Cmd+Tab, Spotlight, and Mission Control on a Mac host from your MacBook.
By default, Jump Desktop for Windows turns Windows Shortcuts on in full screen, and Jump Desktop for Mac turns macOS Shortcuts on when you connect to a Mac. To change this behavior, see Set the default.
Applies to#
- Jump Desktop on Windows and macOS.
- Windows and Mac hosts.
- Jump Desktop on iPhone, iPad, and Android has no equivalent toggle. For hardware keyboards on those devices, see Use the keyboard.
Turn it on or off during a session#
Choose Remote > Windows Shortcuts, or press Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow, which also works in full screen.
A message shows Windows Shortcuts Enabled or Windows Shortcuts Disabled, and the menu item is checked while the toggle is on.
Choose Remote > macOS Shortcuts, or press Ctrl+Cmd+Left Arrow.
A message shows macOS Shortcuts Enabled or macOS Shortcuts Disabled, and the menu item is checked while the toggle is on. The toggle works in a window and in full screen.
The toggle's keyboard shortcut remains active while the toggle is on, unless you have turned it off in your profile. The Remote menu item always works.
What goes to the host#
While the toggle is on and the session window has focus, all keyboard input goes to the host, including system shortcuts, with these exceptions:
- Jump Desktop shortcuts still run in Jump Desktop, for example Ctrl+Alt+F11 (full screen) in Jump Desktop for Windows or Ctrl+Shift+Cmd+W (disconnect) in Jump Desktop for Mac. To send one of these shortcuts to the host, turn it off in your profile; Ctrl+Alt+W (disconnect) in Jump Desktop for Windows cannot be turned off. See Jump Desktop shortcuts.
- Ctrl+Alt+Delete (Windows) is always handled by your own PC. To send it, press Ctrl+Alt+End (a default key conversion when connected to Windows) or choose Remote > Send via Keyboard > Ctrl-Alt-Del.
- Click in the session first (macOS). If you return to the session window without clicking in it, for example with Cmd+Tab, click in the remote screen before you use system shortcuts.
When another window is active, your own computer handles system shortcuts again.
All other keyboard input still passes through your profile's key conversions.
When it's off#
These shortcuts remain on your PC:
- The Windows key, and shortcuts that use it, such as Win+D or Win+R.
- Alt+Tab and Alt+Shift+Tab.
- Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
Most other key combinations, such as Ctrl+Esc and app shortcuts, still go to the host.
System shortcuts such as Cmd+Tab and Spotlight remain on your Mac.
When you are connected to a Mac, the default Mac profile maps alternative keys to the most common system shortcuts:
| Press | Mac host receives |
|---|---|
| Option+Tab | Cmd+Tab (switch apps) |
| Ctrl+Option+Left Arrow or Right Arrow | Ctrl+Left Arrow or Right Arrow (switch Spaces) |
| Ctrl+Cmd+Space | Cmd+Space (Spotlight) |
This toggle does not affect app shortcuts such as Cmd+Q, Cmd+W, and Cmd+H. The Jump Desktop shortcuts in your profile determine whether those shortcuts reach the host.
Get your shortcuts back#
In Jump Desktop for Windows, do any of these:
- Press Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow, or choose Remote > Windows Shortcuts.
- Click another window.
- With the default In Fullscreen setting, leave full screen (Ctrl+Alt+F11).
In Jump Desktop for Mac, do any of these:
- Press Ctrl+Cmd+Left Arrow, or choose Remote > macOS Shortcuts.
- Click a window in another app, or another Jump Desktop window.
Set the default#
The toggle's initial state comes from the profile the computer uses. To change it, open profile settings (File > Settings > Keyboard & Mouse on Windows, or press Cmd+, and click Keyboard & Mouse on a Mac), choose the profile in When connecting to, then click the Keyboard Shortcuts tab.
Set Send Windows Shortcuts:
| Value | Effect |
|---|---|
| Don't Send | Off when you connect. You can still turn it on from the Remote menu. |
| On Connect | On as soon as the remote screen appears, in a window or full screen. |
| In Fullscreen (default) | On when you enter full screen and off when you exit it. Entering or exiting full screen overrides a manual change. |
In Fullscreen is the default in both built-in profiles, Windows and macOS, and in new profiles.
Select Send macOS Shortcuts to turn macOS Shortcuts on when you connect.
| Profile | Default |
|---|---|
| Mac (used for Mac computers) | On |
| Windows (used for all other computers) | Off |
| New empty profile | Off |
To use a different default for one computer, assign it its own profile. See Choose the profile a computer uses.
To verify the setting, connect and open the Remote menu: Windows Shortcuts or macOS Shortcuts is checked when the toggle is on. On Windows with In Fullscreen, verify while in full screen.
Lock screen and log out shortcuts on a Mac#
Ctrl+Cmd+Q (Lock Screen) and Shift+Cmd+Q (Log Out) are Apple menu shortcuts, not part of macOS Shortcuts. Jump Desktop for Mac turns off the Apple menu during remote sessions so that these shortcuts go to the host. This behavior is controlled by Turn off Apple Menu shortcuts in Jump Desktop settings, under General, which is on by default.
Limitations#
- Windows: Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow toggles Windows Shortcuts, so the Ctrl+Alt+Left Arrow key conversions in both built-in profiles work only after you turn off Toggle Windows Shortcuts. See Keyboard and mouse profiles: Limitations.
- macOS: Jump Desktop does not require the Accessibility or Input Monitoring permission for macOS Shortcuts.