yKey

v2.9.2 is NOT actually M1 Mac ready. It needs a coding update. What you'll find is that it oddly still has the old iKey (it's previous app name) interface with out-of-date options that cause problems: (1) Attempting to access "Preference Panes" will BOMB the entire app. (2) There is NO "iKey Manual (online)". There used to be, but it was deleted. The manual is actually built in ONLY. You can access it from the also built-in "iKey Editor". (3) When you attempt to access the "iKey Editor", the app will show an error: "Can't find plugin for class "iClockShortcut". Commands of this type will not run." The "iKey Editor" will then boot successfully. - - If you can deal with the clunks and avoid bombing, it still works. But NO, it is NOT 'Apple Silicon' ready. It's still 100% Intel 64-bit and therefore runs in emulation on M1.

yKey can make easy work of tasks that other macro programs can't do at all. A recent one was entering a simple keyboard command (Ctrl-Shift-v) to halt a video recording after waiting an exact length of time.

Have been using ykey since it was ikey. Use it primarily for typing text and find it more robust than mac's text replacement. handydandy.

I forgot the rating to go with my previous review

I’ve been using ykey for several years and I love how efficient it is. I recently had trouble with a shortcut and contacted Julian at Plumamazing. He responded to my email quickly and helped me to identify and fix the issue. It took several emails and Julian was patient and knowledgeable and not demeaning to a not very computer literate old guy. Kudos!

yKey is one of those utilities where the more you put in, the more you get out of it. Spend a little time working out what you want to automate and how you want to do it, then unleash the power. The interface is a little eccentric in places, and not everything works as advertised, but yKey is like a best friend who has a couple of mildly exasperating personal habits. It's worth putting up with those habits for the pleasure of its company.

For Mojave all users should have a look at the manual. Apple has changed the security and requires that you readd yKey to the Security&Privacy area in the System Preferences. It's easy just follow the instructions in the manual. Thanks. The installation section of the manual is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vkViQWAlNA-kbE4_cski2n1bw_Nvl8VUmAENtm_1Q4E/edit#heading=h.ca74359a9103

Another issue - the DELETE button in the application menu behaves in an odd way. I try to delete SHORTCUT or MENU (in the main window, not actual step in the editor).. Pressing the DELETE button somehow deletes the steps in the MENU/SHORTCUT item even though the actual editor to edit the MENU/SHORTCUT is not open. Several presses later, the MENU/SHORTCUT item is deleted. However, I noticed if I have MENU and SHORTCUT both having same name it deletes steps in both of them. Something wrong with the database. The only way to be sure is to export the MENU/SHORTCUT and backup them before doing changes. Lowering the rating to 3 starts because of this and the GUI as mentioned below.

It works well but why on earth does the software distinguish between "SHORTCUT" and "MENU" or "PALETTE". It makes things confusing to have 3 user boxes. I know It's question of training but I don't read manuals, knowing the app works well from the past, I went on and spent 1 hour creating a workflow saved and all good and dandy, only to find out I created a "MENU" instead of "SHORTCUT" so there is no way to execute it. It's just menu popping up. To get workflow I need to create "SHORTCUT". I went on to move the item from MENU to SHORTCUT, but forget it, no way to move. Tried to expert and import, nope. Tried to edit the file, forget it. So now I had to basically redo everything from scratch. This is an oversight but again, dividing the 3 types of items makes little sense, sufficient one box for Menu/Shotcut/Palette and set the type in the editor. Can't rate 5 stars, sorry.

This has been replaced with ykey from the same company, currently at v2.53 http://plumamazing.com/mac/ikey

I have long loved this remarkably durable piece of software. Yosemite seems finally to have affected it. System-wide shortcuts still seem to work, but application-specific ones do not.

iKey for Mac OS X Changelog Version 2.5.3 Release Date: 6/17/14 [New] Developer Signed Application, library and frameworks. [Updated] Clean up code base (upgraded may legacy calls & less log messages) and removed unused/old code. [Updated] Now prompt on startup to give iKey access to Security -> Privacy ->Accessibility to allow it to control your computer. - More updates and new features coming. - Thanks to all users for the feedback.

While iKey works fine in Mavericks the "Launch iKey at startup" function does not. I have to manually add it to my Login Items. I have written the developer but have not received a response.

I've noticed (on Intel) that if you come from an earlier version (say 2.4.9), you have to ditch the iKey folder and com.plumamazing.ikey.plist in the account's prefs then reinstall current version to have it working. Of course, backup your shortcuts before. ;-)

I have used and loved this app for years but now it doesn't seem to work with Mavericks so that's why the one star rating. Since it no longer works I cannot rate "Features", etc.

A bit hard to use, but quite powerful. Unfortunately, support seems to be non-existent.

I posted a troubleshoot report yesterday and for some reason it was deleted. However, I am glad to report that the problem (two launches of the same application - and having to quit the launched application twice) has been solved by simply trashing the preferences of the previous version and rebuilding the settings of the new one. Since 1Key is extremely easy to set up and modify, this was not a big deal.

A simple upgrade and I hit the "Terminate previous version" dialog. How? It has no front end or preference panel anywhere I can find. And why would you create such a stupid situation?

I tried this 2.5.1 version on iMac G5 10.5.8, I've got a number of error messages on launch for every type of shortcut... (says 'some component missing') I've tried on a brend new account, just in case: same thing...

Great new application icon. Please apply to menubar icon.