yKey2.7.0

Very helpful program.

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

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.

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. ;-)

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.

Great new application icon. Please apply to menubar icon.

iKey 2.5.0 has been solid on OS X 10.6. After moving from 10.5.8, it started crashing, but on the advice of tech support, I exported my shortcuts; deleted the Preferences Folder; re-installed; and re-imported the shortcuts. I've had no trouble since.

great app with tons of options. Stable too. After leaving Quickkeys a few years ago, I'm really happy with this.

great software

I work with Finale a lot, a very powerful but complex program for typesetting and generating sheet music. If you are a keyboard player -- which I am not -- you can play notes into the score with a midi keyboard. But the rest of us have to enter notes manually either from palettes or the computer keyboard. Now if you are entering chords with actual notes -- as opposed to just chord symbols -- this is a very tedious process that requires multiple keystrokes. But with iKey it is a breeze. You just make your macro, press the trigger, and watch the notes appear as if by magic! iKey has greatly increased my Finale productivity. It is easy to use, and at this point, I wonder how I ever got along without it.

Got so discouraged with iKey I switched to Keyboard Maestro and have never looked back. Give Keyboard Maestro a try.

With iKey 2.4 I finally made the switch from iKey 1.x. 2.4 works much better with Snow Leopard. Macros run very quickly and reliably---except for macros that simulate the pressing of keys to run commands. In most cases there is a menu equivalent and the menu/submenu commands work very well. I dislike the interface and feel it unnecessarily complicates the interface found in 1.x. However, I've gotten used to it and the native 2.4 works much better than 1.x via Rosetta.

I couldn't get the auto-update feature to go from v2.3.4 to v2.4 to work ... it download the update, then offered a message with "terminate" or "cancel" and it did just that "terminated" the upgrade process. I tried it a few times with same results so I had to do it manually ...

Since installing 2.3.2 I can't save items in shortcuts (for example Switch to Firefox Application) - nothing happens when I click on the OK button, and I can't escape from the panel, and have to Force Quit the app - switched back to 2.3.1 for the moment.

Very helpful program.

True, but this library does not tell you where the conflict is outside iKey. If iKey could tell you that - that would be really helpful. Making it a habit to search through programs to delete keyboard shortcuts in order to control them all through iKey is a good idea. You have to admit though, either you need a massive bloc of time, or you have to do it in small doses.

A lot of complaints about v2.x and Leo, I'm running v1.0.7 both with 10.4.11 and 10.5.5 on a G4 PPC and it seems work fine. I generally use iKey to apply keys to open specific folders, string key commands together, open apps and assign keys to menu commands. It loads at login and behaves well and I've never needed to upgrade in fact after reading the early reviews of v2 and the problems I decided to save my money...

Welcome back iKey, initial testing with a few commands seems to work, look forward to having iKey back on my Mac ... let's hope it lasts!

Well, this is certainly not, in my experience compatible with Leopard. I've installed it made a couple of simple macros to type text and they don't work. I've read about the work-around on their website and they don't work. It's been almost two years since it was updated, it's been about a year since an update was promised so I guess we can classify this application as "abandonware"?

I'm with the others here - do not pay for this software until it's updated, which is seeming less and likely every month. It's really buggy in Leopard and it always has been.

It worked with few issues under Tiger, but has serious bugs under Leopard. Hasn't been updated in a year and half, though updates have been promised several times. Don't pay for this unless and until an update appears that certifies the app as fully Leopard compatible and reviewers (here and elsewhere) verify that the bugs have indeed been fixed. P.S. The same applies to any of this developer's software; most hasn't seen an update in months if not years.

I'd been a satisfied iKey registered user for a couple years. Then I updated to Mac OS 10.5, whereupon many of my keyboard shortcuts stopped working correctly, usually appending extra apparently random characters at the end of pasted strings and executed commands. Several people have reported this in Script software's support forums. The developer said that this bug would be fixed "soon", but that was nearly three months ago.

iKey 2.2.2 does work with Leopard, but you will need to reinstall it.

It appears that v2.2.2 is not compatible with Leopard. I hope the developer will release a compatible version shortly.

I have been using iKey for years, from well before the daunting new UI. I have found it consistently to be bug-free and stable. Once you get your mind around the UI, the actual process for setting up shortcuts is not complicated. To the contrary, I have found it quite intuitive. I use Quicksilver as much as iKey, and it is somewhat misleading to compare them. Quicksilver is primarily an app launcher and only minimally customizable. It indexes everything on your computer and gives you access to it, like Spotlight, but better (IMO). iKey is a shortcut program. It doesn't index your computer. You can set up shortcuts to launch applications, but you can create shortcuts for so much more. Actions that normally take several steps can all be set up to run automatically with one key-stroke shortcut. You can program delays between the different steps to give them time to execute. iKey's reach is amazing in this regard. Moreover, the latest release(s) now allow you to use more than one alphabetic key, which extends the number of shortcuts exponentially. I hate to sound like a promo, but what you can do in iKey is almost unlimited. Butler is more like Quicksilver, an access/launcher program for indexed items. I have tried it several times and have found it less simple and elegant and intiutive than Quicksilver, but unless I am selling Quicksilver short, Butler gives you much more reach and customization. On the other hand, Quicksilver works with a key-stroke combination whereas Butler must be visible and open somewhere on your desktop, and I am a nut for the former. Let me point out as well that Quicksilver tends to run slowly, at least in my experience. For a simple, clean app launcher, which is as near as instantaneous as one could get, try Namely. And for AddressBook info, try TapDex. This triples the number of apps and keyboard shortcuts you would use to access data, but it cuts down run time significantly.

In response to claims further down that there are "no other universal launchers" ... both Butler and QuickSilver are (1) still under active development, (2) both work better than iKey, (3) are Universal Binary, (4) are very stable, and (5) they're both FREE! Although not targeted as simple key app-launchers (like iKey) they both serve that function as well as a host of others. I've tried both and they each seem exceptionally stable, though Butler fits my needs a bit better. Previously I was a registered user of iKey version 1.x, but dropped it on the disastrous version 2 release. I then used Keyboard Maestro, which was brilliant and as solid as a rock, but development seems stalled and there's no sign of a Universal binary version.

Installed it and started having big problems with my UI. Menus overlapped and windows not coming into focus. I remembered another comment about this, so i knew where to look. Since I quit it, all has returned to normal. Maybe when these issues are fixed - For now, zapped!

The application is far to complicated, its a mess. Why can't it be simple? In OS7 you had a macro recorder. Press the record button and it would record anything you did until you stopped recording. Give it a name and a lunch button. Job done. This implementation is a complete mess. Developers need to step back from what there are doing and be honest with themselves.

I've tried almost all the shortcut utilities out there at one time or another. I use them mainly as app launchers, but I do have the odd finder command in there too, like "Empty Trash", "Hide Frontmost" "Hide Others" etc. I also control iTunes via shortcuts. For my purposes, XeyXing was far and away the best, but I decided to give iKey a try, as KeyXing is no longer developed, and iKey is the only Universal Binary shortcut utility thus far. It's over-featured for my needs (although mysteriously there's no way to do something as simple as Empty Trash without a stupidly complex macro!), and the interface is a little clumsy. Still, I managed within 10 minutes to set up about 20 or so of my favourite shortcuts to launch apps. And they worked. Sort of... The main problem with iKey is that it's BUGGY AS HELL. It created a horrific window z-order problem on my iMac. Apps and windows were flashing to and fro from the back to the foreground. The system became impossible to use. I'd click on a window and it'd disappear behind another, or it'd start flashing. Basically iKey had screwed the whole GUI. I killed iKey and everything went back to normal. Useless, for now, until the bugs are ironed out. So I'm stuck. Still waiting for a Universal Binary shortcut utility that works. Perhaps Spark will be the next one ready. I wish someone would resurrect KeyXing and Universalize it...

2.2b3 may have problems - it appears to add chararacters to typed text - use with care. Don't DELETE your previous version. A report to the developer has been sent.

2.1b2 still falls prey to the double-keystoke problem. I like the interface to an extent. But it is more complicated than 1.0.7 and, IMHO, unnecessarily so. Turn off some of the additional window zooming features or at least give an option next to the "turn off main window animation" option. Until Script Software gets the anomalies ironed out, I will continue to use 1.0.7. I imagine it is tough with all the underlying changes of Tiger, and yet here we are. Still haven't heard back from the developer I emailed. Rating low on value at this time given the persistent issues with Tiger. FWIW, 1.0.7 is not perfect under Tiger, but it doesn't put anomalous text in the app that is not frontmost like 2.1 does, and it also doesn't require as many keystrokes to get the macro to take (usually just one keystroke where 2.1 is at least 2 keystrokes). See my other comments for additional details. Here's waiting for 2.1b3.

Well, I tried 2.1.0b1. Actually, I am *trying* it out. After I worked out the import kinks, the editor is definitely better, but the zooming of additional windows is unnecessary bloat. I can turn off the animating of the Editor window, but not other windows. Next, speed. Relatively the same as 1.0.7. Problem: in BBEdit 8.2 I have to hit my F-keys at least two times before the macro will activate. I use F1 and F2 all the time. Numeric keypad keystrokes work fine, for the most part, the first time, but I've noticed the occasional ghost typing of a keystroke when I've already changed apps. I was able to work around these in 1.0.7, but not with 2.1. There's an option in the preference pane - the 4th "tab" - "Keyboard". Check the box for "Wait keys released before running shortcuts". Quit and restart iKey 1.0.7. There's an option in the preference pane - the 4th "tab" - "Keyboard". Check the box for "Wait keys released before running shortcuts". Quit and restart iKey 1.0.7. This, unfortunately, isn't anywher I can find it with 2.1. It is what solved (for 98% of my macros) the double-stroke and ghost typing problems. So while 2.1 is better than 2.0, I cannot say it is better than 1.0.7 yet. Might be, but the jury is still out for me.

After falling completely in love with iKey 1's intuitive user interface I too originally found iKey 2 to be daunting, and let it sit on my desktop unused for months. However, once I did try it - well, there's just no turning back. It looks worse than it really it is; namely, once you give it a good looking over, you can find the items you're looking for and setting up your shortcuts is as easy as before; it's just slightly different, but no harder. When it comes to stringing together various complicated processes, the interface, in my opinion, has actually improved and offers some advantages. Plus, iKey now offers menus! You can put anything you want in the menubar - folders, docs, apps - whatever! The only thing I have to figure out is how to put shortcuts commands in the menu items. But I may be perennially tired and missing something simple. The palettes, on the other hand, are not really ready yet. I have found them to be buggy; and if you have DragThing, they just don't compare. One ability I am still waiting for: two-letter-key shortcuts (modifier + letter + letter). To sum up: I highly recommend getting over the new look, and working with iKey 2. It is VERY powerful and has extended the range of integrated desktop customization.

Has become hopelessly complicated and confusing. I was a previous Youpi Key user who was about to upgrade to iKey. I hadn't used Youpi Key for a while, but now needed such an app. Tried this version and I didn't see the app which hooked me. Had the chance to play with version 1.0.7 of iKey and I have to say, it is much better. I want an app in which I can add commands quickly, and iKey 2 ain't it. As it stands now, I'm looking at Keyboard Maestro to see if it gets the job done better. And the Maestro isn't looking bad - except for maybe its looks.

After having tried practically all of the beta incarnations of iKey 2.0 all the way to the present "final" version, it still fails to live up to the functionality of the older version (1.0.7). The latest version is still miserably slow (using a 2x2 G5), ALL of the shortcuts and menu sequences appear everywhere all at once. The process of creating/editing sequences is much less intuitive than before, and I can't even put it to use long enough to tell whether all the bugs in the previous betas were fixed. I would stay with version 1.0.7 were it not for the fact that a longstanding bug has disabled a number of keyboard combinations (e.g., cmd-shift-N, for one) which hampers a number of commands, especially in Finder, Acrobat, and Adobe Illustrator, to name a few. With regret, after using iKey for over a year, I have no choice but the switch back to my previous keyboard utility.

Extremely awful interface. I may give a good look at the manual and see if I can work on it, as I like a challenge and LOVE iKey 1.x, but there is absolutely no way that this interface will work in the long run for your customers, and one look at your interface makes me contemplate sticking in 1.x. I'm serious: this is a major problem that's going to run the possibility of ceasing your sales. Listen, you can do amazing things with C++ and MySQL and various other powerful tools out there. Want to know why they're not in common usage? They're horribly awful to learn! If you don't do an incredibly major overhaul on this awful interface, you run the risk of this being a very expensive failure for your company.

This application used to be fantastic. I tried version 2 and it's very buggy (the sequences of events are constantly interruped by error messages). The new interface is very confusing and doesn't allow you to customize the order of applications in the Editor window.

Well, what I've gotten through the download link is 1.0.7, not 2.0b6... ??? :-(

THIS PROGRAM COST APPLE $200 - and me my credibility. I got hooked on Youpi Key and started using it regularly on my iMac through version 10.2.x and then my new PowerBook running 10.3. When they switched to iKey and decided to jack up the price on those of us who already depended on the program, I decided just to stick with the last version of Youpi Key. My PowerBook was having an annoying problem where the "T" key on the keyboard would often fail to produce any letter or response on screen. It happened randomly in various programs at various times. I had to beg and plead and argue with Apple, but I finally got them to replace my PowerBook's keyboard under warranty. But the problem didn't go away. Then, on a whim, I decided to try disabling Youpi Key. Surprise! The keyboard problem went away. Youpi Key broke my "T" key and cost Apple a brand new keyboard for nothing. (I had created a macro where control-T typed the time, but the problem happened regardless of whether control was held.) Look, I figured that sooner or later we would all be forced to switch to the paid version, and I didn't expect the old version to be supported forever. However, the way it failed is bizarre and completely unacceptable. If it can't work with 10.3, it should just generate an error message and quit. If they didn't have the forethought to do this, they should have posted an announcement about it somewhere on the web. Breaking your T key is not something that can easily be traced back to their program, and it is something that no program should ever do, no matter how incompatible it is. I am now using Keyboard Maestro. Don't send any money to these crooks.

absolut cool! very helpy and stable! good bye quickkeys

A real time saver. Works with no problems.

1.0.4 seems to have trouble with keys that correspond to menu selections in Panther. Up till I installed Panther, I was impressed.

i'm a registered user of ikey and copypaste. please consider posting a version of ikey 1.0.4 that doesn't use stuffit compression, i.e., a .dmg file. i don't want to reload stuffit expander back onto my system. fxt

ikey and default folder are my two favorite extensions for osx. the functionality of ikey rivals quickeys (also an excellent program) at a much better price. i work in a print production environment and ikey saves me much time and aggravation. though i have experienced a few crashes and problems related to using ikey, i must say that over the past 10 years every extension i used regularly has occasionally required troubleshooting, with ikey i have always been able to solve problems with little effort, and often other system extensions or errors have been to blame. in short, yay ikey.

Very happy using this app now - I used Youpi Key for ages, and I'm happy to pay a bit for something that has a broader, smoother range of options. I'm especially happy using the script running option - I thought it didn't support OSAX's, but it turned out that what it didn't support was my typos - hey ho...

Installed fine but then crashed the SYSTEM while running the demo the first time. Who says you can't crash OS X? Also have had continuing problems after uninstalling it (did everything get removed?). Continue to have applications go busy and now then never "come back". I can't blame iKey for these directly but it never happened before the install. I will only rate stability since I never attempted to really use it after the crash.

IMHO iKey is simply the best productivity aid available for OS X that I have come across to date. It's interface and access to features are so simple and well executed that in the year or so I have been using it [as youpiKey, then iKey] I have barely have had the need to open the help files to accomplish a desired task. The tutorial and overview introduced recently are well worth the time to run through and serve as an excellent example of the potential and capabilities of iKey. When I have needed support for any reason the response from Phillipe and or Julian has been outstanding. Suggestions made seem materialise into new features faster than you can type the suggestion. With the newly added pallettes feature iKey now meets 85-90% of my most used features from my long lost and favourite, can't live without, OS9 utility, OneClick. As a system admin and FileMaker / AppleScript Developer I use iKey in every part of my work, from simply moving and sizing windows to shortcuts to menu's and entering repetitive text and running applescripts from the keyboard. I currently have ~50 keyboard shortcuts in my universal set and a another ~40 or so additional ones spread amongst half a dozen application specific sets. Combined these save me hundreds of key strokes and mouse clicks an hour. Together with LaunchBar, iKey is one of the two absolutely MUST HAVE utilities that I use many times an hour every day. Have a Great day! pete.

All in one utility. It's a key-mapper, application switcher, script runner, menu clicker, etc.

Quickly became a necessary third party add on in its earlier freeware Youpi form. This app uses very little overhead, integrates smoothly into Jaguar and increases my productivity many fold. Recent enhancements have added to an already versatile tool. Of all the shareware apps I have tried and purchased, this is number one.

Very responsive programmers. Great app! Way better that Quickkeys - which I always had trouble kind of figuring out without turning to the manual - You just use iKeys and get on with the automation and time saving! Great App!

Awesome! Download it and never look back its that good folks :-)

WOW! I have been waiting two years for such a great, easy to use program. I demoed Quickeys but it was cumbersome compared to how easy this set up!

Fantastic. QuicKeys has finally arrived (CE soft couldn't seem to make it on OS X). I like being able to assign the same over again, e.g., F13 to iTunes, the within iTunes F13 is Zoom. I had a number of these in OS 9 with QuicKeys. I paid for DragThing, but this may replace it--I realize DragThing does other things, but HotKeys is my main need. Couldn't get the default Zoom to work, had to use menu.

Excellent, excellent little program. I couldn't live without it (OK, OK, I could live, but...). It keeps getting better, too -- version 1.7.4 fixed a few nagging problems and added some interesting features. In order to get the full effect of this program (imho), you need to be comfortable writing Applescript. If you're not so inclined, you might find Keyboard Maestro (for example) easier to work with. But Youpi Key is a much more flexible and capable program--if you are a reasonably sophisticated Mac user you can get a lot out of it.

Great program, easy to use and set-up (can you say "Drag and Drop"? ;-) and I find it indispensible (My choice of macro app since Keyquencer isn't being ported to OS X). Can't beat the price either. free Free FREE

cool I have been looking for something like this so I can use the F1 keys lik you do in classic

This is a great app and does what you want it to do and it's free =)

The other comments on this program are obsolete. This is the coolest freeware available for OS X. It's actually better and more stable, in my opinion, than Quickeys. I've been using it for the last two releases and it keeps getting better. The only thing I miss is an option to make macros of relative mouse movements. The user interface is a bit funky, but it's free!

Agree with the previous comment... This app is slow for quitting, and when I look at the number of processes this app use I can count up to 3... I had a couple crashes too. So : don't bother with this app!

I stopped using this app a while ago... it's not stable, it launches many applications for unknown reason... if you want some a good keyboard shortcut I will not recommend this one.