Can I create Keyboard Shortcuts for opening apps?

Hi Mainecoon364,

Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities! The following article lists current keyboard shortcuts as well as how to add a customized keyboard shortcut that may help:

Learn iPad keyboard shortcuts

Here are some common keyboard shortcuts:

* Command-H: Go to the Home Screen.

* Command-Space bar: Show or hide the Search field.

* Command-Tab: Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps.

* Command-Shift-3: Take a screenshot.

* Command-Shift-4: Take a screenshot and immediately open Markup to view or edit it.

* Command-Option-D: Show or hide the Dock.

Want to add an emoji? To quickly find the emoji keyboard, press the globe key  when you're in a text field. Don't see the emoji keyboard? Make sure that it's turned on.

Customize keyboard shortcuts

1. Open Settings, then tap Accessibility.

2. Tap Keyboards.

3. Tap Full Keyboard Access and turn it on.

4. Tap Commands.

5. Tap a command, then press a custom key combination to assign to it.

6. Tap Done.

Hope this helps!

Have a great day.

I am trying to do something slightly more specific. I have an external device that provides accessible switches mapped to keystrokes. I am trying to find a way to map a single key combination to opening a SPECIFIC app in *one step*. For example option-I just opens Instagram and brings it to foreground. I was hoping to use Full Keyboard Commands to simply open a specific app but that’s not possible in the settings for that command.

I can create a shortcut to open the app when the keyboard is connected via a Bluetooth trigger which works awesome but I can’t find a way to trigger a shortcut from a keystroke on the external keyboard.

I can’t see a way to map Full Keyboard Access commands to shortcuts either.

Any strategies would be most appreciated.