Setting Cmd + Space as the shortcut for Curiosity

Cmd + Space is a convenient shortcut you might want for Curiosity. To make it work, you'll need to turn off any macOS features that might be using it.

To change the keyboard shortcut for Curiosity:
Go to Curiosity Preferences and click the General tab
In the section Shortcuts, click on the button Change next to the shortcut you want to change
Type in your preferred shortcut
Click Save

For more details, check this guide.

If that doesn't work, your shortcut might be
Incomplete: Your shortcut needs at least one modifier (Alt, Command, Control) and a character
Already being used on your Mac: You'll need to pick a different shortcut or find out where it's currently being used

💡 Cmd + Space is a popular shortcut because it's so easy to use. If you can't set it as the Curiosity shortcut, follow this guide to troubleshoot common reasons.

Fixing issues with Cmd + Space as a shortcut

Here are some common reasons why Cmd + Space might unavailable because it's being used by another application.

1. Make sure it's not being used by Spotlight

If Cmd + Space doesn't work, it could be tied to another feature on your Mac. First, check that it's not being used by Spotlight.
Go to System Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts > Spotlight
Uncheck the boxes or change the Spotlight shortcut (see screenshot)

2. Make sure it's not being used for changing languages

If you use more than one language on your keyboard, Cmd + Space might be used for changing languages. Follow these steps:
Open System Preferences
Go to Keyboard > Input Sources
Add another language if you only have one (The system needs at least two languages to allow the keyboard shortcut to be changed)
Go to Keyboard > Shortcuts and pick "Spotlight" in the sidebar, make sure the two hotkeys are not set to Cmd + Space, then turn them off by unticking the boxes.
In the same Keyboard > Shortcuts settings, pick "Input sources" and check that these are also not set to Cmd + Space and their boxes are unticked.
Back in Keyboard > Input Sources, you can remove the second language if you don't want it anymore.

macOS reserving shortcuts

Even if you're not using Cmd + Space for Spotlight or changing languages, macOS might be saving it anyway. To change that:
in System settings > Input Sources, add a second language
Go back to System settings > Keyboard & Text Input section and untick the two boxes related to input source
(Optional) Remove the second language once the key combos are changed or turned off

3. Make sure Siri isn't using Cmd + Space

If you're using macOS 10.13 or newer, Siri might be using the Cmd + Space shortcut. To change that:
Check your System Preferences > Siri
If the command is set to "Hold Command Space", change it

You can also just turn off Siri if you don't use it.

4. Check other apps

If you've set Cmd + Space as your shortcut in another app on your Mac, you'll also need to turn off or change shortcuts in these apps.

Updated on: 20/11/2023