Getting Started with XCut Beta

Ever find yourself hunting through menus or trying to remember a keyboard shortcut? XCut instantly shows available shortcuts for the app you're using. Download the beta below.

What's Included in This Beta

30+ system-wide macOS shortcuts
Automatically show available shortcuts for the app you're using
Pin shortcuts to top of the list for quick access
Search and filter shortcuts instantly
Deep Scan for discovering shortcuts from complex or dynamic menus

Quick Install

Step 1: Download and Install

Download XCut.dmg (requires macOS 14.0+), double-click to open it, then drag XCut to your Applications folder. Launch XCut from Applications or Spotlight.

Step 2: Grant Accessibility Permission

On first launch, XCut will ask for Accessibility permission. This permission allows XCut to read menu structures from your apps to discover available shortcuts.

Click "Open Preferences" in the prompt to launch System Settings. Enable XCut in the Accessibility section. If the permission page doesn't appear automatically, navigate to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and enable XCut manually.

About this permission: XCut only reads menu structures to discover shortcuts. It never modifies your apps, records your keystrokes, tracks your activity, or sends data anywhere. Everything stays on your Mac. See our privacy policy for details.

Step 3: Set Your XCut Shortcut (Optional)

The default shortcut to show or hide XCut overlay is Control (^) + X. To customize it, click the XCut menu bar icon (squirrel icon), select Settings, click the "Toggle XCut Overlay" field, and press your preferred key combination.

Using XCut

Press your shortcut (Control + X by default) in any app to show or hide the XCut overlay. XCut displays available shortcuts for the active app. Type to search and filter shortcuts instantly. You can also pin shortcuts to top of the list for quick access.

Deep Scan for More Shortcuts

Some apps use dynamic menus that can only be discovered when menus are opened. If the shortcuts list seems incomplete, you can click Deep Scan at the bottom of the XCut overlay.

What Deep Scan does and doesn't do:

Briefly opens menus in your app to read available shortcuts
Only runs when you click the "Deep Scan" button
Automatically closes menus after reading
Does not click, select, or execute any menu items
Does not control or modify your app's behavior in any way

This process happens entirely on your Mac - nothing is tracked or sent anywhere.

Mac Keyboard Symbols

New to Mac? Here's what those symbols in shortcuts mean:

⌘ Command (Cmd)
⌥ Option (Alt)
⌃ Control (Ctrl)
⇧ Shift
fn Function or Globe
⎋ Escape
⌫ Delete
⏎ Return (Enter)
␣ Space
↹ Tab
↖ Home
↘ End

Privacy First

XCut is designed with your privacy in mind:

What XCut does: Reads menu structures from your apps (via Accessibility permission) to discover shortcuts.

What XCut doesn't do: Modify your apps, record keystrokes, track activity, send data externally, or access your files.

Everything happens locally on your Mac. See our privacy policy for complete details.

Troubleshooting

Shortcut doesn't bring up XCut? Check if the XCut icon (squirrel) appears in your menu bar. If not, launch XCut from Applications or use Spotlight (⌘ + Space, type "XCut", press Enter).

XCut doesn't show shortcuts? Verify you granted Accessibility permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.

Shortcuts list seems incomplete? Try Deep Scan to discover shortcuts from dynamic menus.

Shortcut not executing? Ensure the target app is active (click on it first) before using the shortcut.

Other issues or questions? Email us at [email protected] or use our feedback form.

That's it! Press Control + X in any app to get started. Thank you for being an early beta user - your feedback helps us make XCut better for everyone.