A lightweight macOS menu bar app that transforms your Caps Lock key into a powerful "Hyper" key.
When you press Caps Lock, HyperKey sends Cmd+Ctrl+Opt+Shift simultaneously. This combination is virtually never used by any application, giving you a clean namespace for custom keyboard shortcuts.
brew tap n0an/tap
brew install --cask hyperkey-appDownload the latest DMG from Releases.
- Caps Lock → Hyper - Hold Caps Lock to activate Cmd+Ctrl+Opt+Shift
- No LED toggle - Caps Lock LED stays off (no annoying green light)
- Menu bar app - Lives quietly in your menu bar, no dock icon
- Launch at login - Optional auto-start on system boot
- Lightweight - Minimal resource usage
- Build and run the app
- Grant Accessibility permissions when prompted
- Hold Caps Lock + any key to trigger Hyper shortcuts
Once HyperKey is running, you can assign Hyper shortcuts in:
- System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts
- Individual app preferences
- Automation tools like Raycast, Alfred, Hammerspoon, or BetterTouchTool
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Hyper + T | Open Terminal |
| Hyper + B | Open Browser |
| Hyper + M | Open Mail |
| Hyper + R | Custom script/automation |
- macOS 13.0 or later
- Accessibility permissions (required for key remapping)
- Open
HyperKey.xcodeprojin Xcode - Build and run (Cmd+R)
- Grant Accessibility permissions in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
To build a distributable DMG:
# Optional: install create-dmg for prettier DMGs
brew install create-dmg
# Build the DMG
./scripts/build-dmg.shThe DMG will be created at build/HyperKey.dmg.
HyperKey uses IOKit HID to detect physical Caps Lock press/release events, and CGEventTap to:
- Suppress the original Caps Lock event (prevents LED toggle)
- Post Hyper modifier flags while Caps Lock is held
- Add Hyper modifiers to any key pressed while Caps Lock is held
- The Caps Lock LED may briefly flash on some keyboards (hardware-level limitation)
- Requires Accessibility permissions to function
MIT