Keyboard Shortcuts
BetterStickies has two types of shortcuts: in-app shortcuts that work while you're using the app, and global shortcuts that work from anywhere on your system. Both are fully customizable.
In-App Shortcuts
These work when BetterStickies is focused.
Text Formatting
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+1 | Title — make text large and bold |
| Ctrl+2 | Subtitle — make text medium and bold |
| Ctrl+B | Bold |
| Ctrl+I | Italic |
| Ctrl+Shift+X | Strikethrough |
| Ctrl+Shift+C | Text color — open color picker |
| Ctrl+Shift+R | Right-to-left text toggle |
Content
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+K | Insert a link |
| Ctrl+T | Add a checkbox (todo) |
| Ctrl+M | Code block — switch to monospace font |
| Ctrl+R | Set a reminder |
| Ctrl+Shift+V | Paste as plain text (bypass formatting) |
Hub
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | Create a new note |
| Ctrl+F | Search notes |
| Ctrl+Shift+H | Show or hide all notes |
| Escape | Hide the hub |
Other Useful Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Mouse Wheel | Zoom text in/out (8pt–72pt) |
| Tab | Indent a checkbox (create nested checklist) |
| Shift+Tab | Outdent a checkbox |
Global Shortcuts
These work even when BetterStickies is in the background — no need to switch to it first.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Alt+N | Create a new note |
| Ctrl+Alt+S | Open search |
| Ctrl+Alt+H | Show or hide all notes |
Platform Notes
- Windows: Global shortcuts work out of the box
- Linux: You'll need to set up shortcuts in your desktop environment's settings. Open Menu > Settings > Global Shortcuts in BetterStickies — the dialog walks you through it with a button to open your system's shortcut settings
Customizing Shortcuts
You can change any shortcut to a key combination you prefer.
Changing In-App Shortcuts
- Open Menu > Settings from the hub
- Click Keyboard Shortcuts
- Find the shortcut you want to change
- Click the key field and press your new combination
- Click Save
Each shortcut has a checkbox — uncheck it to disable that shortcut without removing it.
Use Clear next to any shortcut to remove the key assignment. Use Reset to Defaults to go back to the original shortcuts.
Changing Global Shortcuts
- Open Menu > Settings from the hub
- Click Global Shortcuts
- On Windows: change the key combinations directly. On Linux: use the dialog as a reference and configure the shortcuts in your desktop environment's settings
Changes take effect immediately — no restart needed.
If a Shortcut Doesn't Work
- Another app may be using the same key combination. Try a different one
- On Linux, global shortcuts need to be configured in your desktop environment's shortcut settings — BetterStickies will show you how
- Some key combinations are reserved by your operating system and can't be overridden
See Also
- Getting Started — overview of the app and basic usage
- Search Notes — use Ctrl+Alt+S to find notes quickly
- Reminders — use Ctrl+R to set reminders
- Languages — switch between 12 languages