Using tab to select buttons in OSX
Command+Q! You’re quitting an application. Now you’re presented with something like this:
You have the choice to click on a button, press escape on the keyboard to close the window, or to press enter and choose the highlighted option; whatever it may be.
What if you wanted to choose an option that wasn’t highlighted and you didn’t want to use your mouse? This is where being able to press the tab key to select a button would come in handy.
In OSX this functionality while built in is not enabled by default. In order to do so one must open System Preferences, Select Keyboard & Mouse, choose the Keyboard Shortcuts tab, and then select the All controls radio button towards the bottom.
^ Open System Preferences ^
^ Choose Keyboard & Mouse ^
^ Select the Keyboard Shortcuts Tab ^
^ Choose the All Controls Button ^
Now close the System Preferences window.
From now on when presented with a dialogue that has buttons you’ll have the ability to press tab to highlight the option you’d like.
Once highlighted simply press spacebar to finalize your selection.
Video Example of Enabling Tab to Choose Buttons
SWEET!! I have been wondering about this for quite some time now. Thanks!
Comment by Bill — May 6, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
Although this does enable the tab key to move a highlight from option to option, the fully highlighted blue option remains the same and it is that option that will be selected if you press enter.
Comment by Ollie Collins — May 10, 2008 @ 2:46 pm
That’s true. What I meant to say in the video was press spacebar. I’ll edit the words in the article. Thanks for catching that and reminding me!
Comment by admin — May 12, 2008 @ 5:42 pm