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How to use Ankylix

Ankylix lives in your menu bar and adds three keyboard modes to macOS. Each one puts a letter hint on screen — press the key and you're done. Here's how each mode works.

Contents

  1. Before you start
  2. Tiling layouts
  3. Move & resize
  4. Focus switcher
  5. Customizing Ankylix
Setup

Before you start

Two one-time steps make everything work:

  1. Grant permissions. On first launch Ankylix asks for Accessibility (to move and focus windows) and Input Monitoring (to read your keys in move/resize mode). You can review both, with live status, in Preferences → General → Permissions.
  2. Set your shortcuts. Open Preferences → Shortcuts and choose a trigger key for each mode (Layouts, Move/Resize, Focus Switcher). These are the keys you'll press to enter each mode below.
💡 The core idea: enter a mode → read the letter hints on screen → press the key. Press esc at any time to cancel without changing anything.
Mode 1

Tiling layouts

Snap the focused window into a predefined zone. Trigger a layout and Ankylix draws every zone with a letter hint over your screen; press the letter to place the window there.

Ankylix tiling layout with letter hints A, B and C over a macOS desktop
Each zone shows a hint — press A, B, C… to drop the window in.
  1. Focus the window you want to place.
  2. Press your Layouts shortcut. The current layout appears as zones, each labelled with a letter.
  3. Press the letter of the zone — the window snaps into it instantly.
  4. Need a different arrangement? Cycle layouts and screens before choosing (see keys below).

In-mode keys

A–ZPlace the window in the matching zone.
↑ / ↓Cycle to the previous / next layout (configurable).
← / →Move to the previous / next screen (configurable).
escCancel.
🗂️ Choose which layouts appear: open Preferences → Layouts and move the ones you want into the Selected column. Reorder them to control the cycling order. They're grouped by window count.
Mode 2

Move & resize

A modal mode for fine-tuning the focused window from the keyboard — nudge it around, then resize it, without touching the mouse. While you're in this mode the rest of the screen dims so you stay focused.

Ankylix move/resize mode: the focused window highlighted with H, J, K, L hints around it
The focused window is highlighted; direction keys (e.g. h j k l) move it — hold ⇧ to resize instead.
  1. Focus the window you want to adjust.
  2. Press your Move/Resize shortcut to enter the mode.
  3. Use your direction keys to move the window. Hold ⇧ Shift with the same keys to resize it instead.
  4. Press your exit key (or esc) when you're happy.

In-mode keys

Direction keysMove the window left / right / up / down. Bind them to h j k l for a Vim feel.
⇧ + directionResize the window instead of moving it.
Cycle keySwitch which window the mode controls.
Minimize keyMinimize the focused window.
Exit key / escLeave move/resize mode.
⌨️ Every key here is yours to choose in Preferences → Shortcuts → Move/Resize. The defaults are unset so you can pick the keys that match your muscle memory.
Mode 3

Focus switcher

Jump straight to any open window. Trigger the switcher and Ankylix puts a letter hint on every visible window across all your screens — press the letter to focus it. Minimized windows are one key away too.

Ankylix focus switcher: a letter hint on each open window across the macOS desktop
Every visible window gets a hint — type it to focus that window instantly.
  1. Press your Focus Switcher shortcut. A hint appears on each visible window.
  2. Press the letter on the window you want — it comes to the front and gains focus.
  3. Looking for something minimized? Press the toggle-minimized key (e.g. ⇥ Tab) to reveal a panel of minimized windows, each with its own hint.

In-mode keys

Letter hintsFocus the matching window.
Toggle keyShow / hide the panel of minimized windows.
escCancel.
Make it yours

Customizing Ankylix

Every overlay is fully themeable. Each mode has its own appearance tab where you can tune colors, text size, borders, corner radius and label position — with a live preview — and save your favourite looks as themes you can switch between.

Ankylix Layout Appearance preferences with color pickers, sliders and a live preview of the overlay
Layout Appearance — adjust the overlay and text, preview instantly, then save it as a theme.

Where to find everything:

ShortcutsSet the trigger and in-mode keys for every mode.
Layout AppearanceColors, text size, borders, label position and corner radius for the layout overlay — save and switch themes.
Window Switcher AppearanceStyle the switcher hints and window-info labels.
Move/Resize AppearanceStyle the move/resize highlight and hints.
LayoutsPick and order the layouts that show up in layout mode.
GeneralLaunch at login, automatic updates, and the Permissions panel.
Need a hand? Check the FAQ or email support@ankylix.com.