BTT v5.155, all of the keyboard shortcuts turn disabled (they all show dimmed)

Bugs or Unexpected Behavior
1

Describe the bug:

BetterTouchTool 5.155 is currently the newest version available.

I've also tested this BTT bug issue exists both before and after updating to the latest version of macOS Sequoia 15.3 (24D60), which seemed to make no difference the BTT bug:

The issue / bug:

All the shortcuts worked on the previous version before v5.155, but as soon as I update to v5.155, all of the keyboard shortcuts are disabled system wide, all dimmed out in BTT. The global setting in 'For All Apps' is unchanged / doesn't fix the bug in v5.155.

This issue doesn't present with previous BTT versions (I'm constantly checking for updates so I'm running the latest version, but not the Alpha versions).

This issue does occur on both my computers, both running the latest version of macOS Sequoia 15.3 (24D60).

BetterTouchTool v5.155 is the version of the app with which the following bug is strongly connected, I've specifically tested and confirmed the following:

The reason I think the issue is with version 5.155 instead of anything else, is due to the fact that I've tested earlier versions (e.g. 5.063 (2025011101) or any other previous of BTT, none have ever had this issue (where since version 5.155 all of the keyboard shortcuts are disabled system wide, all dimmed out in BTT) with everything outside BTT being totally unchanged.

I've literally tested the issue happens as soon as updating to BTT version 5.155.

The FIX:

I've literally found to undo the issue needs reverting to a previous version of the app I happened to have on Time Machine backup.

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Affected input device (e.g. MacBook Trackpad, Magic Mouse/Trackpad, Touch Bar, etc.):

Keyboard.

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Screenshots:

Not necessary.

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Device information:

Type of Mac: both a Mac Mini M1 2020 and a Mac Mini M4 2024

macOS version:

macOS Sequoia 15.3 (24D60)

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BetterTouchTool version: (please post the exact version - not just "the latest one"):

BetterTouchTool 5.155

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Additional information (e.g. crash logs, related issues, etc.):

Only made available if really necessary, for the time being I'll just use a previous version of BTT.

•

2

there has been one other user who reported a similar issue, he got it resolved somehow.
It’s very weird because there have been many thousand of updates to the latest version already, it must be something very specific that causes this.

Are your shortcuts maybe organized in some special way?

Could you go to help -> export diagnostic debug information and send the result to me ?(andreas@folivora.ai)

Can you select the shortcuts and just reenable them?

4

Sure, just done as you've asked.

1 Like
5

? What

6

Sure, I've just done as you've asked.

Please check your email.

8

Yes, I know that it is something in the current release cycle (not specific to version 5.155 though, I think it happened to the other user with 5.100 or something like that. The question we need to find the answer to is "what in your setup causes this?" - because apparently it only happens to very few users.

I think it might somehow be related to using the list based view mode, but I'm not yet sure how. I'll try to investigate with the debug data you sent!

9

Andreas, I appreciate your timely response, on that point:

If the issue does have something to do with what you've said:

"I think it might somehow be related to using the list based view mode"

Why / how would that explain what I've found where I've always used List View in BTT, it's been an issue until version 5.155:

As I've said:

"The reason I think the issue is with version 5.155 instead of anything else is due to the fact that:

• I've tested / been using earlier versions (e.g. 5.063 (2025011101) and other previous of BTT, none have ever had this issue (where since version 5.155 all of the keyboard shortcuts are disabled system wide, all dimmed out in BTT) with everything outside BTT being totally unchanged.

I've literally tested the issue happens as soon as updating to BTT version 5.155.

The FIX:

I've literally found to undo the issue needs reverting to a previous version of the app I happened to have on Time Machine backup.

That fixes all the keyboard shortcuts returning the keyboard shortcuts to working as normal."

-

Andreas, I appreciate your timely response, on that point:

"I'll try to investigate with the debug data you sent!"

I think the answer is better sought there, as I pay your licence fee and have taken about an hour out of my work time to do unpaid BTT user testing to be able to narrow down the issue somewhat at least, this bug hasn't presented in any previous version of BTT only the most recent version 5.155.

10

I think I might have found something:
Did you import an previously exported preset recently? Or do you maybe have some process set up that imports an existing preset automatically?

I appreciate your bug report, and I'm always trying to resolve stuff as fast as possible. However especially for weird things like this I need as much input as necessary.

11

Andreas, I appreciate your timely update to v5.157 however from v5.155 to v5.157 hasn't fixed the issue of all the shortcuts being disabled.

At least you've tried to fix the issue responsively, I recognise your efforts.

BTT v5.155 disables all my keyboard shortcuts and settings in all apps outside the BTT app, so I don't see what it has to do with list view or whatever view on the BTT Configuration page.

As I've said thankfully I have a Time Machine back up previous versions prior to v5.155 which avoids the disabled keyboard shortcuts issue which first presented with v5.155 and persists in v5.157.

Andreas, about what you said:

"Did you import an previously exported preset recently?"

I do save (a useful feature) my Triggers & Settings so in case of any potential issues / to avoid loss of configuration setup I can restore the Triggers & Settings I've understandably taken time to set up.

The saving and restoring of Triggers & Settings has never been an issue before v5.155, I don't know why the useful functionality to save and restore Triggers & Settings is being singled out as an issue, when that functionality has always worked fine.

Based on my testing without even making any changes to my saved / restored Triggers & Settings, it's just rolling the app forward to v5.155 which presents the issue of disabling my keyboard shortcuts in all apps, and simply making one change of rolling back to a version prior to v5.155 avoids the new bug entirely.

I look forward to BTT resolving this "disabling my keyboard shortcuts in all apps" BTT bug presenting since v5.155.

12

the ones that are already disabled can not automatically be enabled again, but if I’m correct about the preset thing it should not happen again. in newer versions.

You can quit BTT and remove all files that contain the 5.155 or 5.157 version in their names from ~/Library/Application Support/BetterTouchTool (go there via Finder -> Go -> Go to Folder, make sure to include the ~). BTT will then fallback the pervious database that didn’t have the issue

13

Andreas, as you've suggested I've gone to:

~/Library/Application Support/BetterTouchTool

and included the ~

I've searched for all files that contain 5.155, 5.157.

There are no results found.

I've also tried updating to the most recent version 5.159, but that has the same issue.

I've literally found to undo the issue still needs me reverting to a previous version of the app.

I happened to have on Time Machine backup:

I've tested the most recent version where it's good as usual to:

• v5.132 works good as usual

• version 5.147 is the first version with this issue, I've found no previous versions to v5.147 have this issue.

• subsequent to v5.147 still has the issue of all the shortcuts being disabled outside and inside the BTT app.

Rolling back to v5.132 fixes all the keyboard shortcuts returning the keyboard shortcuts to working.

14

This is what the files in that folder look like:

image
image2074×1106 321 KB

E.g.
btt_data_store.version_5_155_build_2025013107-wal
btt_data_store.version_5_155_build_2025013107-shm
btt_data_store.version_5_155_build_2025013107

You'd need to delete all that have a newer version / build date than the one that you are now using.

15

As you suggested I deleted:

btt_data_store.version_5_155_build_2025013107-wal

btt_data_store.version_5_155_build_2025013107-shm

btt_data_store.version_5_155_build_2025013107

and all that have a newer version / build date than the one in use.

Unfortunately that didn't work, but the following actually did work:

1) Quitting Better Touch Tool

2) Deleting the Better Touch Tool folder in User folder > Library > Application Support and then re-launch Better Touch Tool.

3) Re-enter my licence key.

4) Restore my Triggers & Settings.

**That worked except for some reason BTT doesn't include Snap Areas in Triggers & Settings! So now I've lost all my snap areas on both my computers! I've kept a backup of my previous Application Support > Better Touch Tool folder. Please would you explain which folder / which file the Snap Areas are stored in, please?!

16

So now I've lost all my snap areas on both my computers! I've kept a backup of my previous Application Support > Better Touch Tool folder. Please would you explain which folder / which file the Snap Areas are stored in, please?!

17

if you want you can send that whole BetterTouchTool folder to me (zipped), then I can remove the faulty files for you (andreas@folivora.ai)
This has to work, just make sure to use the latest version (5.157 or 5.158) only afterwards.

18

Please just let me know which file is the snap area data? Please?

19

it's also in the database files so if your last working version is v5.132 you can copy over these files (or delete all other)

btt_data_store.version_5_132_build_2025012707-wal

btt_data_store.version_5_132_build_2025012707-shm

btt_data_store.version_5_132_build_2025012707