Hello,
I'm evaluating BTT for the simple use to have keyboard shortcuts to apps.
I've got option 1-2-3 assigned to 1. browser, 2. vscode and 3. terminal to be able to switch quickly. It works 80% of the time, then sometimes it doesn't react. It seems to be related with if the cursor has focus or not. Then instead the characters are inserted associated with this shortcut (¡, ™, £, in this case). However, I can't really find a patter to when it works and when it doesn't.
I'm here because hotkeys stopped working with Sequoia, and i'm hoping to find a replacement.
this is most likely a secure input field. By default BTT should switch to a different hotkey mode for secure input, maybe the auto switch is disabled? (it‘s in the advanced settings under keyboard)
mhh could be some extra protection that has been added for secure input fields on Sequoia, however I haven’t heard of any issues. Your BTT does have the Accessibility permissions in System Settings -> Privacy & Security, correct?
I‘ll check! If necessary BTT will also switch to using a virtual keyboard driver like karabiner elements. (karabiner elements should probably still work)
I can now confirm that this is a new security "feature" in macOS Sequoia.
There are now two scenarios:
Sandboxed apps (like hotkeys) can never use hotkeys that only have opt as a modifier
Non-Sandboxed apps (like BTT) can not use hotkeys that only have opt as modifier while secure input (e.g. password entry) is active.
Apple says this change is to prevent keyloggers, because previously apps could register these hotkeys globally and by doing so get notified if a user enters a password using opt+key to generate a special character.
I already found a possible workaround, but I assume Apple won't like it and will fix it if used. I'll look into the Karabiner Elements approach but yes, this is a longer term project.
That doesn't matter. There is still hope Apple will make this configurable because it has created a pretty huge negative user response. For BTT most users won't notice because you probably don't often use BTT shortcuts in password entry fields.
I think this change by Apple is over the top, I don't know many users who use opt to input special characters (apart from the standards like @ or €) but I know a lot of users who use keyboard shortcuts that only contain opt as modifier. There would have been better ways to make this secure.
swapping with right control works, but then you can't use opt anymore
Blocking the keyboard will not help, because one other thing that apple has disallowed with Sequoia (while secure input mode, e.g. password entry is active) is single letter shortcuts that don't use modifiers at all.
