To choose a command from a Mac app’s menu without reaching for the pointer, press Control–F2 (or Fn–Control–F2 on some keyboards) to move focus to the menu bar. Use the arrow keys to reach a menu, press Return to open it, then navigate to a command and press Return to choose it. You can also type a command’s name to jump to it within the selected menu. This is useful when you know which app and menu contain the action but do not know its shortcut.

Before you start: focus the app you want to control

Menu bar app commands belong to the active app. First bring that app to the front, for example by clicking one of its windows or using Command–Tab to switch apps. Then move focus to its menu bar. The menu bar contains the Apple menu and the active app’s menus on the left; status menus and system controls appear on the right. Apple’s menu bar guide describes the app name and its menus, such as File, Edit, Format, and Window.

Move keyboard focus to the menu bar

Press Control–F2. If the function row is set to control hardware features or the key press does not move focus, try Fn–Control–F2. The Fn key may also be labeled Globe on some keyboards. Apple documents both shortcut forms for moving focus to the menu bar. Apple’s Mac keyboard shortcuts

If neither form works, the keyboard focus shortcut may be disabled. Open Apple menu  > System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts, then select Keyboard in the sidebar. Find the option for moving focus to the menu bar and enable it if it is unchecked. Apple notes that some keyboard focus shortcuts must first be enabled in this settings area. The labels and layout may vary with macOS versions, so look for the menu bar focus command in the Keyboard shortcuts category. Apple’s keyboard shortcut reference

Navigate to and choose the command

After Control–F2 moves focus to the menu bar, use the Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys to move among the menu titles. Press Return to open the selected menu. Then use the Up Arrow and Down Arrow keys to move through its commands. Press Return to run the highlighted command. Apple documents arrow-key navigation and Return for opening a selected menu or choosing a selected item. Apple’s Mac keyboard shortcuts

For example, suppose a text editor is active and you want a command in its View menu. Press Control–F2, move to View with the arrow keys, and press Return. Navigate through the listed commands and choose the one you need with Return. The exact command names and menu structure depend on the app; File, Edit, Format, and View are common menu names, but no particular command is guaranteed to exist in every app.

If you already know the command’s name, Apple also documents typing the menu item’s name to jump to it in the selected menu. Treat this as a way to locate an item in the menu currently selected, not as a system-wide search field or a command launcher across every app. If the command is nested or its name is unclear, navigate through the menu items and read the visible labels. Apple’s Mac keyboard shortcuts

Find the command’s shortcut for next time

When a menu is open, check to the right of a command for a keyboard shortcut. Apple explains that shortcuts appear beside menu items and that many are shared across apps, while app shortcuts can vary by language and keyboard layout. If the shortcut shown there suits your workflow, you can use it directly next time without opening the menu. If it does not work as expected, check the app’s own menu for the current shortcut. Apple’s macOS keyboard shortcut guide

You can assign a shortcut to an existing menu command through System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > App Shortcuts. Choose a specific app, or All Applications when the command appears in multiple apps; enter the menu title exactly as it appears, including punctuation and the path through nested menus. This setting creates a shortcut for an existing menu item. It does not create a missing command or a general shortcut for opening an app, and Apple notes that some apps may not allow custom app shortcuts. Avoid combinations already assigned elsewhere, because conflicting shortcuts may not work. Apple’s guide to creating app shortcuts

If the shortcut does not behave as expected

First check that the intended app is active, then retry Control–F2 and Fn–Control–F2. If focus still does not move, check that the menu bar focus shortcut is enabled in Keyboard Shortcuts settings. On keyboards where the function row controls features such as brightness, using Fn with F2 may be necessary. Shortcut behavior can also vary with keyboard layout and language; Apple recommends checking the app’s menu when an expected shortcut differs. Apple’s Mac keyboard shortcuts, Apple’s macOS keyboard shortcut guide

If a command is unavailable in the current context, dimmed, or absent from the app’s menus, keyboard navigation cannot make it available. Likewise, Control–F2 is specifically for the menu bar; it does not cycle through open windows or restore a previous work session. For organizing existing open Mac windows and to-dos by goal, Wallo may help alongside this menu-navigation workflow, but the menu bar shortcut itself remains a macOS control.

The reliable sequence is: activate the app, press Control–F2 (or Fn–Control–F2), navigate to the menu and command, then press Return. Use the app’s visible menus to confirm what is available, and save a custom shortcut only for an existing command you use often.

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