ML Shortcuts Support

A gesture that won't fire, or a model that won't load? Here are quick fixes and the most common questions.

Talk to the developer

Bug, idea or a model that won't cooperate. Every email gets read.

Troubleshooting

Start Model is greyed out

Import a model first: open Configuration from the menu bar icon, choose Import Model, pick your .mlmodel file and the kind of model it is.

The model detects, but no shortcut happens

Allow ML Shortcuts under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, then start the model again. Check that the class has a shortcut in Class Mappings.

It detects nothing

Make sure you picked the right kind of model when importing it, that camera or microphone access is allowed, and that the right camera or microphone is selected. Lowering the confidence threshold makes it react more easily.

It keeps pressing the shortcut

Turn on Ignore repeated detections: holding a gesture then presses its shortcut once, until the model detects a different class.

The pointer moves the wrong way

For hand pose models, turn on Mirror Horizontally or Mirror Vertically under Cursor Control.

Frequently asked questions

What does ML Shortcuts actually do?

It runs a machine-learning model of your choice on your Mac. Each time the model recognises one of its classes, a thumbs up or a clap for example, ML Shortcuts presses the keyboard shortcut you mapped to it. It lives in the menu bar.

What models can I use?

Core ML models (.mlmodel files), for example ones you train in Create ML. Five kinds work: sound classifiers, image classifiers, hand pose classifiers, hand action classifiers and object detectors. When you import a model, you pick which kind it is.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. Import a model, press the shortcut you want next to each class, and start it from the menu bar.

Does it come with a model?

Yes. The download includes a sample hand action model, so you can try it straight away. For your own gestures and sounds, train your own.

How do I train my own model?

With Create ML, the free app that comes with Xcode on your Mac. You add examples of each gesture or sound and it trains the model, no code needed. The tutorial linked on this page gets you there in about ten minutes.

What can I automate?

Any keyboard shortcut on your Mac: switch Spaces, save, lock the screen, or drive a Figma prototype. Hand pose and object detection models can also move the pointer, and hand pose classes can click and drag.

Which permissions does it need?

The camera for image, hand and object models, and the microphone for sound models. To press keys and move the pointer, macOS asks you to allow it under Privacy & Security → Accessibility.

What does it cost?

You can download it for free on Gumroad, or pay what you want.

Which Macs does it run on?

Macs with macOS 14 or later, with Apple silicon or Intel.

New to training models? Start with the step-by-step tutorial.

Requirements

A Mac with macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel. A built-in or external camera for image, hand and object models, a microphone for sound models.