Resolve a Mac Capture hotkey conflict¶

This guide restores the capture and Bob Refs global shortcuts when another app already owns the chord. One Carbon handler owns every Bob hotkey. A failed registration leaves every other registration intact and reports the conflict instead of swallowing the key.

Before you start¶

Install Bob Mac Capture and open Settings. Default chords:

Capture: Control-Shift-Command-I (production) or Control-Shift-Command-R (development)
Bob Refs: Control-Shift-Command-O
Highlights-frontmost open: Command-O (configurable)

Settings › Hotkey shows the live capture chord as Active binding.

1. Read the conflict¶

Open Settings › Diagnostics. A failed capture registration reports Hotkey conflict with the Carbon status. A failed Refs binding reports Refs hotkey conflict: …. The same event is in Recent Activity (HH:mm:ss message). Confirm that status string before changing a binding.

The capture hotkey then does nothing until the chord is free. Other Bob keys keep working.

2. Free the shortcut or switch the binding¶

Quit or rebind the other app that owns the chord. Then choose Recheck Bob from the menu-bar item so the handler registers again.

If you need the development capture chord instead, turn off Use production Control-Shift-Command-I in Settings › Hotkey. That selects Control-Shift-Command-R. Turn the production toggle off only when you need that development binding.

Refs chords re-register as soon as you toggle Open Bob Refs with Control-Shift-Command-O or the Highlights-frontmost open key. Each action registers independently.

3. Confirm the live chord¶

Settings › Hotkey Active binding shows the live capture chord. Press it and confirm the capture panel opens. For Refs, press Control-Shift-Command-O and confirm Bob Refs opens. Diagnostics no longer shows Hotkey conflict or Refs hotkey conflict.

If it goes wrong¶

If Recheck Bob still reports the conflict, another process still owns that exact chord. Check Shortcuts, other menu-bar apps, and the Highlights-frontmost open key (Command-O or Control-O) separately from the global Refs toggle. Launch-at-login approval is a different permission; use Restore Mac Capture permissions when Settings › Launch reads Requires approval in System Settings.