[FEATURE] Desktop: separate, stable keyboard shortcuts for effort level and model (effort is the priority)

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

In Claude Desktop (Code tab), changing the model and changing the effort level are now bundled behind one shortcut (Cmd+Shift+E opens the combined model + effort dialog). These two settings are used at very different frequencies:

• Effort level – I adjust it many times a day, to match each request (low for a rename or a typo, high for a tricky bug, then back down). It is one of my most frequent actions.
• Model – I switch it much less often.

Bundling them makes the frequent action (effort) as slow as the rare one. On top of that, the shortcut behavior changed between versions (see #102095), which breaks muscle memory. For a control used this often, the shortcut needs to be fast and to stay the same over time.

Proposed Solution

Two separate keyboard shortcuts:

1. A dedicated effort shortcut (top priority) – changes only the effort level, with no model picker in the way. For example: press the shortcut to open just the effort selector and change it with the arrow keys (as Cmd+Shift+E used to work), or press it to cycle directly through the levels.
2. A separate model shortcut – opens the model picker only.

Most importantly, the effort shortcut should be reliable and consistent long-term: treat it as a stable part of the app, keep its behavior the same across updates, and ideally make it rebindable so updates never take it away.

Alternative Solutions

Currently: Cmd+Shift+E, which opens the combined model + effort dialog, then navigate down to Effort and change it – several steps every time. Some users in #102095 are building mods or external tools just to get a quick effort switch back, which shows how much this is needed.

Priority

High - Significant impact on productivity

Feature Category

Other

Use Case Example

1. I ask Claude to rename a variable → I drop effort to low.
2. Next request is a hard bug → I raise effort to high.
3. Then a small typo fix → back to low.

This happens dozens of times a day. With a dedicated effort shortcut it's one keystroke plus an arrow key each time; today it means going through the full model dialog. The model, on the other hand, I change maybe a few times a day, so a separate model shortcut is enough there.

Additional Context

Related: #102095 (effort level now takes 3 clicks instead of 1).

Claude Desktop 2.37337.1 · macOS 26.7.1 (25G241) · Apple Silicon