Custom keybindings.json not respected in Claude Code Desktop (Windows)

Status Open
Reported on v2.1.220
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 0 comments · opened Aug 5, 2026

Description

Custom keyboard shortcuts configured via keybindings.json do not work in Claude Code Desktop on Windows, and there is no in-app Settings UI for keyboard shortcuts either.

Steps to reproduce

  1. On Windows, create %APPDATA%\Claude\keybindings.json with valid bindings, e.g.:

``json
{
"$schema": "https://www.schemastore.org/claude-code-keybindings.json",
"$docs": "https://code.claude.com/docs/en/keybindings",
"bindings": [
{
"context": "Chat",
"bindings": {
"shift+tab": "chat:cycleMode",
"alt+p": "chat:modelPicker",
"alt+t": "chat:thinkingToggle"
}
}
]
}
``

  1. Fully quit and restart Claude Code Desktop.
  2. Try Shift+Tab, Alt+P, Alt+T in the chat input.

Expected

These are documented default bindings (per https://code.claude.com/docs/en/keybindings) — Shift+Tab should cycle permission mode, Alt+P should open the model picker, Alt+T should toggle extended thinking.

Actual

None of the shortcuts work in Desktop:

  • Shift+Tab cycles focus/text on screen instead of cycling permission mode.
  • Alt+P and Alt+T do nothing.
  • No log entries mentioning "keybind" appear in %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\main.log even after placing the config file and restarting, suggesting Desktop does not parse keybindings.json at all (this file appears to be CLI-only).
  • There is also no Settings/Preferences UI section in Desktop for configuring keyboard shortcuts.

Environment

  • Claude Code Desktop, Windows 11
  • CLI version present on the same machine: 2.1.220

Suggested fix

Either have Claude Code Desktop read the same keybindings.json file/schema as the CLI, or add a dedicated Keyboard Shortcuts section in Desktop's Settings UI.

View original on GitHub ↗