BetterTouchTool 6.726 — macOS

If you already use BetterTouchTool to remap keys or set up trackpad gestures, you know it handles the basics. The deeper tools are what keep experienced users coming back. Here are a few that matter most.

Can you build custom widgets with BetterTouchTool?

Yes. The app supports AppleScript, custom URL schemes, and HTTP requests. You can create widgets that pull data from web services or trigger local scripts, then assign them to a Touch Bar button or a gesture.

How does the screenshot tool work?

BetterTouchTool includes a built-in screenshot tool with on-the-fly image editing. You can capture a region, add arrows or text, and copy the result without opening another app. It’s tied to whatever trigger you prefer.

Does it support custom gesture drawings?

Yes. You can define custom gestures, movements, and even drawn shapes (like a circle or an L) to trigger specific actions. The app recognizes them on trackpads, Magic Mouse, and normal mice.

Setting up a per-app shortcut workflow

One of the best reasons to install BetterTouchTool is how it handles shortcuts differently for each application. Let me walk through a typical setup process so you can see how the pieces fit together.

1. Open BetterTouchTool and create a new rule. You tell it which app the rule should apply to by selecting the application name from a list or by pointing to it while the app is running.
2. Choose your trigger type. You can pick a keyboard shortcut, a trackpad gesture, a mouse button combo, or a Touch Bar action. For this example, pick a trackpad gesture like a three-finger tap.
3. Assign the action. BetterTouchTool gives you a list of system actions, or you can type a custom keyboard sequence. I use this to turn a three-finger tap in Photoshop into Command-Shift-E, which merges visible layers.
4. Test it in the target app. Open that application and try the gesture. If it fires the wrong action, go back and adjust the rule. BetterTouchTool lets you set a global shortcut to toggle gesture detection on and off, which helps during testing.
5. Repeat for other apps. You can build a library of app-specific rules. The same three-finger tap can do different things in Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and Safari.

Once you get a handful of these working, you start noticing how much reaching for the menu bar or remembering odd key combos you don't use every day. The clipboard manager also helps here: you can assign a gesture to open the clipboard history, grab a previous copy, and paste it without touching the keyboard.

Choose which shortcuts and gestures it manages

Set different gesture sets for trackpad and mouse

BetterTouchTool lets you choose which shortcuts and gestures it manages. You decide the triggers. If an app already uses a shortcut you want to keep, you can either assign a different gesture in BetterTouchTool or set the rule to only fire when the app isn't using that shortcut. It's built to layer on top of your existing setup, not replace it.

Does it slow down the system?

The app runs as a background process and only acts when it detects a trigger you've defined. It doesn't scan all input or log everything you do. On any machine that meets the requirements, it should feel invisible until you need it.

All custom shortcuts stop working after uninstalling

Yes. You can set different gesture sets for the trackpad and for an external mouse. I use three-finger gestures on the trackpad and assign different gestures to my Magic Mouse. BetterTouchTool keeps them separate, so you can have one set of actions for when you're on the go and another for when you've got a full mouse.

Focuses on text expansion and scripted macros instead

All custom shortcuts, gestures, and Touch Bar widgets stop working. Standard macOS shortcuts and gestures remain exactly as they were before you installed BetterTouchTool. There's no permanent change to your system.

First days after installation

Start small. Pick one repetitive task you do every day and build a shortcut or gesture for it. Maybe that's opening a folder you access constantly or running a terminal command you type from memory. Keep it to three or four rules for the first week.

Use the clipboard manager early. It stores everything you copy, and you can pull from it with a gesture or a shortcut. It's one of those features that becomes habitual fast, so get comfortable with it while your rule set is still small.

Check the log. BetterTouchTool includes a log that shows what triggers you've activated and whether they fired correctly. If a gesture isn't working, the log will tell you why. Most of the time it's because the app you're targeting was in focus but the rule was set for a different application name.

Don't set gestures for system-wide use yet. Keep everything app-specific until you're sure the trigger you chose won't clash with something unexpected. A three-finger swipe that closes a window in one app might do something you don't want in another.

Keeps shortcuts and gestures separate for trackpad and mouse

BetterTouchTool sits in a category that includes Keyboard Maestro, BTT (BetterTouchTool's predecessor, now renamed), and a few smaller utilities. Here's how they differ.

Keyboard Maestro focuses on text expansion and scripted macros. It's excellent for automating typing-heavy tasks and launching sequences of actions, but it doesn't handle trackpad gestures, Touch Bar widgets, or the gesture drawing recognition that BetterTouchTool offers. If your workflow is mostly keyboard-driven and text-oriented, Keyboard Maestro is a strong alternative. If you want to use the trackpad or a remote, BetterTouchTool has more reach.

BTT, the earlier version of this same developer's work, is still used by some people who prefer an older approach or don't need the newer features. BetterTouchTool includes the screenshot tool, the clipboard manager, and the custom widget creation that BTT lacks. For anyone starting fresh, BetterTouchTool is the more complete package.

There are also small utilities like Gesture or TouchBarHelper that handle one or two of these features. They're lightweight and cheap, but they don't tie everything into a single interface. BetterTouchTool's advantage is that you set up keyboard shortcuts, trackpad gestures, mouse clicks, and Touch Bar actions in one place, and they all work together. BetterTouchTool unifies trackpad, keyboard, and mouse customization, but a better touch tool crack risks instability and lacks official updates.

• Version 6.726 is the current release.

• macOS 10.15 or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel 64-bit