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First, check the basics: Is Alter actually running? Look for the Alter icon in your menu bar at the top of your screen.

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What’s happening?

You press your keyboard shortcut (default is Alt + Space), but:
  • Nothing happens at all
  • The quick menu doesn’t appear
  • It works in some apps but not others
Solution: Check what your shortcut is actually set to
  1. Open Alter (click the menu bar icon if needed)
  2. Press Cmd + , to open Settings
  3. Go to the Defaults tab
  4. Look at Open notch keybinding – this shows your current shortcut
  5. Press Alt + Space (or your preferred combo) to set it
Solution: Find the conflict and change itCommon apps that use Alt + Space:
  • Alfred
  • Raycast
  • Spotlight (sometimes)
  • Language switchers
Try a different shortcut:
  • Cmd + Shift + A
  • Ctrl + Option + Space
  • Fn + F12
Pick something you can easily remember and that no other app uses.
Solution: Check Accessibility permissionsAlter needs Accessibility permission to detect global hotkeys:
  1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
  2. Make sure Alter is in the list and enabled
  3. If it’s grayed out, click the lock icon and enter your password
  4. Toggle Alter off, then back on

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Quick test

After making changes:
  1. Click into any app (like Safari or Notes)
  2. Press your shortcut (Alt + Space or whatever you set)
  3. Success: The Alter notch/quick panel should appear immediately
Pro tip: You can also open Alter by hovering your mouse over the notch at the top of your screen. This bypasses keyboard shortcuts entirely!