How to change Flux shortcuts

Flux stores its keyboard shortcuts in a settings file you edit directly — there is no graphical menu for it. The file lives in a different location depending on your operating system. On Windows, open File Explorer and navigate to %APPDATA%\flux. On macOS, open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, and type ~/Library/Application Support/flux. On Linux, the file is at ~/.config/flux/settings.json.

Inside that folder, find the file called settings.json and open it with any text editor — Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on macOS (set to plain text mode), or nano on Linux all work. Look for a section labeled "shortcuts" or "keybindings". Each shortcut is listed as a key-value pair: the action name on the left, and the key combination on the right. Change the key combination to whatever you want, save the file, and restart Flux for the change to take effect.

Key Takeaways

  • Flux shortcuts are stored in a plain text settings file, not in a menu — you must edit the file directly with a text editor.
  • The settings file location depends on your operating system: %APPDATA%\flux on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/flux on macOS, and ~/.config/flux on Linux.
  • Each shortcut is listed as an action name paired with a key combination — change the key combination to your preferred keys.
  • You must restart Flux after saving the settings file for any shortcut changes to take effect.
  • Common key modifiers are Ctrl, Shift, Alt, and Cmd (macOS only) — combine them with a letter or number using a plus sign or hyphen depending on Flux's syntax.

Finding the settings file on your system

The location of the settings file depends on which operating system you use. Windows stores user settings in the AppData folder, which is normally hidden. Click the address bar in File Explorer, type %APPDATA%\flux, and press Enter — Windows will take you directly to the right folder. If the flux folder does not exist, create it yourself by right-clicking in the AppData folder, selecting New > Folder, and naming it flux.

On macOS, the settings live in your Library folder, which is also hidden by default. Open Finder, click the Go menu at the top, select Go to Folder, and type ~/Library/Application Support/flux. If the flux folder does not exist, create it the same way. On Linux, the path is ~/.config/flux — open a terminal and type mkdir -p ~/.config/flux if the folder does not already exist.

Understanding the settings.json format

The settings.json file uses a format called JSON, which is designed to be readable by both humans and programs. Each shortcut entry looks like this: "action_name": "Ctrl+K" or "toggle_window": "Cmd+Shift+F". The action name is in quotes on the left, followed by a colon, then the key combination in quotes on the right. If you see a comma at the end of a line, it means another entry follows — do not remove it unless you are deleting the entire line.

Key modifiers are written as Ctrl, Shift, Alt, or Cmd (macOS only), separated from the letter or number by a plus sign or hyphen. Check the existing shortcuts in your file to see which separator Flux uses — consistency matters. For example, if existing shortcuts use Ctrl+K, write your new shortcuts the same way. If they use Ctrl-K, follow that pattern instead.

Editing and saving your changes

Open settings.json with a plain text editor. On Windows, right-click the file, select Open With, and choose Notepad. On macOS, right-click the file, select Open With, and choose TextEdit — then go to Format menu and click Make Plain Text. On Linux, use nano ~/.config/flux/settings.json in a terminal. Do not use Word or any rich-text editor, because they add invisible formatting that will break the file.

Find the shortcut you want to change and replace the key combination with your new one. For example, if the current line reads "show_search": "Ctrl+F" and you want to change it to Ctrl+Shift+F, edit it to "show_search": "Ctrl+Shift+F". Make sure the quotes and colons stay in place — only the key combination itself should change. Save the file when you are done. On Windows and macOS, use Ctrl+S or Cmd+S. In nano on Linux, press Ctrl+O to save, then Ctrl+X to exit.

Restarting Flux to apply changes

Flux does not automatically reload the settings file while it is running. Close Flux completely — on Windows and Linux, right-click the system tray icon and select Quit or Exit. On macOS, click the Flux menu and select Quit Flux. Wait a few seconds, then open Flux again. Your new shortcuts should now be active.

If a shortcut does not work after you restart, the most common reason is a typo in the settings file. Check that the key combination is spelled correctly, that all quotes and colons are in place, and that the syntax matches the other shortcuts in the file. If you accidentally break the JSON format, Flux may fail to start — in that case, undo your changes or restore the file from a backup.

Common shortcut conflicts and how to avoid them

Some key combinations are already used by your operating system or other programs, and assigning them to Flux will not work. On Windows, Ctrl+Alt+Delete is reserved by the system. On macOS, Command+Space is used by Spotlight search. On all systems, Alt+Tab (or Cmd+Tab on macOS) switches between open programs. If you assign a Flux shortcut to one of these combinations, the system will intercept the keystroke before Flux sees it.

To avoid conflicts, choose combinations that are unlikely to be used elsewhere. Shortcuts with three modifiers — like Ctrl+Shift+Alt+K — are rarely claimed by other programs. You can also check what shortcuts your other frequently used programs use and pick something different. If you are unsure whether a shortcut is available, try it in Flux — if it does not work, change it to something else.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I make a mistake in the settings file?

If you introduce a syntax error — like a missing quote or colon — Flux may fail to start or ignore the shortcuts section entirely. The safest approach is to make one change at a time, save, restart Flux, and test it before making the next change. If Flux stops working, close it, undo your last edit, and try again.

Can I use the same shortcut for two different actions?

No. If you assign the same key combination to two actions, Flux will use whichever one is listed first in the file, and the second will be ignored. Each shortcut must be unique. If you want to reuse a key combination, you must remove it from the previous action first.

Do I need to restart my computer after changing shortcuts?

No. You only need to close and reopen Flux itself. Restarting your computer is not necessary and will not make the changes take effect any faster.

What if my text editor adds a file extension when I save?

Some editors automatically add .txt to plain text files. The file must be named exactly settings.json with no extension. If your editor added .txt, rename the file back to settings.json by right-clicking it, selecting Rename, and removing the .txt part.

Can I restore the default shortcuts if I mess them up?

Yes. Delete the settings.json file entirely, restart Flux, and it will recreate the file with default shortcuts. Alternatively, if you remember the original shortcut, you can edit the file and change it back manually.