How to add Ctrl + Alt + T keyboard shortcut similar to Linux to open Terminal on MacOS (⌃ + ⌘ + T 2025 how-to guide)

On macOS there is no global “open Terminal” shortcut out of the box.

• Option (⌥)+⌘+T is already used in Finder to show/hide the toolbar.
• Control (⌃)+⌘+T isn’t assigned system-wide (only in some apps for context-specific commands), so it’s free to grab for a global hot-key.

Below is a Linux-style setup using Automator + System Settings so that ⌃+⌘+T will launch Terminal no matter which app you’re in.

---

1. Create a “Quick Action” in Automator

1. Open Automator (in /Applications or via Spotlight).

2. Choose New Document, then select Quick Action (aka “Service”), click Choose.

3. At the top of the workflow area set:

   • Workflow receives: no input
   • in: any application

4. In the left Library pane, search for Run Shell Script, then drag it into the workflow.

5. In the shell-script box:

   • Shell: /bin/zsh (or /bin/bash—whichever you use)

     • Default is /bin/zsh, of course

   • Script:

     open -a Terminal

   • (You can also use open -a "iTerm" if you prefer iTerm.)

6. Save the Quick Action (⌘+S) with the name:

   Open Terminal
   

---

2. Assign ⌃+⌘+T as the Global Shortcut

Depending on your macOS version the UI may be under System Settings or System Preferences.

1. Open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts. (In older macOS: System Preferences → Keyboard → Shortcuts tab.)
2. From the sidebar select Services (or Quick Actions).
3. Scroll until you see your Open Terminal service under General.
4. Click on it, then click add shortcut, and press Control+Command+T.
5. Close Settings.

---

3. Test It

1. Switch to any app (Safari, Mail, Finder—even full-screen).
2. Press ⌃+⌘+T.
3. A new Terminal window should pop right up.

Now you have a true Linux-style “open terminal” hot-key on macOS.

---

How to add "Open in Terminal" on right-click menu to Finder on MacOS (the right way)

1. Open Automator and create a new Quick Action

   • Launch Automator (via Spotlight or /Applications/Automator.app).
   • Click New Document → choose Quick Action → Choose.

2. Configure the Quick Action’s input At the top of the workflow pane set:

   • Workflow receives current → folders
   • in → Finder.app
   • Input is → Enabled

3. Add a “Run AppleScript” action

   • In the left Library, search for Run AppleScript and drag it into the workflow.
   • Replace its default code with the following:

   on run {input, parameters}
       -- Process each selected folder
       repeat with theItem in input
           set thePath to POSIX path of theItem
           tell application "Terminal"
               activate
               -- open a new window/tab and cd into the folder
               do script "cd " & quoted form of thePath
           end tell
       end repeat
       return input
   end run

   This tells Terminal to open (if not already) and run cd /path/to/selected-folder in a new window/tab for each selected folder.

4. Save the Quick Action

   • Hit ⌘S, name it exactly:

     Open in Terminal
     

   • Close Automator.

5. Enable it in Finder’s contextual menu

   • In Finder, right-click any folder → Quick Actions (or Services on older macOS) → you should see Open in Terminal.
   • Selecting it runs your Automator action and pops open Terminal at that folder’s path.

---

Tip: If you’d like it to appear all the way at the top of your right-click menu, open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Quick Actions (or Services), find Open in Terminal, and check Show in Context Menu or assign it a hotkey.

---

Author: @tekk - Ing. Peter Javorsky, 2025 License: Creative Commons