Keyboard Shortcuts

Complete reference of all keyboard shortcuts in Jean

Overview

Jean is keyboard-first. Nearly every action has a shortcut. This guide documents all default keybindings organized by category.

Note: Mod means Cmd on Mac, Ctrl on Windows/Linux.

All shortcuts are customizable in Preferences → Keybindings.

Navigation

Shortcut	Action	Description
Mod+B	Toggle left sidebar	Show or hide the projects sidebar
Mod+,	Open preferences	Open the preferences dialog
Mod+O	Open in…	Open current worktree in editor, terminal, or finder
Mod+N	New worktree	Create a new worktree in the current project
Mod+Shift+T	Restore archived	Restore the most recently archived worktree or session
/	Focus canvas search	Focus the search input on canvas views
Mod+Shift+D	GitHub Dashboard	Open the GitHub Dashboard (issues, PRs, security across all projects)
Mod+.	Quick menu	Open the floating quick menu
Mod+Shift+F	Finished sessions	Open the finished/unread sessions popover

Git Operations

Shortcut	Action	Description
Mod+Shift+C	Open commit modal	Open the git commit dialog
Mod+G	Open git diff	Open the git diff view for uncommitted changes
Mod+M	Magic commands	Open magic git commands menu
Mod+R	Execute run	Start or stop the run script in current workspace

Chat and Sessions

Shortcut	Action	Description
Mod+L	Focus chat input	Move focus to the chat textarea
Mod+T	New session	Create a new chat session
Mod+Alt+→	Next session	Switch to the next chat session
Mod+Alt+←	Previous session	Switch to the previous chat session
Mod+W	Close session	Close the current session, or remove worktree if last session
Mod+S	Toggle label	Mark/unmark session with “Needs testing” label
Shift+Tab	Cycle execution mode	Cycle through Plan, Build, and Yolo modes
`Mod+“	Toggle terminal	Show or hide the terminal panel
Mod+↑	Scroll chat up	Scroll the chat message list up by one page
Mod+↓	Scroll chat down	Scroll the chat message list down by one page
Mod+Alt+Backspace	Cancel prompt	Cancel the running Claude process for the current session

Plan Approval

Shortcut	Action	Description
Mod+Enter	Approve plan	Approve the current plan in planning mode
Mod+Y	Approve plan (YOLO)	Approve the current plan with YOLO mode
Mod+Shift+Y	Clear context and yolo	Approve plan, clear context, and start a new yolo session
Mod+Shift+Enter	Clear context and build	Approve plan, clear context, and start a new build session
P	Open plan	Open the plan dialog for the selected session (canvas view)
R	Open recap	Open the session recap dialog for the selected session (canvas view)

Model Selection

Shortcut	Action	Description
Mod+Shift+P	Open provider dropdown	Open the provider selector dropdown
Mod+Shift+M	Open model dropdown	Open the model selector dropdown
Mod+Shift+E	Open thinking dropdown	Open the thinking/effort level dropdown

Canvas View Navigation

When in canvas view (press / to enter):

Shortcut	Action	Description
Arrow Keys	Navigate cards	Move selection between session cards
Enter	Open session	Open the selected session in chat view
P	Open plan	Open the plan dialog for selected session
R	Open recap	Open the recap dialog for selected session
/	Focus search	Focus the search input to filter sessions
Escape	Clear selection	Clear current selection

Default Shortcuts by Category

Here’s the complete list extracted from the source code:

Navigation (14 shortcuts)

Complete Navigation Shortcuts

• Mod+B: Toggle left sidebar
• Mod+,: Open preferences
• Mod+O: Open in editor/terminal/finder
• Mod+N: New worktree
• Mod+Shift+T: Restore last archived
• /: Focus canvas search
• Mod+Shift+D: GitHub Dashboard
• Mod+.: Quick menu
• Mod+Shift+F: Finished sessions
• Mod+R: Execute run script

Git (4 shortcuts)

Complete Git Shortcuts

• Mod+Shift+C: Open commit modal
• Mod+G: Open git diff
• Mod+M: Magic commands menu

Chat (23 shortcuts)

Complete Chat Shortcuts

• Mod+L: Focus chat input
• Mod+T: New session
• Mod+Alt+→: Next session
• Mod+Alt+←: Previous session
• Mod+W: Close session or worktree
• Mod+S: Toggle “Needs testing” label
• Shift+Tab: Cycle execution mode (Plan/Build/Yolo)
• Mod+Enter: Approve plan
• Mod+Y: Approve plan (YOLO mode)
• Mod+Shift+Y: Approve plan, clear context, start yolo
• Mod+Shift+Enter: Approve plan, clear context, start build
• P: Open plan dialog (canvas view)
• R: Open recap dialog (canvas view)
• `Mod+“: Toggle terminal panel
• Mod+↑: Scroll chat up
• Mod+↓: Scroll chat down
• Mod+Alt+Backspace: Cancel current prompt
• Mod+Shift+P: Open provider dropdown
• Mod+Shift+M: Open model dropdown
• Mod+Shift+E: Open thinking level dropdown

Customizing Shortcuts

1. Open Keybindings

   Press Mod+, to open Preferences, then go to the Keybindings tab.

2. Find the Shortcut

   Use the category tabs (Navigation, Git, Chat) or search for the action name.

3. Edit the Shortcut

   Click on the current shortcut to edit it. Press your desired key combination.

   Jean will detect conflicts and warn you if the shortcut is already used.

4. Save Changes

   Changes are saved automatically. Test the new shortcut immediately to verify it works.

5. Reset to Defaults

   If you make a mistake, click Reset All to Defaults to restore Jean’s built-in shortcuts.

Tips for Efficient Navigation

Master the Canvas View: Press / to enter canvas view, use arrow keys to navigate, and Enter to open sessions. This is faster than clicking in the sidebar.

Use Quick Menu for Rare Actions: Press Mod+. and type the action name (e.g., “archive”, “merge”, “review”). This is faster than opening the Magic Modal for infrequent commands.

Memorize Session Switching: Mod+Alt+→ and Mod+Alt+← let you cycle through sessions without touching the mouse. Pair with Mod+T to create new sessions instantly.

Plan Approval Shortcuts Save Time: Learn Mod+Enter (approve), Mod+Y (yolo), Mod+Shift+Y (clear context + yolo). These avoid opening the plan dialog entirely.

Focus Chat Input from Anywhere: Mod+L always focuses the chat input, no matter where you are in the UI. Use it to quickly type follow-up messages.

Common Pitfalls

OS-Level Conflicts: Some shortcuts may conflict with your OS or other apps. For example:

• Mod+W closes windows in browsers
• Mod+M minimizes windows on Windows
• Mod+L locks the screen on some Linux distros

Solution: Customize conflicting shortcuts in Preferences → Keybindings.

Canvas View Shortcuts Only Work in Canvas View: Shortcuts like P (open plan) and R (open recap) only work when you’re in the canvas view, not in the chat view.

Solution: Press / to enter canvas view first, or use the Magic Modal (Mod+M) to access these actions from anywhere.

Modifier Key Confusion: Mod means Cmd on Mac but Ctrl on Windows/Linux. If a shortcut doesn’t work, double-check you’re using the correct modifier.

Solution: Look at the displayed shortcuts in the UI (they show the correct modifier for your OS).

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS

• Mod = Cmd (⌘)
• Alt = Option (⌥)
• Jean uses native macOS shortcuts where possible (e.g., Cmd+, for preferences)

Windows

• Mod = Ctrl
• Alt = Alt
• Some shortcuts may conflict with Windows defaults (e.g., Alt+Tab for app switching)

Linux

• Mod = Ctrl
• Alt = Alt
• Window manager shortcuts may conflict (e.g., Ctrl+Alt+Arrow for workspace switching)
• Consider customizing conflicting shortcuts in Preferences

Quick Reference Card

Print or save this for quick lookup:

=== JEAN KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS ===

Navigation:
  Mod+B        Toggle sidebar
  Mod+,        Preferences
  Mod+N        New worktree
  Mod+O        Open in...
  Mod+.        Quick menu

Git:
  Mod+M        Magic commands
  Mod+G        Git diff
  Mod+Shift+C  Commit

Chat:
  Mod+L        Focus input
  Mod+T        New session
  Mod+W        Close session
  Mod+Alt+→    Next session
  Mod+Alt+←    Previous session
  Shift+Tab    Cycle mode

Plan:
  Mod+Enter    Approve
  Mod+Y        Approve (YOLO)
  Mod+Shift+Y  Clear + YOLO
  P            Open plan
  R            Open recap

Canvas:
  /            Focus search
  Arrows       Navigate
  Enter        Open session

(Mod = Cmd on Mac, Ctrl on Windows/Linux)

Next Steps

• Customization - Customize keybindings and more
• Managing Sessions - Use shortcuts to manage sessions efficiently
• Using Magic Commands - Access magic commands via keyboard