macOS Commands
macOS Universal Commands gives you instant access to over 80 macOS system-level functions — assignable to any MetaGrid Pro button. Control Mission Control, window tiling, screenshots, brightness, volume, audio outputs, and more — all without Keyboard Maestro, Apple Shortcuts, or memorizing keyboard shortcuts.
Getting Started
- Open the Macro Editor for any button.
- Tap Add Action (the + button at the bottom).
- In the Automation section, tap macOS Commands.
- Browse commands by category and select one to assign.
When you open the macOS Commands picker for the first time, MetaGrid Pro requests the command catalog from your connected Mac. MetaServer reads your system settings and audio devices, then sends the full catalog to your iPad.
Tip: Tap the Refresh button in the picker to reload the catalog from your Mac — useful if you've changed system shortcuts or plugged in a new audio device.
Command Categories
Mission Control & Spaces
Control Mission Control, App Expose, Show Desktop, and switch or move windows between Spaces. These commands use whatever keyboard shortcuts you've configured in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > Mission Control.
Window Tiling (macOS 15+)
Tile the frontmost window to any screen position: Left, Right, Top, Bottom, all four corners, Fill, Centre, and Return to Previous Size. These execute via the Window > Move & Resize menu of the frontmost app. Available on macOS Sequoia (15.0) and later only.
Screenshots
All five screenshot modes: Screenshot to File, Screenshot Selection to File, Screenshot Toolbar, Screenshot to Clipboard, and Screenshot Selection to Clipboard. Uses your configured screenshot shortcuts.
Display & Media
Hardware-level controls that work regardless of your F-key setting:
- Brightness — Increase / Decrease display brightness
- Keyboard Brightness — Increase / Decrease keyboard backlight
- Volume — Volume Up, Volume Down, Mute
- Media — Play/Pause, Next Track, Previous Track
- Volume Presets — Set Volume to 0%, 50%, or 100%
Audio Output
Switch your Mac's audio output device with a single tap. MetaServer scans all connected output devices (built-in speakers, headphones, audio interfaces, Bluetooth devices) and creates a command for each one. Tap to switch instantly.
Also includes Restart Audio Engine — restarts the macOS Core Audio daemon. Useful when audio stops working or an audio interface becomes unresponsive.
Note: Audio device IDs may change after a reboot. MetaServer falls back to matching by device name if the stored ID is no longer valid.
Apple Menu
System-level commands from the Apple menu:
- Lock Screen — Locks immediately
- Sleep / Restart / Shut Down / Log Out
- Sleep Display — Turns off the display
- Start Screen Saver
- Force Quit — Opens the Force Quit dialog
Appearance
- Toggle Dark Mode — Switches between Light and Dark appearance
- Toggle Stage Manager — Enables or disables Stage Manager (macOS 13+)
Connectivity
- Toggle Wi-Fi — Turns Wi-Fi on or off
- Toggle Bluetooth — Turns Bluetooth on or off
Accessibility
- Toggle VoiceOver
- Toggle Zoom
- Accessibility Shortcut Panel
Focus Navigation
Move keyboard focus to specific UI elements:
- Focus Menu Bar, Focus Dock, Focus Window Toolbar, Focus Floating Window, Focus Status Menus
Productivity
- Context Menu at Cursor — Opens a right-click context menu at the text caret position. Perfect for spelling corrections without reaching for the mouse.
- Clear Clipboard — Empties the clipboard
- Paste as Plain Text — Pastes without formatting
- Close All Windows — Closes all windows of the frontmost app
- Type Current Date / Type Current Time — Types the current date or time at the cursor
Text Transformations
Select text in any app, then tap:
- UPPERCASE Selection — Converts to ALL CAPS
- lowercase Selection — Converts to all lowercase
- Capitalize Selection — Capitalizes Each Word
These work by copying the selection, transforming it, and pasting it back.
System
- Toggle Caps Lock
- Spotlight Search / Spotlight in Finder
- Notification Center
- Do Not Disturb
- Show/Hide Dock
- Next / Previous Input Source
- Show Launchpad / Siri
- Empty Trash
- Start Dictation
How It Works
MetaServer builds the command catalog at runtime using five execution methods:
| Method | Used For |
|---|---|
| Keyboard shortcuts | Mission Control, Spaces, Screenshots, Focus — reads your actual shortcuts from symbolichotkeys |
| Menu click | Window Tiling — clicks menu items in the frontmost app via Accessibility |
| HID key events | Brightness, Volume, Media — posts hardware-level events directly |
| AppleScript | Apple Menu, Appearance, Clipboard, Text — executes system scripts |
| CoreAudio API | Audio Output switching — uses native macOS audio APIs |
Requirements
- MetaServer 6.1.0 or later on Mac (macOS 12+)
- Window Tiling commands require macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later
- Stage Manager toggle requires macOS 13 (Ventura) or later
- Bluetooth toggle requires Python 3 (pre-installed on macOS)
Limitations
- Mac only — macOS Universal Commands are not available when connected to a Windows PC.
- Keyboard shortcuts reflect user settings — if a shortcut is disabled in System Settings, the command appears greyed out in the picker.
- Audio devices are runtime-specific — the device list updates when you refresh the catalog. Device IDs may change after a reboot.
- Text transformations modify the clipboard temporarily.
- Window Tiling menu items use English names. On non-English macOS, tiling commands may not work in all apps.