How can I change keyboard shortcut bindings in Visual Studio Code?

Question

Using Visual Studio Code what is the procedure to:

• Remap a built in command's keyboard shortcut. For example, say, Open File (default is Ctrl+O, it's unlikely that anyone would actually change this, but the same process should probably apply for any built in shortcut).

• Remap an extension command's keyboard shortcut, say the Bookmark extension's toggle-bookmark (default Ctrl+Alt+K)

IN 2015, this involved editing configuration JSON files, but I don't know which one, or how. In 2021 there's a new UI, how do I find it?

Answer 1

Click File -> Preferences -> Keyboard shortcuts. Use the tab that opens up to edit and find available key bindings and assign them.

Open the keybindings.json file using the button in the tab-bar (screenshot below)

---

Historical Note: In very early versions of visual studio code, you would Click File -> Preferences -> Keyboard shortcuts and you would get JSON like this keybindings.json:

// Place your key bindings in this file to overwrite the defaults
[
    { "key": "ctrl+o", "command": "workbench.action.files.openFile" },

    { "key": "ctrl+alt+k", "command": "bookmarks.toggle", "when": "editorTextFocus" }
]

Answer 2

If you want to change the advance settings of keyboard shortcut such as when then you can follow these steps:

Update:(Thanks @phdoerfler for pointing it out that icon has changed)

File->Preferences->Keyboard Shortcuts Click on icon on top right corner that says "Open Keyboard Shortcuts(JSON)" to open JSON version and place the keybinding.

You can find this in Documentation here.

Answer 3

The way to open the JSON file changed yet again in a recent version.

You need to click the middle of the three buttons in the tab bar.

You only need to do that if the change you need isn't possible on the normal settings screen.

Answer 4

On Windows:

• go to File -> Preferences -> Keyboard shortcuts,
• or press Ctrl+K, then Ctrl+S,
• or edit %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\keybindings.json file

On Mac:

• go to Code -> Preferences -> Keyboard shortcuts,
• or press Cmd+K, then Cmd+S

Keep in mind you can type things like shift ctrl c in the Search input in Keyboard Shortcuts panel to find commands by their keybindings.

Here you can find documentation which among other stuff contains also information about what When conditions you can use.

Answer 5

1. ctrl + shift + p
2. Type open keyboard shortcut in the search bar

3. It opens keyboard Shortcuts. Here you can customize shortcuts.

(For extra info follow from 4th point)

4. There at the top right corner click on open keyboard shortcuts (JSON) (Refer to the image)

5. There you can modify the key, command, and when. That is also cool.

I tried

{
    "key": "ctrl+a",
    "command": "workbench.action.terminal.selectAll",
    "when": "terminalFocus && !isMac"
}

by this now I can select all in vscode terminal

Answer 6

The latest version of Visual Studio Code 1.11.0 provides a rich and easy keyboard shortcuts editing experience using a new Keyboard Shortcuts editor. Read more here on their website.

Answer 7

FYI on mac the keybindings.json file sits there:

/Users/your_user_name/Library/Application Support/Code/User/keybindings.json

Answer 8

I will not repeat others answers! And if like me! You get to install a mapping extension!

My prefered is Visual studio keys map

And the question would have been how you select it! How you change it ! Can we install multiples! And select between them!

First here some useful links about key binding and shortcuts

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/keybindings

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/tips-and-tricks

And before any, know that you can get to the keymaps extension by using the bottom left settings button for settings context menu! As in the picture bellow:

or through file>Preferences>keymap

Then you have to install one of the keymaps

The thing to know is that it will take place and make the changes right away!

What if you install another?

The new one take over! Or some mix! I couldn't tell! And you may have problems!

How you change from one to another?

Remove the old ! remove the new one! And install it again! That's the way that i found it works! Disabling and reenabling didn't work!

And better always let only one installed at a time!

Unfortunitly as by Now 2020-05-08 no options to select between keys mapping exist!

Undo a keymap

Just remove! You may need to restart the editor!

Restart the editor

Also note that if you uninstalled all and reinstalled the one you want! And changes didn't take place! Close the editor and reopen it! That's help!

I hope that's help and may be save you some searching time!

And sure in the future we will have better handling! As vscode is just keeping getting more awesome and awesome! So an option to select and better handling will is expected to be added! And we will wait for it!

Answer 9

On Windows: Ctrl + K, then S

On Mac: ⌘ + K then ⌘ + S

This opens Keyboard Shortcuts Editor. It's searchable/filterable by either shortcut name or the key combination itself (example: type "ctrl" to see all bindings to the CTRL key.)

Image: vscode search keyword shortcuts panel

Answer 10

To change keybord shortcut bindings in vs go to settings > Keyboard shortcuts

Then You will see this kind of page. In this red color box as I highlighted here you can insert the features such as delete, delete left these kind of activities you can search and then you can edit the keybindings as you wish.

also when you get your mouse pointer near some command it shows pen type icon to edit that specific key. Like this

Bu clicking that one you can add preferred key bindings as well like this.

Answer 11

On a Mac, if you prefer the same behavior for the home and end keys as in ubuntu, which is to go to the beginning or end of the line when these keys are pressed, edit your keybindings.json file like this

[
  {
    "key": "home",
    "command": "cursorLineStart",
    "when": "editorTextFocus"
  },
  {
    "key": "end",
    "command": "cursorLineEnd",
    "when": "editorTextFocus"
  },
]

Answer 12

On Windows:

• window icon, type %APPDATA%
• now, search for keybindins.json file
• from microsoft quick reference to create/modify shortcuts

On Linux / OSx

I didnt do that but, I guess you can find for the keybindins.json file too

find /usr/bin/code -name keybindins.json

If you can't get the right path, do that:

whereis vscode
or
wheis code

Answer 13

1. Open Key Shortcuts from Preferences -> Keyboard Shortcuts
2. Search for the action in search field
3. Right click on one of the results and select "Show same keybindings"
4. Delete the conflicting key binding!