Keyboard shortcuts
In this page, Cmd means the Command key on macOS and the Ctrl key on Windows and Linux; Genie treats both the same way. Alt is the Option key on macOS. The menus print shortcuts as, for example, CMD+ALT+T, and the command palette prints them with symbols (⌘⌥T).
App-wide shortcuts
These work anywhere in a project workspace. They are also listed next to their entries in the File, Edit, View and Window menus and in the command palette.
| Shortcut | Action | Menu | Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cmd+K | Open the command palette | View → Command Palette… | Always |
| Cmd+1 | Switch to Analysis mode | View → Switch to Analysis Mode | With the assistant on |
| Cmd+2 | Switch to Genome mode | View → Switch to Genome Mode | With the assistant on |
| Cmd+Alt+G | New chat | File → New Chat | With the assistant on |
| Cmd+Alt+Y | Show or hide the chat history | File → Show History / Hide History | With the assistant on |
| Cmd+Alt+R | Rename the current chat | Edit → Rename Session | With the assistant on and a chat selected |
| Cmd+Backspace | Delete the current chat | Edit → Delete Session | With the assistant on and a chat selected; not while typing in a field |
| Cmd+Alt+A | Open the Project Assets dialog | File → Open Project Assets… | Always |
| Cmd+Alt+T | Open the Track Manager | File → Open Track Manager… | Genome mode |
| Cmd+Alt+Shift+T | Show or hide the Track Manager | View → Show Track Manager / Hide Track Manager | Genome mode |
| Cmd+Alt+Shift+R | Refresh project data (assets, chats, models, analysis state, and in Genome mode the track list) | Window → Refresh Data | Always |
How these shortcuts behave:
- They also fire while you are typing in a text field, except Delete Session, which is ignored while focus is in an input, text area or drop-down.
- While the command palette is open, only Cmd+K is active.
- A shortcut for a disabled menu item does nothing.
- When a shortcut runs, its menu title briefly highlights in the menu bar.
- Rename Session opens a browser prompt titled "Rename chat" with the current name.
- Delete Session from the menu or the shortcut deletes the current chat straight away, without a confirm step. Deleting from the chat history list uses the two-step confirm described below.
Actions without a shortcut (use the menu or the command palette): Open Remote Tracks…, Open Public Data Hubs…, Export Image, Show / Hide Public Data Hubs, Reset Panel Split, Close Track Manager Sheet, Close Public Data Hubs Sheet, Close Remote Tracks.
If a web browser reserves one of these combinations for itself, use the menu entry or the command palette instead. The desktop app does not have browser tab shortcuts competing for the same keys.
Menus and the command palette
| Where | Key | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Open menu | ← / → | Move to the previous or next menu |
| Open menu | ↑ / ↓ | Move between items |
| Open menu | Enter | Run the highlighted item |
| Open menu | Esc | Close the menu |
| Command palette | type | Filter commands |
| Command palette | ↑ / ↓ | Move between commands |
| Command palette | Enter | Run the highlighted command |
| Command palette | Esc | Close the palette |
Genome browser
| Where | Key or modifier | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom buttons | click | +1 / -1: zoom in or out 2× |
| Zoom buttons | Shift+click | +1/3 / -1/3: zoom to 2/3 or 4/3 of the span |
| Zoom buttons | Alt+click (Option on macOS) | +5 / -5: zoom to 1/5 of the span or 5× |
| Track area | drag | Pan |
| Track right-click menu | Esc | Close the menu |
The zoom button labels change while you hold Shift or Alt, so you can see which step a click will use. If both are held, Alt wins. See Navigation.
Gene search box
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| ↓ / ↑ | Move through suggestions or transcripts |
| Enter | Choose the highlighted entry, or search for exactly what you typed |
| Esc | Close the suggestion or transcript list |
Public landing browser
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter in the Region box | Jump to the typed region (same as Go) |
Chat
| Where | Key | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Composer | Enter | Send the message |
| Composer | Shift+Enter | New line |
| Model and effort menu | Esc | Close the menu without changing the selection |
| Image or HTML artifact opened full screen | Esc | Close it |
| Evidence panel (opened from a citation chip) | Esc | Close it |
| Chat history list | Enter or Space on a chat | Open that chat |
Dialogs, sheets and Esc
Esc closes these panels. For the three sheets and the Project Assets dialog, if an application menu is open at the same time, the first Esc closes only the menu.
| Panel | Esc closes it |
|---|---|
| Command palette | Yes |
| Track Manager sheet | Yes |
| Public Data Hubs sheet | Yes |
| Track Inspector sheet | Yes |
| Remote Tracks dialog | Yes |
| Project Assets dialog | Yes |
| Share dialog | Yes |
| Evidence panel | Yes |
| Browser Full Screen overlay | No; use Close or click outside the overlay |
Projects home
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| ↑ / ↓ | Move the selection in the project list (when focus is not in a text field) |
| Enter | Open the selected project; in the Project name field, go to the genome picker |
Renaming
When you rename a project or a chat from its ⋯ menu, or rename the project by clicking its title in the workspace, the current name is pre-selected.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter | Save the new name |
| Esc | Cancel and keep the old name |
Confirm to delete
Several destructive actions use a two-step button: click Delete once and it turns into Confirm; click Confirm within 2 seconds to go ahead. If you wait longer, it reverts to Delete. In the ⋯ menus, clicking elsewhere also cancels.
This applies to:
- deleting a project from the projects home (⋯ → Delete),
- deleting a chat from the chat history list (⋯ → Delete),
- deleting an asset from the Project Assets list (⋯ → Delete),
- deleting a track in the Remote Tracks dialog (Delete on the track's card),
- deleting a saved output in Analysis mode (Delete next to Open).
Remove in the Track Manager and Remove track in the right-click menu act immediately.