MacChat: LaunchBar Deep Dive and Finder Preferences Unlocked

Summary:
Chris and Michael catch up on the latest macOS Sequoia 15.4 update, sharing what’s working better—and what still needs a workaround. From new Braille fixes to ditching Apple’s Mail categories, they cover practical improvements for VoiceOver users. Michael walks through how LaunchBar has become his go-to for blazing-fast app launching and file actions, and Chris breaks down tips for customizing Finder views to better suit your workflow.

You’ll also hear about a hidden setting that makes Windows behave more like macOS inside Parallels, plus browser tricks for reading ChatGPT messages more reliably with VoiceOver.

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Shortcuts & Tips Mentioned:

LaunchBar:

• Command + Space: Open LaunchBar
• Type abbreviation → Hold last letter to launch app instantly
• Command + Option + A: Assign abbreviation
• Tab: Open file actions
• Command + Option + \\: Open clipboard history
• Command + C → Command + CC: Clip merge for copying multiple items

Finder View Modes:

• Command + 1: Icon View
• Command + 2: List View
• Command + 3: Column View
• Command + 4: Gallery View
• Finder → Preferences (Command + ,) → Advanced →
  Check “Keep folders on top when sorting by name”

Parallels Desktop:

• Command + , → Shortcuts → Set “Mac system shortcuts” to Always
• Use SharpKeys to remap Command and Alt keys in Windows
• Command + F4: Closes a Windows window if you’ve adjusted key mappings

VoiceOver & ChatGPT:

• Command + Shift + C: Copy last ChatGPT message (Web)
• Shift + Escape: Jump back to ChatGPT input field
• VO + Shift + C: Copy last spoken phrase
• VO + Shift + Z: Save last spoken phrase as audio to desktop

Emoji Access:

• LaunchBar → Type emo → Right Arrow to browse categories
• On Windows: Windows + . opens emoji picker

Other Tips:

• Safari echo bug? Try Chrome for better typing feedback

• Want all your emails back in one place?
  Mail > View > Uncheck “Show Categories”

• F1–F12 not doing what’s printed on the key?
  System Settings → Keyboard → Enable “Use F1, F2, etc. as standard function keys”

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