How to Set Up Boomkey on Mac: Installation, Permissions, and Settings

Boomkey is a menu bar app for Mac that converts text typed in the wrong keyboard layout. Setup takes about two minutes: install the app, grant one system permission, and check a few settings. This guide walks through each step.

Before you start

Boomkey needs:

• macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later - runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel.
• At least two keyboard layouts installed in macOS. If you only have one, add the second in System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit… → +.

Step 1: Install the app

1. Download Boomkey from boomkey.pro. The version from the site comes with a 7-day trial - no card, no account, no email required.
2. Open the downloaded .dmg and drag Boomkey into the Applications folder.
3. Launch Boomkey. Its icon appears in the menu bar - the app has no Dock icon or separate window.

Step 2: Grant Accessibility permission

On first launch, Boomkey asks for Accessibility permission. macOS requires it for any app that replaces text you typed - without it, Boomkey cannot work.

1. When prompted, click through to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
2. Turn on the toggle next to Boomkey.

This is the only permission the app asks for. Text is processed on your Mac; the app goes online only to check the license and look for updates. Password fields are always left alone.

Step 3: Try the hotkey

Type a word in the wrong layout - for example, your name with the wrong language active - then double-tap Shift. The word is converted in place and the layout switches to the correct one.

The hotkey works with any pair of alphabetic layouts: Latin, Cyrillic, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Georgian, Armenian, and Korean (2-set) scripts.

Step 4: Adjust the settings

Click the menu bar icon and open the settings. The tabs you'll actually use:

General

• Hotkey - double Shift by default. You can switch it to double Option, double Control, or double Command if double Shift conflicts with something in your workflow.
• Correction sound - an optional sound when a correction happens, off by default.

Languages

• All keyboard layouts installed in macOS are listed here. Unsupported ones are shown but excluded from correction.
• Auto-Correction Pair (beta) - the pair of layouts for automatic fixing as you type (correction fires on space). The pair must combine one Latin and one Cyrillic or Hebrew layout - for example English + Ukrainian. The double-Shift hotkey doesn't need this pair and works with all supported layouts.
• Layout cycling - choose which layouts the switching shortcut cycles through. Unchecked layouts stay installed in macOS but get skipped.

Apps

Boomkey is off by default in code editors (VS Code, Xcode, JetBrains IDEs, and others) and terminals, because variable names and shell commands look like typos to any corrector. You can turn auto-fix or the hotkey back on for any individual app here, or add your own exceptions.

Step 5: Activate the license (after purchase)

The trial runs for 7 days with everything enabled. After buying:

1. Open the About tab in settings and click Activate.
2. Paste the email and license key from your purchase email.

One license covers up to 2 Macs. To move to a new Mac, deactivate the old device in the same About tab.

Quick recap

• Download from boomkey.pro, drag to Applications, launch from the menu bar.
• Grant Accessibility permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
• Double-tap Shift on a wrongly typed word to convert it.
• Set the auto-fix language pair in Languages, tweak per-app behavior in Apps.
• Activate with your email + license key in the About tab after purchase.