Guide — How to use Ankylix

Setup

Before you start

Two one-time steps make everything work:

Grant permissions. On first launch Ankylix asks for Accessibility (to move and focus windows) and Input Monitoring (to read your keys in move/resize mode). You can review both, with live status, in Preferences → General → Permissions.
Set your shortcuts. Open Preferences → Shortcuts and choose a trigger key for each mode (Layouts, Move/Resize, Focus Switcher). These are the keys you'll press to enter each mode below.

Ankylix Preferences General tab showing Startup, Updates and a Permissions panel with Accessibility and Input Monitoring granted — Preferences → General — launch at login, automatic updates, and live Permissions status for Accessibility and Input Monitoring.

Ankylix Preferences Shortcuts tab with trigger and in-mode keys for Layout, Focus Switcher and Move/Resize, plus a keyboard layout selector — Preferences → Shortcuts — set a trigger and in-mode keys for every mode; the recorder follows QWERTY, Colemak, Colemak-DH or Dvorak.

💡 The core idea: enter a mode → read the letter hints on screen → press the key. Press esc at any time to cancel without changing anything.

Mode 1

Tiling layouts

Snap the focused window into a predefined zone. Trigger a layout and Ankylix draws every zone with a letter hint over your screen; press the letter to place the window there.

Ankylix tiling layout with letter hints A, B and C over a macOS desktop — Each zone shows a hint — press A, B, C… to drop the window in.

Focus the window you want to place.
Press your Layouts shortcut. The current layout appears as zones, each labelled with a letter.
Press the letter of the zone — the window snaps into it instantly.
Need a different arrangement? Cycle layouts and screens before choosing (see keys below).
Assigned a digit to a layout? Press 1–9 to jump straight to it — no cycling.

In-mode keys

A–Z	Place the window in the matching zone.
↑ / ↓	Cycle to the previous / next layout (configurable).
← / →	Move to the previous / next screen (configurable).
1–9	Jump straight to the layout you've assigned that digit to.
esc	Cancel.

🗂️ Choose which layouts appear: open Preferences → Layouts and move the ones you want into the Selected column. Reorder them to control the cycling order, and type a digit (1–9) next to any of them to jump straight there from the overlay — the assigned digits appear in a small legend on screen. Layouts are grouped by window count.

Ankylix Preferences Layouts tab with an Available list on the left and a Selected list on the right, each selected layout assigned a digit — Preferences → Layouts — move layouts into *Selected*, reorder to control the cycle, and type a digit (1–9) to assign a jump key.

Mode 2

Move & resize

A modal mode for fine-tuning the focused window from the keyboard — nudge it around, then resize it, without touching the mouse. While you're in this mode the rest of the screen dims so you stay focused.

Focus the window you want to adjust.
Press your Move/Resize shortcut to enter the mode.
Use your direction keys to move the window. Hold ⇧ Shift with the same keys to resize it instead.
Press your exit key (or esc) when you're happy.

In-mode keys

Direction keys	Move the window left / right / up / down. Bind them to h j k l for a Vim feel.
⇧ + direction	Resize the window instead of moving it.
Cycle key	Switch which window the mode controls.
Minimize key	Minimize the focused window.
Exit key / esc	Leave move/resize mode.

⌨️ Every key here is yours to choose in Preferences → Shortcuts → Move/Resize. The defaults are unset so you can pick the keys that match your muscle memory.

Mode 3

Focus switcher

Jump straight to any open window. Trigger the switcher and Ankylix puts a letter hint on every visible window across all your screens — press the letter to focus it. Prefer a list? Press ⇥ Tab to switch between the on-window hints and a compact window list. Minimized windows are one key away too.

Ankylix focus switcher in list mode: a compact All Windows panel listing each open window with its letter hint — Press ⇥ Tab to swap the on-window hints for a compact window list — same hints, list form.

Press your Focus Switcher shortcut. A hint appears on each visible window.
Press the letter on the window you want — it comes to the front and gains focus.
Press ⇥ Tab to switch between the on-window hints and a window list view.
Looking for something minimized? Press the toggle-minimized key (default M) to reveal a panel of minimized windows, each with its own hint.

In-mode keys

Letter hints	Focus the matching window.
⇥ Tab	Switch between frames (on-window hints) and the window list (configurable).
M	Show / hide the panel of minimized windows (configurable).
esc	Cancel.

Make it yours

Customizing Ankylix

Every overlay is fully themeable. Each mode has its own appearance tab where you can tune colors, text size, borders, corner radius and label position — with a live preview — and save your favourite looks as themes you can switch between.

Ankylix Layout Appearance preferences with color pickers, sliders and a live preview of the overlay — Layout Appearance — adjust the overlay and text, preview instantly, then save it as a theme.

Ankylix Window Switcher Appearance preferences with window border and label styling, a live Safari preview, and a default display mode option — Window Switcher Appearance — every mode has its own tab; style borders, labels and window-info, with a live preview.

Where to find everything:

Shortcuts	Set the trigger and in-mode keys for every mode.
Layout Appearance	Colors, text size, borders, label position and corner radius for the layout overlay — save and switch themes.
Window Switcher Appearance	Style the switcher hints and window-info labels.
Move/Resize Appearance	Style the move/resize highlight and hints.
Layouts	Pick and order the layouts that show up in layout mode.
General	Launch at login, automatic updates, and the Permissions panel.

Need a hand? Check the FAQ or email support@ankylix.com.