Hello,
I cannot use the macOS system shortcut for “Lock Screen” when DEVONthink has focus.
This is the key-chord Control-Command-Q (⌃⌘Q). It works in all other contexts except when DT3 windows have focus. I tested it on two unrelated machines, using macOS Sonoma (14.7) and macOS Sequoia (15.0), with the same results.
Selecting “Lock Screen” using the Apple system menu works as expected.
This is for DEVONthink v3.9.7.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Yes. I hear a faint “beep” when trying Control-Option-Q with DT having the focus – as if it has (re-)defined the shortcut, but can’t execute the function associated with it at the moment.
I’ve just tested it on a 14" MBP M1 Pro running Sequoia 15.1 and DT3 3.9.7, and Ctl-cmd-q locks the screen for me when DT3 has the focus. It seems to work flawlessly every time. (@chrillek it’s Ctl-CMD-q, not ctl-OPT-q - was that just a typo?)
I have a lot of custom shortcuts, and I use several programs which manipulate shortcuts (Keyboard Maestro, Karabiner Elements, KeyCue), so I do tend to come up against this sort of problem, but in this case it works flawlessly.
The only thing I can think of is that it’s language specific. I use the standard GB British English keyboard layout, though it also works on Greek Polyphonic, Maori and Old English as well but it may be worth trying out a different layout.
I’ll check this on my desktop Mac Studio later on.
Working as expected here, macOS 13.7 and DEVONthink 3.9.7
Yes. I tested again with both combinations, always get just a beep.
German keyboard here. I checked my BTT settings and couldn’t find one for Ctl-Cmd-q, nor in Alfred. And the Keyboard Detective app didn’t find anything either.
@brookter, thank you for checking.
I am using the US English keyboard layout.
I tested with and without Keyboard Maestro [1] running and had the same effect with the Control-Command-Q lock-screen shortcut. It does not work with DEVONthink in focus but works elsewhere.
[1]: I quit the entire Keyboard Maestro Engine, not just the GUI editor.
Very odd… Sorry I can’t help anymore!
I just checked the custom system shortcuts. There is nothing defined with this key chord for DEVONthink.
On my device (M1 Mac) ⌘⌃Q had not worked in DT (and only in DT) since I started using the software. I did a factory reset last year and this behavior persisted after that. However, after I upgraded to macOS Sequoia (no other change made), ⌘⌃Q now works in DT.
Works fine on Ventura over here, doesn’t work on Sequoia right after launching the app but works after opening the Apple menu at least once. Might be a bug of macOS as this menu isn’t handled by DEVONthink.
@cgrunenberg, I can also confirm this on macOS Sequoia (15.0).
The shortcut does not work after the app’s first launch, but after opening the Apple menu at least once, it starts working for DT as well.
This is weird, though, since it affects DEVONthink only, and no other application (that I could see).
using also very often lock screen short cut on two MACs. It’s doing the job without any problems.
I’ve just checked this but DEVONthink doesn’t use this shortcut on its own.
If you have this issue, here’s a great workaround: In System Settings->Keyboard->Keyboard Shortcuts->App Shortcuts->All Applications, I defined “Lock Screen” (without the quotes) as F19 (the upper right key on my Apple keyboard). Now whereever I am (even in DT3), I just hit the F19 key and the screen locks. This is even great to do even if you don’t have the issue! 
Here’s something else fun you can do also while you’re in All Applications. Define “Save PDF to Devonthink 3” (without the quotes) as ⌘P . Now, when you want to print anything to DT3, just type ⌘P⌘P . The first ⌘P puts you into the print dialog, and the second sends the printout to DT3 as a PDF file.
I have the exact same behaviour on my M1 MacBook Air, macOS 15.5, DT 4.0beta3.
It affects DEVONthink only, and no other application.
The current workaround is to open the Apple menu once, then it will work in DT.
I’m now having EXACTLY the same behavior on my M4 Mini, MacOS 15.5, DT Pro 3.9.11. I have F19 defined as in my previous post on this thread, and in DT it doesn’t work unless I first open the Apple menu once. My workaround is to press the Touch ID key on my Apple Magic keyboard, which also locks the screen.
Same issue on my end, and I’ve had this issue for many years. Finally found time to solve the problem but I can’t figure it out. I can’t find any shortcut defined in DTP nor in macOS keyboard shortcut settings. My workaround is to select a non-DTP window before locking, but this isn’t reliable because I often don’t recognize if a file is open in DTP or Preview (for example).
The only clue I have is that my computer dings when I make the shortcut while a file (Markdown, for example) is being rendered (and the render is in focus), but not when the cursor is in the Markdown text during editing. It still doesn’t lock the screen, but it seems like there are multiple levels of shortcut-grabbing in play here.
The reason this is so frustrating, is because I have found myself having to double-check the lock status every time I jump up from my desk, or leave my laptop somewhere. It’d be nice to have screen locking be reliable.
@amalis, your tip about the Touch ID is a good one, thank you for the suggestion! I may try to make that my habit.
Hunch. Is the short cut key attached to more than one action. Apple Logo → System Settings → Keyboard → Button Keyboard Shortcuts. Worth another check if checked already.
@rmschne The Ctrl+Cmd+Q (^⌘Q) shortcut isn’t mapped anywhere besides the Lock Screen entry to the Apple menu (as far as I can find).
But I found a crazy new clue! If I first lock the screen from the Apple menu (click on the Apple and then on Lock Screen), from then on DTP will lock the screen when pressing the ^⌘Q shortcut! This may explain why some people get it to work. If you relaunch DTP, the shortcut reverts to not working again.
It even starts working again if I select About This Mac from the Apple menu! According to ChatGPT, there are a couple potential reasons, including that macOS resets some listening context when a menu item is activated. So maybe DTP is doing something at launch that makes macOS not listen to the system shortcut. ChatGPT’s suggestions didn’t uncover anything further.
@jmblrg glad to help! I first starting using the F19 lock screen shortcut back when I had a 2017 iMac and thus no Touch ID button. I’ve since replaced it with an M4 Mini with a Touch ID keyboard, so now I have the workaround.
