Written for Synergy 3 (v3.7.2) and Synergy 1 (v1.21.4), checked 3 October 2026.
Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts, or mouse buttons, that switch to another computer, lock the cursor, restart the connection or send keys to your other computers. Set them up on the computer whose keyboard and mouse you share: the primary computer in Synergy 3, the server in Synergy 1.
A hotkey to switch straight to another computer helps when:
- You don't access the computer often
- The route from one computer to another is long (depending on setup and layout)
- Your layout isn't symmetrical and the links between computers feel unnatural
- You prefer switching with keyboard or mouse buttons
On Linux, hotkeys may not work yet if the server computer uses Wayland. More details: Hotkeys not working on Wayland
Synergy 3
Hotkeys are included in Synergy 3 Plus, Synergy 3 Max and Synergy Business. On Synergy 3 Lite, Hotkey configuration shows an Upgrade for Hotkeys button instead.
- Open Synergy 3.
- Go to Keyboard & mouse.
- Click the arrow next to Hotkey configuration.
- Click Create hotkey.
- In Record new hotkey, click Record keystroke.
- Press a key or key combination (for example Ctrl+Shift+F2), or a mouse button. Include at least one key that isn't Ctrl, Alt, Shift or the Windows/Command key. The hotkey is saved when you let go, and the Hotkey actions page opens.
- Click Create action.
- Under Dispatch when, leave Pressed, or choose Released to act when you let go of the hotkey.
- Under Action type, choose what the hotkey does (see the table below). To switch computers, choose Switch to computer, then choose the computer under Computer.
- Click Save.
Synergy 3 action types
| Action type | Options | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Switch to computer | Computer | Moves the cursor to that computer. |
| Switch in direction | Direction | Moves to the next computer that way. |
| Lock cursor to the current computer | Lock behavior | Keeps the cursor on this computer. |
| Restart connection | None | Restarts keyboard and mouse sharing. |
| Press and release key | Key stroke, On which computers | Sends a key combination. |
| Press key | Key stroke, On which computers | Holds a key combination down. |
| Release key | Key stroke, On which computers | Lets go of a key combination held by Press key. |
Direction is Left, Right, Up or Down. On which computers is All unless you pick some.
Lock behavior is Toggle, On or Off. Once you add a lock hotkey, Scroll Lock no longer locks the cursor, and the hotkey works only while Enable lock to screen is on in Keyboard & mouse. More about the cursor lock: How to lock the cursor to a computer?
Restart connection is a quick reset when, for example, the clipboard stops syncing, or after you change your monitor layout.
One hotkey can run several actions, in the order listed. Use the arrows (Move up, Move down) to reorder them.
Change, turn off or remove a Synergy 3 hotkey
On the hotkey list, and on each hotkey's action list, click the three-dot menu and choose Edit, Disable (or Enable) or Remove. To use a different key combination, remove the hotkey and create a new one.
Synergy 1
- On the server computer, open Synergy 1.
- Click Configure Server.
- Go to the Hotkeys tab.
- Click the New button under the hotkeys list.
- In the Hotkey window, click the keystroke() button.
- Press a key or key combination (for example Ctrl+Shift+F2). To use a mouse button instead, click with that mouse button.
- Click OK.
- Select your new hotkey in the list.
- Click the New button under the actions list. The Configure Action window opens.
- Choose what the hotkey does (see the table below). To switch computers, choose Switch to a computer, then choose the computer from the list.
- Choose When the hotkey is pressed or When the hotkey is released.
- Click OK in the Configure Action window.
- Click OK in the Server Configuration window. If Synergy 1 is running, it restarts with the new hotkey.
Synergy 1 actions
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Press key(s), Release key(s), Press and release key(s) | Sends keys to other computers. |
| Switch to a computer | Moves the cursor to the computer you pick. |
| Switch in a direction | Moves to the computer on that side. |
| Switch to next computer | Cycles through your computers. |
| Modify the cursor lock | Locks or unlocks the cursor. |
| Restart the server | Restarts Synergy 1 on the server. |
For the key actions, click the key button, press the keys to send, then tick at least one computer in Computers to receive this event.
Switch to a computer lists each computer as Switch to followed by its name. Switch in a direction offers Switch to the computer on the left, on the right, above or below.
Modify the cursor lock offers Toggle the cursor lock, Enable the cursor lock or Disable the cursor lock. It works only while Disable lock to computer (scroll lock key) is unticked on the Advanced tab of Server Configuration. More about the cursor lock: How to lock the cursor to a computer?
Restart the server is a quick reset when, for example, the clipboard stops syncing, or after you change your monitor layout.
A hotkey can have several actions: add each one with the New button under the actions list. Select a hotkey or action and click Edit or Remove to change or delete it.
Hotkey not working?
- In Synergy 3, check that the hotkey and its actions are switched on: if the three-dot menu offers Enable, it's off.
- For a cursor lock hotkey, check that the cursor lock itself is on: Enable lock to screen in Synergy 3, or Disable lock to computer (scroll lock key) unticked in Synergy 1.