How to change Flux shortcuts on Windows, Mac, and Linux

Flux lets you reassign almost every keyboard shortcut it uses, and the process takes about two minutes. Open Flux, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right, select Settings, then choose Hotkeys. Click any shortcut you want to change, press the new key combination you prefer, and Flux saves it when ready. You do not need to restart the program.

The shortcuts Flux offers by default work for most people, but if you use other programs with overlapping hotkeys — or if you straightforward prefer different combinations — changing them prevents conflicts and makes the program fit your actual workflow instead of forcing you to work around it.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change any Flux hotkey by opening Settings, selecting Hotkeys, clicking the shortcut you want to modify, and pressing your new key combination.
  • Common conflicts happen when Flux's default shortcuts overlap with shortcuts in your other software, making one program unresponsive when you try to use it.
  • Flux hotkeys control pause, resume, and brightness adjustment, so choosing combinations you will actually remember makes the program more useful.
  • Changes take effect when ready without requiring you to close or restart Flux.

Why you might want to change Flux shortcuts

Flux's default hotkeys are designed to be unobtrusive — they use key combinations that most programs do not claim. But if you work in video editing software, music production, or certain development environments, those same combinations might already be taken. When two programs want the same hotkey, one of them stops responding to that command.

Beyond conflicts, you might straightforward prefer shortcuts that match your muscle memory. If you use a different screen-dimming tool in another program, or if you have a personal system for hotkeys across all your software, changing Flux to fit that system makes it faster to use without thinking.

Step-by-step: changing a single shortcut

Start with Flux already running. Look for the menu icon — three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other — in the top right corner of the Flux window. Click it to open the dropdown menu.

From the menu, click Settings. A new window opens showing several tabs at the top. Click the Hotkeys tab. You will see a list of every action Flux can perform and the current keyboard shortcut assigned to each one.

Find the shortcut you want to change. Click on it once. The field becomes active and ready to receive input. Press the exact key combination you want to use — for example, Ctrl+Alt+D or Cmd+Shift+F. Flux registers the new combination when ready and moves on. You do not need to click a save button or confirm anything.

What shortcuts Flux actually uses

Flux has fewer hotkeys than most programs, which is intentional — the developers kept the list short so you would not have to memorize many commands. The main ones are pause (temporarily turn off Flux for an hour), resume (turn it back on), and brightness adjustment (make the screen warmer or cooler without changing the overall brightness).

On Windows and Linux, the default pause shortcut is Ctrl+Alt+F. On Mac, it is Cmd+Option+F. Brightness adjustment typically uses arrow keys combined with Ctrl+Alt (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Option (Mac). If you use those combinations in other software — particularly in video editors, which often use Ctrl+Alt for their own functions — you will want to change them.

Avoiding conflicts with other programs

Before you choose a new shortcut, think about the programs you use most. If you work in Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, or Ableton Live, check their hotkey documentation or settings to see what combinations they already use. Aim for something that feels natural to you but does not overlap with anything else running on your machine.

A safe approach is to use three-key combinations — for example, Ctrl+Alt+Shift+D — because fewer programs claim those. Another option is to use function keys (F1 through F12) combined with modifiers, since many applications leave those alone. Test your new shortcut by using it a few times to make sure it actually works before you move on to the next one.

Resetting shortcuts to Flux defaults

If you change a shortcut and later regret it, or if you set something that creates a conflict you did not expect, you can reset individual shortcuts or all of them at once. In the Hotkeys tab, look for a Reset to Defaults button or option — the exact location varies slightly depending on your operating system version.

Clicking that button restores every Flux hotkey to what it was when you first installed the program. You do not lose any other settings — only the keyboard shortcuts change. If you want to reset just one shortcut instead of all of them, you can manually re-enter the original combination by looking it up in Flux's documentation or by checking another computer where you have not changed anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same shortcut for two different Flux actions?

No. Flux will not let you assign the same key combination to two different commands. If you try, it either rejects the change or removes the shortcut from whichever action you assigned it to first. Each hotkey can control only one thing.

Do I need to restart Flux after changing a shortcut?

No. Flux applies new hotkeys when ready. You can test the new shortcut right away without closing the program or restarting your computer.

What if I accidentally set a shortcut that breaks something in another program?

Go back to Flux Settings, Hotkeys, and change the Flux shortcut to something else. The other program's hotkey will work again. If you cannot remember what you changed it to, use the Reset to Defaults option to restore all Flux hotkeys at once.

Can I use special keys like the Windows key or Command key on their own?

Flux requires at least two keys in a combination — a modifier key (Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Cmd, Option) plus at least one other key. You cannot set a shortcut to just the Windows key or Command key by itself.