Apple Notes from a game controller
The Apple Notes layout is built into InputConfig, free on the Mac App Store. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon.
On a Mac: Notes is built into macOS and takes these shortcuts directly. Its dictation is the system's, so the words need no extra setup beyond turning Dictation on in System Settings, Keyboard.
Yes, you can write in Apple Notes from a game controller on a Mac, and it is the app I recommend first. New note, press the dictation button, talk, and the note is written. The controller adds bold, a checklist and copy. It is a very small layout, so it is quick to learn.
The layout, control by control
How the layout thinks
- Start a note. New note (Command N) on the bottom face button.
- Format it. Bold on the right, checklist (Command Shift L) on the left.
- Take text elsewhere. Copy on the top.
- Move around. The left stick is a pointer, the right stick scrolls, the right trigger clicks, and Escape is on Options.
Notes uses the system's dictation, so the words need nothing beyond turning Dictation on in System Settings, Keyboard. Notes, dictation and three buttons make a complete writing tool.
Add the dictation row
Dictation is the one row this layout is missing, and the one that matters most.
- You: Add a row on a bumper with the System Function output Start Dictation.
- InputConfig: Presses the Mac's own dictation key each time the bumper fires.
- Check: Press it once in a note and dictation starts listening. Press it again and it stops.
If nothing listens, switch Dictation on in System Settings, Keyboard, then press again. I would add dictation first, because the rest of the layout is there to tidy what you said.
Tune it for writing
- Tick a box. Command Shift U marks a checklist item done. Put it on the touchpad press.
- Headings. Put Command Shift T for a title, Command Shift H for a heading, Command Shift B back to body text, behind a chord.
- Search every note. Press Command Option F, then dictate.
- Hear it back. Speak Selection on the other bumper reads the selected text aloud, once Speak selection is on in System Settings, Accessibility, Spoken Content.
Notes syncs through iCloud as usual. The controller only sends keys on the Mac. Write by voice, tidy with the pad, and listen back before you send it anywhere.
Get it in two clicks
- Get InputConfig free on the Mac App Store, open it, and click Smart Preset Maker on the welcome screen.
- Search for Apple Notes and pick it. The layout is created as a preset in your sidebar, named and ready.
- Press Activate. Every row can be changed afterwards: the editor's Scan button rebinds any control the moment you touch it.
Every binding, as a table
| Controller | Sends | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Left stick left | Mouse motion left (speed 16) | Cursor left |
| Left stick right | Mouse motion right (speed 16) | Cursor right |
| Left stick up | Mouse motion up (speed 16) | Cursor up |
| Left stick down | Mouse motion down (speed 16) | Cursor down |
| Right stick down | Scroll down | Scroll down |
| Right stick up | Scroll up | Scroll up |
| Right trigger | Left click | Click |
| A / Cross | Command (Left), N | New note (Cmd+N) |
| B / Circle | Command (Left), B | Bold (Cmd+B) |
| X / Square | Command (Left), Shift (Left), L | Checklist (Cmd+Shift+L) |
| Y / Triangle | Command (Left), C | Copy |
| Start / Options | Escape | Close / Esc |
Button names follow the Xbox / PlayStation pair shown in the editor, so A / Cross is the bottom face button on either pad. On a Switch Pro Controller the bottom button is labeled B; the mapping still fires on position.
Questions
Is this useful for someone who cannot type?
It is the app I recommend first. Notes plus dictation plus this layout is a complete writing tool with three buttons.
Does it sync to my iPhone?
Notes syncs through iCloud as usual. The controller only sends keys on the Mac. Nothing about the notes changes.
Related
Completely free. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon. Open source on GitHub.
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