How to create a keyboard shortcut to open ANY app. No downloads! Mac 

This tutorial is to teach you how to create a keyboard shortcut to open ANY app, with out downloading third party apps or complicated scripting.

In this case we are going to create a keyboard shortcut to open up the calculator.

First open automator. If you do not know what that is, no fear. Open your Launchpad>Other>Automator. If it does not open up a new automation go to File>New.

Click on service then choose.

Because we don’t need anything processed, just and application lauched we are going to choose No Input and Any Application.

Along the left side there is a column listing actions. Type Launch Application in the search bar. You will see launch application show up in the list.

Click and drag Launch Application to the open workspace to the right.

It should now look like this. Now just select the application you want to launch. In this case I am selecting calculator.

Now file>save your service, name it and close automator.

Open System Prefrences>Keyboard>Keyboard Shortcuts. Click on services on the right hand side and select the service you just created. In my case it’s Launch Calculator.

Now just click add short cut and type in your own keyboard shortcut. I used Command+Shift+=.

Now go back to Finder and test out your new shortcut. If you followed the instructions your app should launch.

IF IT DOES NOT WORK: This keyboard shortcut is probably already taken. I had to play around until I found a combo it would take.

My keyboard shortcuts:

Calculator: Command+Shift+0 (Zero)
Paintbrush: Command+Shift+P