Command palette and quick switcher
Two fast ways to get anywhere. Search every bot, group chat, and message with the command palette, or jump to a bot, or ask it something, from any app with the quick switcher.
Command palette
The command palette searches everything: bots, group chats, and the messages in your conversations.
Open it
Press Ctrl+K (⌘K on Mac). Press it again, or Esc, to close.
Use it
Start typing
With nothing typed, it lists your Bots and Groups. Type to filter by name.
Wait a moment for messages
After a short pause, Messages results appear too: messages from your conversations that match what you typed.
Open a result
Use ↑ and ↓ to choose, and Enter to open it. A message result jumps straight to that message in its thread.
Examples
| Type | Finds |
|---|---|
scout | The bot called Scout. |
launch | A group chat called Website launch, and messages that mention a launch. |
invoice march | Messages about March invoices. |
Quick switcher
The quick switcher jumps to any bot or group chat from any app, even when Machine Desktop is minimized or in the tray. It can also send a bot a question straight away (see Quick Ask).
Open it
Press Ctrl+Alt+Space (⌃⌥Space on Mac) from anywhere. Machine Desktop comes to the front with Switch conversation.
If another app already uses that shortcut, Machine Desktop uses Ctrl+Shift+Space instead, or Ctrl+Alt+K. The switcher's footer shows which one is active.
Use it
- You see a grid of your bots and group chats. Each shows a status dot and its last message (or No messages yet).
- Type to filter (Jump to a bot or team…). It matches names and the last message.
- Use the arrow keys to move, Enter to open, and Esc to close.
Quick Ask
Ask a bot something without opening it first:
Open the quick switcher
Press Ctrl+Alt+Space (⌃⌥Space on Mac) from any app.
Type @, the bot's name, and your question
For example: @Scout what's on my calendar today?
You only need the start of the name, written without spaces, and capitals
don't matter: @scout works.
The line under the box confirms who it goes to: Enter sends to Scout,
followed by your question.
Press Enter
The question is sent to the bot's current thread, and its chat opens so you can watch it answer.
You can also type a message, highlight a bot in the grid, and press
Shift+Enter to send what you typed to that bot. The grid still filters as
you type, so @name is usually quicker.
Quick Ask sends to bots, not group chats.
Which one when?
| Use | When you want to |
|---|---|
| Command palette (Ctrl+K) | Find something by name or content, including old messages. You're already in Machine Desktop. |
| Quick switcher (Ctrl+Alt+Space) | Jump to a bot fast, or send it a quick question, from whatever app you're in. |
| Find (Ctrl+F) | Search inside the chat you have open. See Find, share, and export. |
| Sidebar search | Filter the sidebar. See The sidebar. |