SiliconPlayAndroid emulator shortcuts on Mac: the SiliconPlay keyboard list
This is the keyboard shortcut list for SiliconPlay on a Mac, taken from the app itself (version 1.0.0, build 2) plus Command-I, which I confirmed separately. I did not fill gaps with shortcuts from other emulators. If a chord is not written out below, I could not verify it, so it is not here.
SiliconPlay is only for Apple Silicon: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and newer chips in that line. It is not compatible with Intel Macs. I have tested it on macOS Tahoe. If another macOS version behaves differently, tell me.
Where the keys go
Click the Android image so the keyboard goes to the keymap. Command-key menu shortcuts stay with macOS. They are not typed into the game. A focused text field switches the toolbar to Typing, and then the keyboard goes to Android as text.
Shortcuts the app states in words
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Command-I | Import an APK and install it into Android. |
| F12, or Command-K | Toggle Typing and Game keys. Game keys uses the keymap. Typing sends the keyboard to Android. A focused text field switches to Typing. |
| Command-Shift-G | Show or hide the on-screen game-button overlay. Empty space on the picture still clicks the game. |
| Escape | Leave fullscreen. When the window is not fullscreen, Escape is Android Back while the display is focused. |
| Shift-Escape | Release every virtual finger. |
| F10 | Switch to direct touch, for menus that expect a finger. |
| Escape, while rebinding | Cancel the “press a key or mouse button” capture. |
The same build’s Shortcuts list also names these actions: start or stop the selected instance, toggle fullscreen, exit fullscreen preview, save a screenshot, start or stop screen recording, edit the key map, toggle direct touch and mapped keys, show or hide the Android buttons, and sync input across running instances. The key next to each label is drawn by the menu. It is not stored as a separate readable string in this build, so I am not going to invent it. Open Shortcuts and limits in the app and read the chord on your copy.
Default keymap, if you have not edited one
Game keys do nothing useful until a keymap is on. The generic preset is MMORPG (WASD). It is not tied to one game. You apply it, then move the buttons. Full editing steps are in keyboard mapping on Mac. The bindings in that file are:
| Control | Default input |
|---|---|
| Move | W A S D, or the arrow keys on the same stick |
| Attack | J, held down |
| Skills 1–6 | 1 2 3 4 5 6. Also gamepad X, gamepad Y, right shoulder, and right trigger on 1, 2, 4, and 6 |
| Jump | Space, or gamepad B |
| Interact | F |
| Map | M |
| Bag | B |
| Camera | Right mouse button |
Per-game presets replace this when you accept them. Minecraft’s preset, for example, uses left click to break and E for inventory instead of J and M. Until you accept a suggestion, direct touch stays on and these game keys are not loaded.
FAQ
What switches between typing and game keys?
F12 or Command-K. Game keys uses the keymap. Typing sends the keyboard to Android. A text field switches to Typing by itself.
What does Escape do?
It leaves fullscreen. When the window is not fullscreen, it is Android Back while the display is focused. Shift-Escape lets go of every virtual finger. During a rebind, Escape cancels the capture.
Are these every shortcut in the app?
Command-I imports an APK and installs it into Android. The rest of the table is every chord the 1.0.0 help text writes out, plus the default keymap. A few more actions are named in the Shortcuts list without a readable key string in that build. Check the app for those chords.
Does this work on an Intel Mac?
No. Apple Silicon only: M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and newer.
More from the blog: how keyboard mapping works, testing an APK, with optional root, and which Macs it runs on. Or go back to the SiliconPlay homepage.