Final Cut in front, Final Cut buttons on your phone
A Final Cut Pro shortcut deck on your iPhone.
Final Cut Pro is built for the keyboard: blade, connect, insert, append, all a keystroke away. Control My Mac puts them on a Grid of big one-tap buttons on your iPhone or iPad, and that Grid switches in by itself whenever Final Cut Pro is in front on your Mac.
macOS 14+ · iOS/iPadOS 18+ · Free Mac app · No account
A starter Grid for Final Cut Pro
Twelve buttons for building a timeline, using Final Cut Pro's default Mac shortcuts. Rename them, reorder them, or swap in the ones you use most.
| Button | Mac shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Blade | Command-B | Cut the clip at the playhead |
| Blade All | Shift-Command-B | Cut every clip at the playhead |
| Blade tool | B | Switch to the Blade tool |
| Select tool | A | Switch back to the Select tool |
| Range tool | R | Switch to the Range Selection tool |
| Range start | I | Set the start of a range |
| Range end | O | Set the end of a range |
| Marker | M | Add a marker |
| Connect | Q | Connect to the primary storyline |
| Insert | W | Insert at the playhead |
| Append | E | Append to the storyline |
| Share | Command-E | Share to your default destination |
Default Mac shortcuts from Apple's Final Cut Pro keyboard shortcuts guide, checked September 2026.
Set it up in a minute
You need the free Mac app and Control My Mac on your iPhone or iPad, paired once with a QR scan. Then:
1. Open Final Cut Pro on your Mac
Bring Final Cut Pro to the front. Control My Mac on your iPhone or iPad sees which app is in front.
2. Tap “Grid for Final Cut Pro”
In the Grid, the button names the app that's in front. One tap makes a Grid just for Final Cut Pro, starting as a copy of your Default grid.
3. Add your buttons
Tap an empty square (+) on the Grid, tap Start Listening and press the shortcut on your Mac's keyboard, then Stop Listening and Bind. Or tap Enter shortcut manually to pick the keys. Buttons copied from Default can be changed by touching and holding them (Re-record or Clear). Tap Edit Grid to add a row if you want all twelve, and Rearrange to move buttons where your thumb rests.
4. Leave Auto-Switch on
From now on the Final Cut Pro Grid appears by itself whenever Final Cut Pro is in front, and every other app uses Default. Turn Auto-Switch off if you want one Grid to stay put.
Good to know
Full App. A Grid for each Mac app and Auto-Switch are part of Full App: $3.99 a month in the US after a 7-day free trial, renewing until you cancel, or $17.99 once. The free Essentials plan includes one Grid button, so you can try the idea first.
Keyboard shortcuts only. Each button sends a key combo, or a few in a row, to your Mac. It doesn't run plugins, scripts or typed text, so anything you can't do with a keyboard shortcut in Final Cut Pro is out of reach for the Grid too.
Learning from the Mac. Recording a shortcut by pressing it on the Mac needs the Input Monitoring permission for the Mac app. It only listens while you're recording and saves just the combo. You can also set every shortcut by hand.
Your shortcuts, not ours. The list above uses Final Cut Pro's default Mac shortcuts. If you've changed yours, record them from your Mac instead and the buttons will always match.
Questions people ask
Can I control Final Cut Pro from my iPhone?
Yes, through its keyboard shortcuts. Control My Mac gives Final Cut Pro its own Grid of one-tap buttons on your iPhone or iPad that switches in whenever Final Cut Pro is in front. The same app is also a trackpad and keyboard for everything else.
Is this the same as Final Cut Pro for iPad?
No. Final Cut Pro for iPad is a separate editing app. Control My Mac is a remote for Final Cut Pro running on your Mac.
What if I changed my Final Cut Pro shortcuts?
Record each button by pressing your shortcut on the Mac, and the button sends exactly that. The table above uses Apple's defaults.
Do I need an iPad?
No. It works on iPhone. On iPad the Grid is bigger, with room for more buttons.
Put Final Cut on a deck you already own
The Mac app is free. Start the 7-day free trial of Full App on iPhone or iPad to give every Mac app its own Grid. It then renews at $3.99 a month in the US unless you cancel. If you cancel, Essentials stays free with the trackpad, keyboard basics and one Grid button.
macOS 14+ · Apple silicon · Intel Macs up to version 1.2.3 · No account