Chat: keyboard shortcuts for project and agent pickers in new chat #9392

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1. github-actions commented on Nov 5, 2026

   

   github-actionsBot

   on Nov 5, 2026 – with GitHub Actions

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   Summary

   This is a feature request, not a bug. In the new chat / new workspace screen (opened with ⌘N), you can only open the project picker ("No project" chip) and the agent/model picker with the mouse. The request asks for three things: a hotkey for each picker, keyboard movement between agent tabs inside the model picker, and both entries listed (and rebindable) in Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts. The code confirms that no hotkey opens either picker today. One part of the request already works, though: once the model menu is open, Tab / Shift+Tab moves between the agent tabs. Nothing on screen tells you this.

   Affected code

   • The screen ⌘N opens. ⌘N is NEW_WORKSPACE (apps/desktop/src/renderer/hotkeys/registry.ts:257). It opens NewWorkspaceScreen (apps/desktop/src/renderer/routes/_authenticated/components/DashboardNewWorkspaceModal/components/NewWorkspaceScreen/NewWorkspaceScreen.tsx).
   • Model picker. The screen already controls its open state: const [modelPickerOpen, setModelPickerOpen] = useState(false) at NewWorkspaceScreen.tsx:692, passed to <ModelPicker open onOpenChange> at :1167 and :1254. Nothing outside a click calls setModelPickerOpen(true).
   • Project picker. ProjectPickerPill (.../DashboardNewWorkspaceForm/PromptGroup/components/ProjectPickerPill/ProjectPickerPill.tsx:72,139) keeps its open state private (useState(false) → <Popover open={open}>). The parent cannot open it.
   • Inside the model menu. ModelPanel.tsx:135-174 (.../AgentComposer/components/ModelPicker/components/ModelPanel/ModelPanel.tsx):
     • onPanelKeyDown maps Tab / Shift+Tab to cycleTab(±1), which steps through Favorites plus each agent. Past either end it either wraps around or hands focus to the effort/settings row (onLeave).
     • ⌘1–⌘5 picks a row (SHORTCUT_ROW_LIMIT).
     • The tab buttons have tabIndex={-1} (:264), so ArrowLeft/ArrowRight do nothing on the tablist.
   • Chat hotkeys in Settings. The "Chat" category in the registry (registry.ts:852-881) has only FOCUS_CHAT_INPUT, NEW_CHAT and CHAT_ADD_ATTACHMENT. Only the in-workspace Composer.tsx:292-299 uses them via useHotkey. NewWorkspaceScreen registers no useHotkey at all.

   Root cause

   No defect. These shortcuts were never built:

   • No registry entries exist for opening either picker.
   • ProjectPickerPill keeps its open state internal, so nothing outside it can open it.
   • The agent tablist does not handle arrow keys.

   How to reproduce

   1. Press ⌘N, then put focus in the composer.
   2. No key opens the project chip or the model pill. Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts has no entry for them.
   3. Click the model pill. Tab / Shift+Tab switches agent tabs, but ←/→ does nothing.

   Possible fix

   1. Registry. Add two entries to the "Chat" category in registry.ts, e.g. CHAT_OPEN_MODEL_PICKER and CHAT_OPEN_PROJECT_PICKER, each with a label (and description) written with msg(). That puts them in Settings and makes them rebindable. Watch for conflicts with the proposed keys:
      • ⌘P is already QUICK_OPEN (registry.ts:75-77).
      • ⌘M is the macOS system "Minimize" shortcut.
      • Unused ⌘⇧/⌘⌥ combinations, or ⌘. / ⌘', are safer. registry.test.ts should catch duplicate bindings.
   2. Project picker. Lift its open state: give ProjectPickerPill optional open / onOpenChange props, the same pattern ModelPicker uses.
   3. Wire the hotkeys in NewWorkspaceScreen with useHotkey(..., { enabled: <modal visible> }). They should call setModelPickerOpen(true) and the new project-picker setter. The same model-picker hotkey could also go into the in-workspace Composer.tsx next to CHAT_ADD_ATTACHMENT, since AgentComposer's ModelPicker is controlled there too.
   4. Arrow keys on the tablist. In ModelPanel.onPanelKeyDown, map ArrowLeft/ArrowRight to cycleTab(-1/1), but only when focus is not in the search input. Inside the input, arrows must keep moving the caret. Showing the existing Tab behaviour in the UI, for example a hint in the tab tooltips, would also help.
   5. i18n. New labels need bun run check:i18n and translations in every locales/<locale>/messages.po.

   Test sketch (bun:test)

   • Render ModelPanel with an agentSwitcher of 2+ agents.
   • Fire keyDown with { key: "ArrowRight" } on the panel root, outside the search input.
   • Check that aria-selected moves to the next role="tab" button.

   Related, as the issue says: #5598 (keyboard shortcuts tracker) and #3077.