How to Configure Your MinimalPad: Mac App or Browser

There are two ways to configure MinimalPad: the native MinimalPad Studio app for Mac and MinimalPad Studio for browser. Both read the layout stored on your pad and write changes back to the device, so your shortcuts travel with MinimalPad rather than living in an account or on one computer.

If your MinimalPad already connects, you can start changing keys straight away. Choose the Studio that fits your computer and the features you need.

Two Studios, one MinimalPad

The two configurators share the essentials. Both let you remap keys, work with layers, assign lighting and Bluetooth controls, and edit the press action of the rotary dial. Because the saved configuration lives on MinimalPad, a key you set in one Studio appears in the other the next time it reads the pad.

The difference is how they fit into your workflow. Studio for Mac is a native app with automatic saving and Mac-only features. Studio for browser works from a Chrome or Edge tab on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with nothing to install.

Choose Studio for Mac when you want your pad to follow your apps

MinimalPad Studio for Mac runs on macOS 14 or later and connects over USB-C or Bluetooth. Plug in your pad and the app finds it automatically—there is no browser device picker and no separate Save button.

It covers everyday key configuration and adds features that need a native Mac app:

• App profiles: MinimalPad can change its keys, dial, and light colour when you bring a different app to the front.
• Named shortcuts: choose common actions by name for 31 supported apps, including Figma, Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve, Xcode, Slack, and more.
• Open app keys: assign a key that opens a Mac app or brings it to the front.
• Dial controls: set turning the dial to volume, scrolling, zoom, lighting controls, or custom keys for each layer.
• Updates in the app: Studio updates itself and can install supported MinimalPad firmware updates.

Changes reach the pad immediately and are written to its memory a few seconds later. The status changes from Unsaved · saving shortly to Saved to pad, and Command-Z gives you a familiar undo.

Choose Studio for browser for cross-platform setup and advanced actions

MinimalPad Studio for browser runs in Chrome or Edge on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Nothing needs to be installed. Connect over USB-C—or Bluetooth where browser support allows it—and select MinimalPad in the browser’s device dialog.

The browser Studio can configure all 16 keys, the dial press, layers, lighting, and Bluetooth commands. It also exposes advanced ZMK behaviours such as mod-tap, layer-tap, sticky keys, caps word, and other behaviours included in your firmware.

The browser uses a deliberate two-step workflow: Assign to key sends a change to the pad so you can test it, and Save writes it permanently. If the connection ends before you save, the unsaved changes are lost.

Which option should you pick?

• Using a Mac? Start with Studio for Mac. It includes the everyday configurator plus app profiles, automatic saving, dial configuration, and firmware updates.
• Using Windows or Linux? Use Studio for browser in Chrome or Edge.
• Making a quick change on another computer? The browser is useful because there is nothing to install.
• Building advanced ZMK key behaviours? Use the browser Studio for options such as mod-tap and sticky keys.

Change your first key with Studio for Mac

1. Open MinimalPad Studio for Mac, install the app, and launch it.
2. Connect MinimalPad with a USB-C data cable. Studio finds the pad automatically. You can also use Bluetooth after pairing it with your Mac.
3. Click a key in the on-screen layout and choose what it should do: a shortcut, single key, media control, layer action, Open app action, or one of the pad’s own commands.
4. Press the physical key to test it. Wait until Studio shows Saved to pad before disconnecting.

The dial’s press is assigned like any other key. To change what happens when you turn the dial, open the Dial control for the current layer or app profile.

Change your first key with Studio for browser

1. Open studio.minimalmacropad.com in Chrome or Edge.
2. Connect MinimalPad with a USB-C data cable, choose USB / Serial, and select the pad in the browser dialog. Wait for the connection status to turn green.
3. Choose a layer, click one of the 16 keys or the dial press, then pick and configure an action.
4. Click Assign to key and test the physical key.
5. Click Save in the connection bar and wait for Saved before unplugging the pad or closing the tab.

Can you use both?

Yes. There is nothing to sync or export because both Studios write to the same memory on MinimalPad. You can configure the pad with the Mac app today and use the browser another time.

Only one app can control the connection at once. Quit or disconnect one Studio before opening the other. If you use Mac app profiles, take care when renaming or deleting their layers in the browser; Studio for Mac will flag an affected profile so you can repair it.

If your MinimalPad does not connect

• Try another cable. A charge-only USB-C cable can power the lights without carrying data.
• For browser setup, use Chrome or Edge. Safari and Firefox do not support the browser features Studio needs.
• Close the other Studio. A browser tab, serial monitor, or Mac app may already be holding the pad’s connection.
• Connect directly. Try another USB port and avoid a passive hub while troubleshooting.

Normal key changes do not require a firmware reflash. Firmware installation belongs to first-time setup for a new controller or DIY build, an update that adds a needed feature, or recovery of an unresponsive device. Studio for Mac can handle supported firmware updates inside the app.

For detailed setup and troubleshooting, use the Mac connection guide, the browser connection guide, or the firmware update guide. The full MinimalPad documentation covers every action, layer, Bluetooth profile, and recovery step.