Release / 3 May 2026

Karabiner-Elements v16.0.0

Change remapping behavior when a text area or an overlay such as Spotlight has focus.

All of Karabiner-Elements

Before you upgrade to v16.0.0

1 to fix

Enable Accessibility permission for `Karabiner-Core-Service` in System Settings.

Action requiredAffects: Users upgrading to v16.0.0.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Only Accessibility permission is requested when it also satisfies Input Monitoring requirements.

Behavior changedAffects: Users on macOS versions where Accessibility covers Input Monitoring.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

EventViewer adds a button to clear user variables.

Behavior changedInspect keyboard and pointing events in EventViewer.Affects: Users debugging variable-driven mappings.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

What changed in v16.0.0

Accessibility-backed conditions detect focused UI elements and overlays; Settings can generate Complex Modifications JSON from JavaScript.

Also: Requires Accessibility permission; also adds JavaScript rule authoring and optional fallback keyboard capture.

Download the v16.0.0 macOS package from this release.

New things you can do

`variable_if` gains focused-element role, subrole, title, window position and size variables.

AddedChange remapping behavior according to the focused UI element.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

`frontmost_application_if` can detect overlays using the Accessibility API.

AddedApply application conditions to overlay windows such as Spotlight.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Settings adds a JavaScript rule button and an external-editor button.

AddedGenerate Complex Modifications rules by writing JavaScript.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Adds `to.send_user_command`.

AddedTrigger actions handled by an external command receiver from key mappings.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Adds `to.from_event`.

AddedPass original pressed events through a complex remapping rule.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Adds `to.to_if_other_key_pressed`, including support for more reliable Option+Tab-to-Command+Tab rules.

AddedChoose output when another key is pressed during a mapping.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Expert settings adds `Enable CGEventTap fallback`.

AddedRemap keyboards whose events cannot be opened through the usual HID capture.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/blob/v16.0.0/DEVELOPMENT.md

Fixed and improved

Modifier keys no longer remain stuck in the reported case where physical keyboard events were missed during capture.

Now worksRemap individual keys separately for each keyboard.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Unset variables in expressions are now initialized properly.

Now worksUse calculated expressions and time values in remapping rules.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Dragging rules while scrolling now reorders them properly.

Now worksImport, edit and disable custom remapping rules.

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pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Dragging profiles while scrolling now reorders them properly.

Now worksKeep different remapping setups in profiles and switch between them.

Read the evidence

pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements/releases/tag/v16.0.0

Seeded by @iluxav with Codex, from the release's public sources. Each change links to its evidence.