Fixing the Cmd+Shift+A "apropos" Terminal Issue in Android Studio on Mac

For any developer working within the JetBrains ecosystem, whether it's Android Studio, IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, or WebStorm, the "Find Action" command is an indispensable lifeline. Invoked with the powerful shortcut Cmd+Shift+A on macOS, it opens a universal search bar that lets you find and execute any menu action, setting, or command within the IDE without ever touching your mouse. It's a cornerstone of productivity, allowing you to stay in the flow state.

Imagine the frustration, then, when one day this trusted shortcut suddenly betrays you. You press Cmd+Shift+A, perhaps to find the AVD Manager, and instead of the familiar search dialog, a rogue terminal window unexpectedly appears on your screen. This window is titled "apropos," and it seems to have hijacked your command. This bizarre behavior can bring your workflow to a screeching halt, leaving you confused and searching for answers.

If you've encountered this perplexing issue, you're not alone. This article will demystify the "apropos" terminal problem, explain exactly why it happens, and provide a permanent solution to restore your "Find Action" shortcut to its rightful place.

Understanding the Symptom: The Mysterious "apropos" Window

The problem typically manifests in a very specific way. You press Cmd+Shift+A, and the first time it might even work as expected. You type your search query, for instance, "avd manager," and execute the action. However, on your second attempt, and every subsequent attempt, the IDE's search dialog fails to appear. Instead, you're greeted by this:

The unexpected "apropos" terminal window hijacking the shortcut.

Notice the text inside the terminal: apropos 'avd'. This isn't random. "avd" was the last term searched for in the "Find Action" dialog before it broke. This provides a critical clue.

What is `apropos`?

To understand the problem, we first need to know what apropos is. In macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like operating systems, apropos is a command-line utility used to search the names and short descriptions of system manual pages (man pages). It's a way to find a command when you're not sure of its exact name. For example, running apropos "copy file" would list all manual pages related to copying files.

So, when you see the apropos 'avd' terminal, your Mac is literally trying to search its system manuals for the keyword "avd." The operating system has intercepted your shortcut and is feeding your last search query to its own utility. This confirms the issue is not a random glitch but a specific, conflicting command being executed.

Common Troubleshooting Dead Ends

When faced with such a strange IDE-specific problem, most developers run through a standard checklist of troubleshooting steps. Unfortunately, in this case, they are all ineffective.

• Invalidate Caches / Restart: This is the go-to solution for many Android Studio quirks. It clears out potentially corrupted index files and restarts the IDE. However, since the problem lies outside of Android Studio, this has no effect.
• Clean and Rebuild Project: This cleans your project's build artifacts. It's useful for build-related issues but is completely unrelated to the IDE's shortcut handling.
• Reinstalling Android Studio: A drastic measure, and one that won't work. The issue is rooted in the macOS configuration, so a fresh installation of Android Studio will inherit the same problem.
• The Temporary Workaround: Some users discover that navigating to the menu bar and manually clicking Help > Find Action... seems to fix the problem temporarily. The shortcut might start working again for a few uses. This is misleading because it doesn't solve the underlying conflict. The moment the conditions are right, the "apropos" window will return.

These attempts fail because they are based on the incorrect assumption that Android Studio is at fault. The real culprit is a system-wide keyboard shortcut conflict.

The Root Cause: A macOS Shortcut Conflict

The "apropos" terminal mystery is, at its core, a simple case of two different applications wanting to use the exact same keyboard shortcut. In this scenario:

1. Android Studio (and all JetBrains IDEs) reserves Cmd+Shift+A for its "Find Action" feature.
2. macOS has a built-in system service named "Search man Page Index in Terminal" which, by default, is also assigned the Cmd+Shift+A shortcut.

When you press the shortcut, macOS has to decide which command to execute. For reasons related to how services and applications handle events, the system-level shortcut often takes precedence, especially after you've interacted with a text field. This is why the macOS service hijacks the command from Android Studio, launching the Terminal and running the apropos command.

The Permanent Solution: Disabling the Conflicting macOS Service Shortcut

Now that we've identified the root cause, the solution is straightforward and permanent. We need to resolve the conflict by changing or disabling the macOS shortcut, leaving Cmd+Shift+A free for Android Studio to use exclusively. Since "Find Action" is a far more frequently used command for developers than searching man pages, disabling the system service shortcut is the logical choice.

Follow these steps to fix the issue:

Step-by-Step Guide to Resolving the Conflict

1. Open System Settings (or System Preferences): Click the Apple icon () in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings... (on macOS Ventura and newer) or System Preferences... (on macOS Monterey and older).
2. Navigate to Keyboard Settings:
   • On macOS Ventura or newer: Scroll down the left sidebar and click on Keyboard. Then, click the Keyboard Shortcuts... button.
   • On macOS Monterey or older: Click on the Keyboard icon, and then select the Shortcuts tab at the top of the window.
3. Find the Services Shortcuts: In the window that appears, select Services from the list on the left.
4. Locate and Disable the Conflicting Service: Scroll through the list of services on the right. You are looking for an entry under the "Searching" or "Text" category named Search man Page Index in Terminal.
5. Disable the Shortcut: You will see that this service has the ⇧⌘A (Cmd+Shift+A) shortcut assigned to it. To disable it, simply uncheck the blue checkbox next to its name.

Simply uncheck the box to disable the conflicting system shortcut.

That's it! The change takes effect immediately. You don't need to restart your Mac or Android Studio. Go back to your IDE and press Cmd+Shift+A. The "Find Action" dialog will now appear reliably every single time, and the "apropos" terminal will be gone for good.

Conclusion: A Lesson in System-Level Awareness

The "apropos" terminal issue is a classic example of how the tools we use don't exist in a vacuum. It serves as a valuable reminder that our development environments are deeply integrated with the operating system they run on. What initially appears to be a bizarre and frustrating application-specific bug is often a simple, logical conflict at a higher level.

By understanding that the problem was a shortcut collision between Android Studio and a macOS system service, we were able to bypass frustrating and ineffective troubleshooting steps and apply a precise, permanent fix. The solution—disabling the "Search man Page Index in Terminal" shortcut in your Mac's System Settings—restores the beloved Cmd+Shift+A functionality and lets you get back to what matters: building great applications.