kitlangton · blackforestboi · Jul 14, 2026
diff --git a/.changeset/unify-hotkey-capture-session.md b/.changeset/unify-hotkey-capture-session.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"hex-app": patch
+---
+
+Cancel hotkey capture when clicking away from a shortcut field.
diff --git a/Hex/Features/App/AppFeature.swift b/Hex/Features/App/AppFeature.swift
@@ -177,12 +177,12 @@ struct AppFeature {
 
   private func startPasteLastTranscriptMonitoring() -> Effect<Action> {
     .run { send in
-      @Shared(.isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey) var isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey: Bool
+		@Shared(.hotKeyCaptureTarget) var hotKeyCaptureTarget: HotKeyCaptureTarget?
       @Shared(.hexSettings) var hexSettings: HexSettings
 
       let token = keyEventMonitor.handleKeyEvent { keyEvent in
         // Skip if user is setting a hotkey
-        if isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey {
+        if hotKeyCaptureTarget != nil {
           return false
         }
 

diff --git a/Hex/Features/Settings/SettingsFeature.swift b/Hex/Features/Settings/SettingsFeature.swift
@@ -12,22 +12,9 @@ import SwiftUI
 private let settingsLogger = HexLog.settings
 private typealias SettingsAudioPropertyListenerBlock = @convention(block) (UInt32, UnsafePointer<AudioObjectPropertyAddress>) -> Void
 
-private enum HotKeyCaptureTarget {
-  case recording
-  case pasteLastTranscript
-}
-
 extension SharedReaderKey
   where Self == InMemoryKey<Bool>.Default
 {
-  static var isSettingHotKey: Self {
-    Self[.inMemory("isSettingHotKey"), default: false]
-  }
-
-  static var isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey: Self {
-    Self[.inMemory("isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey"), default: false]
-  }
-
   static var isRemappingScratchpadFocused: Self {
     Self[.inMemory("isRemappingScratchpadFocused"), default: false]
   }
@@ -40,8 +27,7 @@ struct SettingsFeature {
   @ObservableState
   struct State {
     @Shared(.hexSettings) var hexSettings: HexSettings
-    @Shared(.isSettingHotKey) var isSettingHotKey: Bool = false
-    @Shared(.isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey) var isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey: Bool = false
+    @Shared(.hotKeyCaptureTarget) var hotKeyCaptureTarget: HotKeyCaptureTarget?
     @Shared(.isRemappingScratchpadFocused) var isRemappingScratchpadFocused: Bool = false
     @Shared(.transcriptionHistory) var transcriptionHistory: TranscriptionHistory
     @Shared(.hotkeyPermissionState) var hotkeyPermissionState: HotkeyPermissionState
@@ -59,6 +45,9 @@ struct SettingsFeature {
     var modelDownload = ModelDownloadFeature.State()
     var shouldFlashModelSection = false
 
+    var isSettingHotKey: Bool { hotKeyCaptureTarget == .recording }
+    var isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey: Bool { hotKeyCaptureTarget == .pasteLastTranscript }
+
   }
 
   enum Action: BindableAction {
@@ -68,6 +57,7 @@ struct SettingsFeature {
     case task
     case startSettingHotKey
     case startSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey
+		case cancelHotKeyCapture
     case clearPasteLastTranscriptHotkey
     case keyEvent(KeyEvent)
     case toggleOpenOnLogin(Bool)
@@ -132,23 +122,25 @@ struct SettingsFeature {
   }
 
   private func beginCapture(_ target: HotKeyCaptureTarget, state: inout State) {
+		endCapture(state: &state)
+		state.$hotKeyCaptureTarget.withLock { $0 = target }
+
     switch target {
     case .recording:
-      state.$isSettingHotKey.withLock { $0 = true }
       state.currentModifiers = .init(modifiers: [])
     case .pasteLastTranscript:
-      state.$isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey.withLock { $0 = true }
       state.currentPasteLastModifiers = .init(modifiers: [])
     }
   }
 
-  private func endCapture(_ target: HotKeyCaptureTarget, state: inout State) {
+  private func endCapture(state: inout State) {
+		guard let target = state.hotKeyCaptureTarget else { return }
+		state.$hotKeyCaptureTarget.withLock { $0 = nil }
+
     switch target {
     case .recording:
-      state.$isSettingHotKey.withLock { $0 = false }
       state.currentModifiers = .init(modifiers: [])
     case .pasteLastTranscript:
-      state.$isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey.withLock { $0 = false }
       state.currentPasteLastModifiers = .init(modifiers: [])
     }
   }
@@ -188,7 +180,7 @@ struct SettingsFeature {
 
   private func handleCapture(_ keyEvent: KeyEvent, for target: HotKeyCaptureTarget, state: inout State) -> Effect<Action> {
     if keyEvent.key == .escape {
-      endCapture(target, state: &state)
+		endCapture(state: &state)
       return .none
     }
 
@@ -201,13 +193,13 @@ struct SettingsFeature {
 
     if let key = keyEvent.key {
       applyCapturedHotKey(key: key, modifiers: updatedModifiers, for: target, state: &state)
-      endCapture(target, state: &state)
+		endCapture(state: &state)
       return .none
     }
 
     if target == .recording, keyEvent.modifiers.isEmpty {
       applyCapturedHotKey(key: nil, modifiers: updatedModifiers, for: target, state: &state)
-      endCapture(target, state: &state)
+		endCapture(state: &state)
     }
 
     return .none
@@ -414,18 +406,21 @@ struct SettingsFeature {
       case .startSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey:
         beginCapture(.pasteLastTranscript, state: &state)
         return .none
+
+		case .cancelHotKeyCapture:
+			endCapture(state: &state)
+			return .none
 
       case .clearPasteLastTranscriptHotkey:
+			if state.hotKeyCaptureTarget == .pasteLastTranscript {
+				endCapture(state: &state)
+			}
         state.$hexSettings.withLock { $0.pasteLastTranscriptHotkey = nil }
         return .none
 
       case let .keyEvent(keyEvent):
-        if state.isSettingPasteLastTranscriptHotkey {
-          return handleCapture(keyEvent, for: .pasteLastTranscript, state: &state)
-        }
-
-        guard state.isSettingHotKey else { return .none }
-        return handleCapture(keyEvent, for: .recording, state: &state)
+			guard let target = state.hotKeyCaptureTarget else { return .none }
+			return handleCapture(keyEvent, for: target, state: &state)
 
       case let .toggleOpenOnLogin(enabled):
         state.$hexSettings.withLock { $0.openOnLogin = enabled }

diff --git a/Hex/Features/Settings/SettingsView.swift b/Hex/Features/Settings/SettingsView.swift
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import AppKit
 import ComposableArchitecture
 import HexCore
 import Inject
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ import SwiftUI
 struct SettingsView: View {
 	@ObserveInjection var inject
 	@Bindable var store: StoreOf<SettingsFeature>
+	@State private var localEventMonitor: Any?
 	let microphonePermission: PermissionStatus
 	let accessibilityPermission: PermissionStatus
 	let inputMonitoringPermission: PermissionStatus
@@ -43,8 +45,33 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
 		.task {
 			await store.send(.task).finish()
 		}
+		.onAppear(perform: installHotKeyCaptureCancellationMonitor)
+		.onDisappear {
+			store.send(.cancelHotKeyCapture)
+			removeHotKeyCaptureCancellationMonitor()
+		}
+		.onReceive(NotificationCenter.default.publisher(for: NSApplication.willResignActiveNotification)) { _ in
+			store.send(.cancelHotKeyCapture)
+		}
 		.enableInjection()
 	}
+
+	private func installHotKeyCaptureCancellationMonitor() {
+		guard localEventMonitor == nil else { return }
+
+		localEventMonitor = NSEvent.addLocalMonitorForEvents(matching: [.leftMouseDown, .rightMouseDown]) { event in
+			guard store.hotKeyCaptureTarget != nil else { return event }
+			store.send(.cancelHotKeyCapture)
+			return event
+		}
+	}
+
+	private func removeHotKeyCaptureCancellationMonitor() {
+		if let localEventMonitor {
+			NSEvent.removeMonitor(localEventMonitor)
+			self.localEventMonitor = nil
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 // MARK: - Shared Styles

diff --git a/Hex/Features/Transcription/TranscriptionFeature.swift b/Hex/Features/Transcription/TranscriptionFeature.swift
@@ -163,13 +163,13 @@ private extension TranscriptionFeature {
   func startHotKeyMonitoringEffect() -> Effect<Action> {
     .run { send in
       var hotKeyProcessor: HotKeyProcessor = .init(hotkey: HotKey(key: nil, modifiers: [.option]))
-      @Shared(.isSettingHotKey) var isSettingHotKey: Bool
+		@Shared(.hotKeyCaptureTarget) var hotKeyCaptureTarget: HotKeyCaptureTarget?
       @Shared(.hexSettings) var hexSettings: HexSettings
 
       // Handle incoming input events (keyboard and mouse)
       let token = keyEventMonitor.handleInputEvent { inputEvent in
         // Skip if the user is currently setting a hotkey
-        if isSettingHotKey {
+        if hotKeyCaptureTarget != nil {
           return false
         }
 

diff --git a/Hex/Models/AppHexSettings.swift b/Hex/Models/AppHexSettings.swift
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ import HexCore
 typealias RecordingAudioBehavior = HexCore.RecordingAudioBehavior
 typealias HexSettings = HexCore.HexSettings
 
+enum HotKeyCaptureTarget: Equatable, Sendable {
+	case recording
+	case pasteLastTranscript
+}
+
 extension SharedReaderKey
 	where Self == FileStorageKey<HexSettings>.Default
 {
@@ -18,6 +23,14 @@ extension SharedReaderKey
 	}
 }
 
+extension SharedReaderKey
+	where Self == InMemoryKey<HotKeyCaptureTarget?>.Default
+{
+	static var hotKeyCaptureTarget: Self {
+		Self[.inMemory("hotKeyCaptureTarget"), default: nil]
+	}
+}
+
 // MARK: - Storage Migration
 
 extension URL {