You can set up custom volume hotkeys on Windows and Mac using built-in system tools or lightweight third-party applications. Both operating systems provide different native paths to bypass the default media keys. Custom Volume Hotkeys on Windows Option 1: Using Microsoft PowerToys (Recommended)
Microsoft PowerToys is an official utility kit that features a highly stable Keyboard Manager.
Download and install Microsoft PowerToys from the Microsoft Store.
Open PowerToys and select Keyboard Manager from the left sidebar. Ensure Enable Keyboard Manager is toggled to On. Click Remap a shortcut. Click Add shortcut remapping (the plus sign).
Under Physical Shortcut, click Type and press your desired combo (e.g., Ctrl + Alt + Up Arrow).
Under Mapped To, scroll through the dropdown list and select Volume Up.
Repeat the steps to map a separate combination (e.g., Ctrl + Alt + Down Arrow) to Volume Down. Click OK to apply. Option 2: Using AutoHotkey (Advanced Scripting)
AutoHotkey allows you to map any global keys directly through a lightweight startup script. Download and install AutoHotkey.
Right-click on your desktop, select New, then choose AutoHotkey Script. Right-click the new script file and select Edit Script.
Clear the text and paste the following baseline code to use Ctrl + Up/Down for volume: autohotkey ^Up::Volume_Up ^Down::Volume_Down ^m::Volume_Mute Use code with caution. Save the file and double-click it to run. Custom Volume Hotkeys on Mac Option 1: Using Automator and AppleScript (Native & Free)
If you are using a non-Apple external keyboard or want to override system configurations natively, you can deploy a custom background service. Open the Automator app on your Mac.
Select New Document and choose Quick Action (or Service on older macOS versions).
Set the dropdown menus at the top to: Workflow receives no input in any application.
Search for the Run AppleScript action in the left pane and drag it into the main workflow window.
Replace the default text block with this code to Increase Volume: applescript
on run {input, parameters} set curVolume to output volume of (get volume settings) if curVolume < 96 then set newVolume to curVolume + 5 else set newVolume to 100 end if set volume output volume newVolume end run Use code with caution. Save the Quick Action with a name like Volume Up.
Create a second Quick Action exactly like this, but replace the code with the following to Decrease Volume: applescript
on run {input, parameters} set curVolume to output volume of (get volume settings) if curVolume > 5 then set newVolume to curVolume - 5 else set newVolume to 0 end if set volume output volume newVolume end run Use code with caution. Save it as Volume Down.
Go to Apple Menu > System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts.
Click Services in the left sidebar, locate your new scripts under General, click the shortcut field, and record your custom hotkeys. Option 2: Using BetterTouchTool or Karabiner-Elements
Third-party tools offer a simpler graphical interface without script configurations.
Karabiner-Elements: Use this if you are using a standard Windows keyboard on Mac. Navigate to the Function Keys tab to easily map standard F-keys directly to native Apple volume commands.
BetterTouchTool: Create a global keyboard shortcut and map it to the predefined action Utility Actions > Increase Volume / Decrease Volume.
If you would like to proceed with one of these options, let me know:
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