# Make Ctrl-n/Ctrl-p scroll through completion suggestions instead of going to next/previous line

**URL:** <https://community.bear.app/t/make-ctrl-n-ctrl-p-scroll-through-completion-suggestions-instead-of-going-to-next-previous-line/15683>\
**Category:** Bear Bug Report\
**Tags:** shortcuts, workflow, macos\
**Created:** [March 14, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/make-ctrl-n-ctrl-p-scroll-through-completion-suggestions-instead-of-going-to-next-previous-line/15683 "2025-03-14T16:00:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TonCherAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@TonCherAmi](https://community.bear.app/u/TonCherAmi)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/make-ctrl-n-ctrl-p-scroll-through-completion-suggestions-instead-of-going-to-next-previous-line/15683/1 "2025-03-14T16:00:10Z")

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I feel like I get hit by this literally every day because my muscle memory from other tools is so strong:

1. Press ⌘-D or start typing a tag #…
2. Completion suggestions appear  
 ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/bear/original/2X/4/4f8d931ab01e2bed119290f0678874b15e8ae457.png)
3. I inevitably get the urge to select the one I want using Ctrl-n
4. I can’t resist, I press Ctrl-n
5. It takes me to the next line, completion suggestion popup closed  
 ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/bear/original/2X/9/91210b0955a241b36bcde85133906a8b339658a7.png)
6. I curse myself for falling for it again, navigate to the previous line and _ **hyperextend my pinky uncomfortably** _ to select the completion item I want using the arrow down key

I really hope this can be fixed, but at the same I feel like there must be some kind of technical reason behind it not being already implemented – it just feels too obvious, pretty much every other tool works like this: macOS menu bar item search, xCode completion, etc etc

Extra note: I actually really like using Ctrl-n/p/f/b for navigation normally and wouldn’t want to disable these shortcuts.

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**Author:** ![TonCherAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@TonCherAmi](https://community.bear.app/u/TonCherAmi)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/make-ctrl-n-ctrl-p-scroll-through-completion-suggestions-instead-of-going-to-next-previous-line/15683/2 "2025-03-20T18:49:07Z")

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Bump, this needs to be fixed!

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**Author:** ![krssno](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/krssno/32/1338_2.png) [@krssno](https://community.bear.app/u/krssno)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/make-ctrl-n-ctrl-p-scroll-through-completion-suggestions-instead-of-going-to-next-previous-line/15683/3 "2025-03-20T20:02:36Z")

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Actually these hotkeys are used in many editors to move the cursor down to the next line. Why should bear change that standard behaviour, especially since you can use the standard up and down arrow keys?

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**Author:** ![TonCherAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@TonCherAmi](https://community.bear.app/u/TonCherAmi)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/make-ctrl-n-ctrl-p-scroll-through-completion-suggestions-instead-of-going-to-next-previous-line/15683/4 "2025-03-20T20:11:49Z")

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In general in most conforming apps Ctrl-n/p and down/up-arrow actions are synced. This is plain common sense and is true even for Apple’s own apps – see xCode for example. So Bear’s behavior is definitely not standard, this is a bug.

Note that I’m not asking to change the normal behavior of Ctrl-n/p keybindings, they should still move the cursor up and down, but not when there’s a completion popup open!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TonCherAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@TonCherAmi](https://community.bear.app/u/TonCherAmi)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 8:17pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/make-ctrl-n-ctrl-p-scroll-through-completion-suggestions-instead-of-going-to-next-previous-line/15683/5 "2025-03-20T20:17:07Z")

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Ctrl-n/p behavior in completion popups in Reminders and xCode:

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![krssno](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/krssno/32/1338_2.png) [@krssno](https://community.bear.app/u/krssno)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 9:33am UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/make-ctrl-n-ctrl-p-scroll-through-completion-suggestions-instead-of-going-to-next-previous-line/15683/6 "2025-03-21T09:33:40Z")

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Your title and the word „instead“ was misleading 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TonCherAmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/50afbb/32.png) [@TonCherAmi](https://community.bear.app/u/TonCherAmi)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/make-ctrl-n-ctrl-p-scroll-through-completion-suggestions-instead-of-going-to-next-previous-line/15683/7 "2025-09-09T21:51:24Z")

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Please take another look at this. This is a really painful UX paper cut and affects people every day!
