（Author: Richard Jorne. Please credit the source when sharing.）

Do you love using Option+Shift combo shortcuts? Are you a fan of apps like Xnip? After upgrading to macOS Sequoia, have those shortcuts suddenly stopped working?

Preface

I’ve always used Option+Shift+4 as Xnip’s shortcut. This way, Cmd+Shift+4 (the default system area screenshot shortcut) only differs by one key, making muscle memory easier.

After updating to Sequoia, I realized Option+Shift combos no longer work. But since I’m deeply accustomed to this setup, I decided to dig deeper.

This article explains the possible reasons and provides a practical solution.
Note: This fix isn’t limited to Xnip. Any sandboxed app can bypass this restriction using the same method.
Just replace /Applications/Xnip.app in the terminal commands below with your app’s path.

Why It Happens

This answer reveals that Apple intentionally blocked Option+Shift shortcuts in Sequoia. Discussions here clarify that this restriction applies only to sandboxed apps (required for App Store submissions). Non-App Store apps, which don’t enforce sandboxing, likely still work.

Unfortunately, Xnip seems to be distributed exclusively via the App Store. Unless the developer releases a non-App Store version, we’re stuck—unless we fix it ourselves.

The Fix

Theoretically, we can manually remove an app’s sandbox. After testing multiple methods, I successfully lifted the Option+Shift restriction on Xnip.

You might wonder: “Can I share the modified app?” But App Store apps are tied to your account, so redistributing them causes activation issues. For now, let’s focus on fixing it locally.

Warning: This process may reset some app data. Re-signing changes the app’s BundleID, making macOS treat it as a new app. Your original data remains intact but won’t load until you revert to the original BundleID.

Technical Details

Recent tests show that re-signing the app removes all entitlements, including sandboxing. Manual binary edits might not be necessary, but I’ll keep the advanced method as a backup.

Basic Method

Step 1: Close the App

Open Activity Monitor, search for “Xnip,” and quit all related processes.

Step 2: Run the Command

Open Terminal (search via Spotlight) and paste:

sudo codesign -d --force --verbose --deep --sign - /Applications/Xnip.app

Press Enter.

-d and --verbose enable detailed logs.

--deep signs all helper tools within the app.

--sign - signs without a certificate(which is the -).

You’ll be prompted for your password (no visible input). Enter it and press Enter. terminal pwd prompt.png

If you see this error: terminal err.png

You will need to open System Settings. Then, under the section Privacy & Security, find App Management, and then enable Terminal’s permissions: App Management.png

Quit & Reopen:

App Management Prompt.png

Make sure to open the terminal, and rerun the command.

Successful output looks like this: terminal sign success.png

Step 3: Verify

Check if sandboxing is removed:

codesign -d --entitlements - /Applications/Xnip.app

If you don’t see:

[Dict]
	[Key] com.apple.security.app-sandbox
	[Value]
		[Bool] true
	...

this means you successfully get rid of the sandbox.

A failed example (sandbox remains active):

If you get rid of the sandbox, Xnip may request new permissions upon opening. Allow it and you’re good to go.

Done! If it still doesn’t work, try:

Advanced Method

This involves manually editing the app’s binaries to disable sandbox flags.

Step 1: Modify the Binary

Download a hex editor (e.g., Hex Fiend). Navigate to /Applications/Xnip.app/Contents/MacOS/ and copy the main executable (e.g., Xnip) to another folder (e.g., Downloads). Open the copied file in Hex Fiend.

Select Text, and then search for: <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key>

Replace every <true/> under this key with <fals/> (note: no “e”). Keep searching until all <true/> for <key>com.apple.security.app-sandbox</key> are replaced.

Save the file and replace the original in /Applications/Xnip.app/Contents/MacOS/.

Repeat this for all helper apps (e.g., in /Applications/Xnip.app/Contents/Library/LoginItems/).

Step 2: Re-sign the App

You can still use

sudo codesign -d --force --verbose --deep --sign - /Applications/Xnip.app

Alternatively,

For each modified .app (main app and helpers), run:

sudo codesign --force --verbose --sign - /path/to/helper.app

Replace /path/to/helper.app with the actual path.

Enjoy your restored shortcuts!

References:

Is there any way to disable sandbox https://stackoverflow.com/a/30449203/13478725 https://stackoverflow.com/a/27474942/13478725