Plurakey reference

How it works

Plurakey is a small box that plugs into your computer with a USB-C cable. Your Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, or macropad pairs to Plurakey instead of pairing to your computer directly. When you press a key, Plurakey rewrites what gets sent to the computer based on the rules you set up — your computer just sees a regular keyboard, mouse, and one accessory (a PowerMic or a foot pedal).

• Your inputs come from Bluetooth keyboards, mice, or macropads that you've paired to Plurakey.
• Your computer sees a keyboard, a mouse, and one extra device — either a PowerMic or a foot pedal (your pick).
• A foot pedal or PowerMic that's already plugged into your computer's USB port can't be reshaped by Plurakey — those go straight to the computer.
• No software to install on your computer. Plurakey does all the work itself.

What Plurakey can send to your computer

For each rule you set up, you pick one of these to be sent when the rule fires.

A single rule can chain up to 5 actions in a row. Each can have a short delay (in milliseconds), and you can choose whether the key is just tapped or held until you press it again.

PowerScribe connectivity

PowerScribe (and similar dictation software) expects to see either a Nuance PowerMic or a 3-button foot pedal — not both. Plurakey can pretend to be either one, but only one at a time. Pick whichever your app is set up for.

PowerMic vs Foot Pedal

Switching modes

Click the PowerMic / Foot Pedal badge in the configurator's top toolbar. Plurakey takes about a second to come back as the new device. The configurator counts up any rules that won't work in the new mode and warns you — your rules don't get deleted, they just sit quietly until you switch back. With the Max tier, each profile can remember its own preferred mode, so loading a profile can switch automatically.

Sending output over USB or Bluetooth

Plurakey can talk to your computer two ways: by USB cable (the default, available on every tier) or by Bluetooth (Pro and Max). Either way, you keep the USB-C cable plugged in — it powers Plurakey and keeps the configurator connected. Only the output path changes.

Switching between USB and Bluetooth

1. Click the Bluetooth icon at the top of the configurator to open the device list.
2. Click Bluetooth under "Output targets" — Plurakey becomes discoverable to nearby computers as a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse.
3. Click USB to switch back — Plurakey stops broadcasting over Bluetooth and goes back to sending output through the cable.

What still works in Bluetooth mode

• Your paired Bluetooth keyboard and mouse keep working the same way.
• All your rules, profiles, vShift settings, DotPhrases, and tap behaviors are unchanged.
• The configurator stays connected through the USB cable.

What's different in Bluetooth mode

• PowerMic and foot pedal outputs don't work — Bluetooth can't carry those signals. You can set up a keyboard shortcut as a backup in the substitution dictionary (see below).
• Idle Guard's mouse nudge will go over whichever output is active.
• If you switch modes while a key is being held down, Plurakey releases the key cleanly — you won't end up with a stuck key on the old computer.

Bluetooth host slots — switching between computers

Plurakey can remember up to three different computers it's been paired with, like the multi-device buttons on a Logitech keyboard. Pair once per computer, then switch between them at any time. Everything lives in the configurator's Bluetooth panel under "Output targets."

Pairing a new computer

1. Switch to Bluetooth output mode.
2. Click Pair on an empty slot — Plurakey becomes discoverable for 30 seconds.
3. On the computer you want to pair, open Bluetooth settings and connect to Plurakey.
4. The slot fills with a default name like Host A1B2. Click the pencil icon to rename it (e.g. "Reading room PC").

Switching between computers

Click Switch on whichever slot you want active. Plurakey disconnects from the current computer and reconnects to the target one automatically. The active slot gets an "Active" badge.

You can also assign Switch to Host 1 / 2 / 3 as a rule on any key — so a single button press jumps Plurakey to a different computer. (If you're on USB mode at the time, it'll flip to Bluetooth automatically first.)

Forgetting a computer

You need to forget the pairing on both Plurakey AND the computer's Bluetooth settings. If you only forget on one side, the other side hangs on to the old pairing and reconnection fails: on Macs it gets stuck at "Connecting…", on Windows you'll see a brief error.

Heads-up about empty slots: if you've set up a "Switch to Host 2" rule but slot 2 is empty, the configurator shows an amber warning. The rule does nothing until you pair a computer to that slot.

Substitution dictionary — keeping rules working when you switch modes

Some of your rules will stop working the moment you change something else — flip Plurakey between PowerMic and foot pedal mode, or switch to Bluetooth output, and a rule you set up months ago might fire the wrong thing (or nothing at all). The substitution dictionary tells Plurakey what to do instead, so the same key press keeps doing what you expect.

Open it from the PowerMic / Foot Pedal badge in the configurator toolbar. Two translation tables live there, plus a switch for sharing them across all your profiles.

PowerMic ↔ Foot Pedal

The first table is for when you're switching between PowerMic and foot pedal modes. Each PowerMic button gets an optional foot pedal stand-in (left / center / right), and each foot pedal button gets an optional PowerMic stand-in. Leave a row blank and that action just won't fire after the switch.

Bluetooth keyboard shortcut

The second table is for when Plurakey is in Bluetooth output mode. Bluetooth only knows how to send keyboard, mouse, and media-key signals — it can't speak PowerMic or foot pedal. So instead, each PowerMic and foot pedal button can be mapped to a keyboard shortcut: pick a modifier or two (Ctrl, Shift, Alt, Cmd) plus a regular key. Plurakey fires that shortcut over Bluetooth, and apps like Dragon or BetterTouchTool let you assign any command to that shortcut on the receiving end.

Shared across profiles, or different for each

Each profile keeps its own copy of the dictionary by default — handy when your radiology profile and your home profile need different stand-ins. To share one dictionary across every profile, turn on Use global dictionary in each profile that should use it, then click Save as global default while the rows you want are on screen. Turning the toggle off again brings back that profile's own copy.

Triggers & actions — the building blocks of a rule

A rule is simply: when I press this key (the trigger), do this on the computer (the action).

What can be a trigger

• Any key on a paired Bluetooth keyboard — including key combos (Ctrl + F2, Ctrl + Shift + D, and so on).
• Any button on a paired Bluetooth mouse (Left, Middle, Right, Back, Forward, plus extra side buttons).
• You can attach more than one trigger to the same rule, so different keys can do the same thing.
• Click Capture in the configurator and press a key — the rule grabs whatever you pressed.

What an action can do

• Each rule can do up to 5 things in a row when you press the trigger.
• Pick what type of output each action sends (Keyboard, Mouse, Free text, PowerMic, Foot Pedal, or a Plurakey control).
• You can add a delay between actions (in milliseconds) for apps that need a moment to keep up.
• "Hold until pressed again" mode keeps a key pressed down until you press the trigger a second time — handy for push-to-talk.

When two rules want the same trigger

If two rules try to claim the same key press, only one will actually fire (and it might not be the one you wanted). The configurator marks each affected rule with an amber badge and shows a count in the toolbar so you can fix it.

Layers & behaviors — one key, multiple results

Each rule can have up to 5 different outputs (called "layers") per side. When a rule has more than one layer, the behavior setting decides which layer fires each time you press the key.

Up to 5 layers per side, up to 5 actions per layer. A rule with only one layer is just a plain remap — no cycling involved.

vShift — like a Shift key for your whole layout

vShift is a "second mode" that every rule has built in. Each rule has two sides: Primary (the normal one) and vShift (only fires when vShift mode is turned on).

Both Primary and vShift sides have their own independent layers and behavior settings. vShift is a Pro and Max feature.

DotPhrase — short triggers that expand to long text

DotPhrase watches what you're typing for short trigger words. When you type one and press Space or Enter, Plurakey erases the trigger and types out the full sentence (or paragraph) in its place. Everything happens on the device — no software to install on your computer.

IntelliComplete

IntelliComplete is an automatic punctuation and capitalization assist. It runs passively on the keystream and requires no trigger words. Max tier only.

Profiles

A profile is a complete saved layout — your rules, your phrases, your PowerMic / foot pedal preference, and which Bluetooth devices switch to it automatically. You can save several profiles on a single Plurakey and pick which one to use from the toolbar dropdown.

What a profile contains

• All your rules (triggers, layers, actions).
• All your DotPhrases (trigger words plus their expanded text; secure phrases stay only on the device).
• Your PowerMic / foot pedal preference (Max tier).
• The substitution dictionary (unless you've told the profile to use the shared one instead).
• Which Bluetooth devices should auto-load this profile when they connect.

From the profile dropdown you can create, rename, duplicate, delete, load, export to a file, import from a file, or share to the Community.

Auto-switching profiles by Bluetooth device Max

Link a profile to one or more of your paired Bluetooth devices. When that device connects, Plurakey loads the linked profile automatically — handy when your keyboard and your macropad each have their own layout and you don't want to think about switching.

Backup & restore

Backup saves every profile, rule, phrase, and device setting into a single file you can keep on your computer. Restore replaces everything currently on the device with the contents of a backup, so hang on to your old backup until you've checked the restored version is what you wanted. Secure phrases are not included in the backup — they stay on the device.

Community

A public library of Plurakey profiles others have shared. Browse ready-made keybind sets, inspect every mapping before downloading, and publish your own.

Browsing & signing in

Browsing and downloading are open to everyone — no account needed. Search by profile name, description, or uploader; filter by output device type (keyboard, mouse, PowerMic, foot pedal). Click a card to see every keybind and phrase before importing. To upload a profile you need a free account — sign in with Google or email + password on the Community page.

Uploading a profile

1. In the configurator, open the profile you want to share.
2. Profile dropdown → Share to Community.
3. The configurator exports the JSON and opens the Community upload form pre-filled.
4. Add a name, description, and any relevant app tags.
5. Switch to Preview to see exactly how the profile will appear publicly.
6. Confirm the PHI attestation → Publish.

To download someone else's: click Download on the card → in the configurator, Settings → Backup & Restore → Import, pick the file. It lands alongside your existing profiles.

Protected health information (PHI) and what gets shared

Tiers

Every Plurakey is the same piece of hardware. The tier — Lite, Pro, or Max — is a paid unlock that decides how many rules, phrases, and paired Bluetooth devices you get, and which premium features (PowerMic, DotPhrase, vShift, Idle Guard, Bluetooth output, IntelliComplete) are turned on. The device enforces the limits automatically and the configurator shows what's available live.

Tier comparison

Lite (entry tier, not shown in the table): 5 profiles, 15 mappings, no phrases, 1 bonded BLE device, keyboard / mouse / foot pedal output only.

Activating your tier

Order or upgrade on the Buy or Upgrade page. Once your order is processed, the new tier is tied to your Plurakey's device ID on our server — the next time you plug your device into the configurator, the upgrade applies automatically. There's nothing to type in or copy/paste in most cases. If you ever need to enter a license by hand, you can paste the long license code into Settings → Software → License.

Idle Guard — keep your computer awake

Idle Guard sends a tiny mouse movement to your computer every so often, so the screen doesn't lock and the workstation doesn't go to sleep while you're stepping away briefly.

PIN lock

A 4-digit PIN protects your device's settings. The PIN is enforced by the Plurakey itself, so the configurator has to ask for it every time it connects.

Bluetooth — pairing your keyboards and mice

Plurakey pairs to your keyboards, mice, and macropads over Bluetooth. Those paired devices are where every key press in your rules comes from.

Firmware updates

Plurakey updates itself over the USB-C cable, directly from the configurator. There's nothing extra to download or install on your computer.

Avoiding conflicts with a real PowerMic or foot pedal

Your computer recognizes Plurakey as either a PowerMic or a foot pedal, depending on which mode you've set. That's how PowerScribe and similar apps know what they're talking to.

Factory reset

Found in Settings. Wipes everything off the device — every rule, every phrase, every paired Bluetooth device, every setting. After it's done, Plurakey restarts as if it were brand new.

Export a backup from Settings → Backup & Restore before performing a factory reset if you want to preserve your configuration. Secure phrase content is not included in the export and cannot be recovered after a reset.