top -o cpu -l 5
This lists processes sorted by CPU usage for 5 loops.
| Shortcut / Method | Action |
|------------------|--------|
| Cmd + Space (Spotlight) → type “Activity” → Enter | Fastest launch |
| Cmd + Space → type “top” → Enter | Terminal-based alternative |
| Cmd + Shift + U (Utilities folder) → A key | From Finder |
Hot tip: Once open, keep it in your Dock (right-click → Options → Keep in Dock) or assign a custom shortcut via System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts. activity monitor shortcut hot
For engineers and scripters, the fastest possible invocation is via the terminal or a custom shell script bound to a key.
In Terminal, just type:
open -a "Activity Monitor"
To make it "hot," use a tool like skhd (open-source key daemon) or Karabiner-Elements to map an unused key (like F13 or the right-⌘) to that command.
Example skhd config:
ctrl + alt + cmd - return : open -a "Activity Monitor"
Now you have a hardware-level hotkey that works even in full-screen games or locked-up applications.