In one aspect, an example methodology implementing the disclosed techniques includes, by a computing device, responsive to initiation of an application of the computing device, a display of which including a virtual keyboard, detecting, by the computing device, an input on a shortcut key of the virtual keyboard. The method also includes, by the computing device, translating the shortcut key into one or more keystrokes based on a configuration file for that short key and providing the one or more keystrokes to the application to execute a function of the shortcut key in response to the detected input.