MAC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
This collection of keyboard shortcuts for macOS can help users get the most from their iMacs, MacBook Pro and MacBook laptops.
What are shortcuts on Mac?
Mac shortcuts are specific key combinations on your keyboard that allow you to do things on your computer that would typically require a mouse or trackpad and the screen’s pull-down menu. For example, you can use your keyboard to copy and paste a set of text instead of using your mouse to select, copy, and paste from the menu.
How do I see all the shortcuts on my Mac?
To find the Mac shortcuts that are already set up on your device, go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts. From there you can look through the different mac keyboard shortcuts that are set up for your keyboard and other places your Mac allows shortcuts, like the launchpad and dock, Mission Control, and Spotlight.
How do I create shortcuts on a Mac?
If you want to create a new keyboard shortcut, navigate down to App Shortcuts, click the plus, select the application you want (or select All Applications), and type the menu title of your shortcut along with the keys you want to use. Then click Add. Take note, in order for the shortcut to work you will need to type in the exact syntax of the menu title; that includes capitalization, spaces, and punctuation. To change an existing shortcut you can select the one you want to change, click on the key combination, and then type the new keys you want to use.
CONTENTS
Cut, Copy, Paste, and Other Common Shortcuts
Sleep, Log Out, and Shut Down Shortcuts
30 Keyboard Shortcuts Mac Users Need To Know
To use a keyboard shortcut, press and hold one or more modifier keys and then press the last key of the shortcut. For example, to use Command-C (copy), press and hold the Command key, then the C key, then release both keys. Mac menus and keyboards often use symbols for certain keys, including modifier keys:
- Command (or Cmd) ⌘
- Shift ⇧
- Option (or Alt) ⌥
- Control (or Ctrl) ⌃
- Caps Lock ⇪
- Fn
On keyboards made for Windows PCs, use the Alt key instead of Option, and the
Windows logo key instead of Command.
Some keys on some Apple keyboards have special symbols and functions, such as for display brightness , keyboard brightness , Mission Control, and more. If these functions aren't available on your keyboard, you might be able to reproduce some of them by creating your own keyboard shortcuts. To use these keys as F1, F2, F3, or other standard function keys, combine them with the Fn key.
Cut, copy, paste, and other common shortcuts
- Command-X: Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard.
- Command-C: Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.
- Command-V: Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also works for files in the Finder.
- Command-Z: Undo the previous command. You can then press Shift-Command-Z to Redo, reversing the undo command. In some apps, you can undo and redo multiple commands.
- Command-A: Select All items.
- Command-F: Find items in a document or open a Find window.
- Command-G: Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the previous occurrence, press Shift-Command-G.
- Command-H: Hide the windows of the front app. To view the front app but hide all other apps, press Option-Command-H.
- Command-M: Minimize the front window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front app, press Option-Command-M.
- Command-O: Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open.
- Command-P: Print the current document.
- Command-S: Save the current document.
- Command-T: Open a new tab.
- Command-W: Close the front window. To close all windows of the app, press Option-Command-W.
- Option-Command-Esc: Force quit an app.
- Command–Space bar: Show or hide the Spotlight search field. To perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window, press Command–Option–Space bar. (If you use multiple input sources to type in different languages, these shortcuts change input sources instead of showing Spotlight. Learn how to change a conflicting keyboard shortcut.)
- Control–Command–Space bar: Show the Character Viewer, from which you can choose emoji and other symbols.
- Control-Command-F: Use the app in full screen, if supported by the app.
- Space bar: Use Quick Look to preview the selected item.
- Command-Tab: Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps.
- Shift-Command-5: In macOS Mojave or later, take a screenshot or make a screen recording. Or use Shift-Command-3 or Shift-Command-4 for screenshots. Learn more about screenshots.
- Shift-Command-N: Create a new folder in the Finder.
- Command-Comma (,): Open preferences for the front app.
Sleep, log out, and shut down shortcuts
You might need to press and hold some of these shortcuts for slightly longer than other shortcuts. This helps you to avoid using them unintentionally.
- Power button: Press to turn on your Mac or wake it from sleep. Press and hold for 1.5 seconds to put your Mac to sleep.* Continue holding to force your Mac to turn off.
- Option–Command–Power button* or Option–Command–Media Eject : Put your Mac to sleep.
- Control–Shift–Power button* or Control–Shift–Media Eject : Put your displays to sleep.
- Control–Power button* or Control–Media Eject : Display a dialog asking whether you want to restart, sleep, or shut down.
- Control–Command–Power button:* Force your Mac to restart, without prompting to save any open and unsaved documents.
- Control–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then restart your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
- Control–Option–Command–Power button* or Control–Option–Command–Media Eject : Quit all apps, then shut down your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
- Control-Command-Q: Immediately lock your screen.
- Shift-Command-Q: Log out of your macOS user account. You will be asked to confirm. To log out immediately without confirming, press Option-Shift-Command-Q.
* Does not apply to the Touch ID sensor.
- Command-D: Duplicate the selected files.
- Command-E: Eject the selected disk or volume.
- Command-F: Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window.
- Command-I: Show the Get Info window for a selected file.
- Command-R: (1) When an alias is selected in the Finder: show the original file for the selected alias. (2) In some apps, such as Calendar or Safari, refresh or reload the page. (3) In Software Update preferences, check for software updates again.
- Shift-Command-C: Open the Computer window.
- Shift-Command-D: Open the desktop folder.
- Shift-Command-F: Open the Recents window, showing all of the files you viewed or changed recently.
- Shift-Command-G: Open a Go to Folder window.
- Shift-Command-H: Open the Home folder of the current macOS user account.
- Shift-Command-I: Open iCloud Drive.
- Shift-Command-K: Open the Network window.
- Option-Command-L: Open the Downloads folder.
- Shift-Command-N: Create a new folder.
- Shift-Command-O: Open the Documents folder.
- Shift-Command-P: Show or hide the Preview pane in Finder windows.
- Shift-Command-R: Open the AirDrop window.
- Shift-Command-T: Show or hide the tab bar in Finder windows.
- Control-Shift-Command-T: Add selected Finder item to the Dock (OS X Mavericks or later)
- Shift-Command-U: Open the Utilities folder.
- Option-Command-D: Show or hide the Dock.
- Control-Command-T: Add the selected item to the sidebar (OS X Mavericks or later).
- Option-Command-P: Hide or show the path bar in Finder windows.
- Option-Command-S: Hide or show the Sidebar in Finder windows.
- Command–Slash (/): Hide or show the status bar in Finder windows.
- Command-J: Show View Options.
- Command-K: Open the Connect to Server window.
- Control-Command-A: Make an alias of the selected item.
- Command-N: Open a new Finder window.
- Option-Command-N: Create a new Smart Folder.
- Command-T: Show or hide the tab bar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window.
- Option-Command-T: Show or hide the toolbar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window.
- Option-Command-V: Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location to the current location.
- Command-Y: Use Quick Look to preview the selected files.
- Option-Command-Y: View a Quick Look slideshow of the selected files.
- Command-1: View the items in the Finder window as icons.
- Command-2: View the items in a Finder window as a list.
- Command-3: View the items in a Finder window in columns.
- Command-4: View the items in a Finder window in a gallery.
- Command–Left Bracket ([): Go to the previous folder.
- Command–Right Bracket (]): Go to the next folder.
- Command–Up Arrow: Open the folder that contains the current folder.
- Command–Control–Up Arrow: Open the folder that contains the current folder in a new window.
- Command–Down Arrow: Open the selected item.
- Right Arrow: Open the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
- Left Arrow: Close the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
- Command-Delete: Move the selected item to the Trash.
- Shift-Command-Delete: Empty the Trash.
- Option-Shift-Command-Delete: Empty the Trash without confirmation dialog.
- Command–Brightness Down: Turn video mirroring on or off when your Mac is connected to more than one display.
- Option–Brightness Up: Open Displays preferences. This works with either Brightness key.
- Control–Brightness Up or Control–Brightness Down: Change the brightness of your external display, if supported by your display.
- Option–Shift–Brightness Up or Option–Shift–Brightness Down: Adjust the display brightness in smaller steps. Add the Control key to this shortcut to make the adjustment on your external display, if supported by your display.
- Option–Mission Control: Open Mission Control preferences.
- Command–Mission Control: Show the desktop.
- Control–Down Arrow: Show all windows of the front app.
- Option–Volume Up: Open Sound preferences. This works with any of the volume keys.
- Option–Shift–Volume Up or Option–Shift–Volume Down: Adjust the sound volume in smaller steps.
- Option–Keyboard Brightness Up: Open Keyboard preferences. This works with either Keyboard Brightness key.
- Option–Shift–Keyboard Brightness Up or Option–Shift–Keyboard Brightness Down: Adjust the keyboard brightness in smaller steps.
- Option key while double-clicking: Open the item in a separate window, then close the original window.
- Command key while double-clicking: Open a folder in a separate tab or window.
- Command key while dragging to another volume: Move the dragged item to the other volume, instead of copying it.
- Option key while dragging: Copy the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item.
- Option-Command while dragging: Make an alias of the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the item.
- Option-click a disclosure triangle: Open all folders within the selected folder. This works only when in list view.
- Command-click a window title: See the folders that contain the current folder.
- Learn how to use Command or Shift to select multiple items in the Finder.
- Click the Go menu in the Finder menu bar to see shortcuts for opening many commonly used folders, such as Applications, Documents, Downloads, Utilities, and iCloud Drive.
The behavior of these shortcuts may vary with the app you're using.
- Command-B: Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off.
- Command-I: Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off.
- Command-K: Add a web link.
- Command-U: Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off.
- Command-T: Show or hide the Fonts window.
- Command-D: Select the Desktop folder from within an Open dialog or Save dialog.
- Control-Command-D: Show or hide the definition of the selected word.
- Shift-Command-Colon (:): Display the Spelling and Grammar window.
- Command-Semicolon (;): Find misspelled words in the document.
- Option-Delete: Delete the word to the left of the insertion point.
- Control-H: Delete the character to the left of the insertion point. Or use Delete.
- Control-D: Delete the character to the right of the insertion point. Or use Fn-Delete.
- Fn-Delete: Forward delete on keyboards that don't have a Forward Delete key. Or use Control-D.
- Control-K: Delete the text between the insertion point and the end of the line or paragraph.
- Fn–Up Arrow: Page Up: Scroll up one page.
- Fn–Down Arrow: Page Down: Scroll down one page.
- Fn–Left Arrow: Home: Scroll to the beginning of a document.
- Fn–Right Arrow: End: Scroll to the end of a document.
- Command–Up Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document.
- Command–Down Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the document.
- Command–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line.
- Command–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the current line.
- Option–Left Arrow: Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
- Option–Right Arrow: Move the insertion point to the end of the next word.
- Shift–Command–Up Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document.
- Shift–Command–Down Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document.
- Shift–Command–Left Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line.
- Shift–Command–Right Arrow: Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line.
- Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line above.
- Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line below.
- Shift–Left Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the left.
- Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection one character to the right.
- Option–Shift–Up Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again.
- Option–Shift–Down Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if pressed again.
- Option–Shift–Left Arrow: Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if pressed again.
- Option–Shift–Right Arrow: Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again.
- Control-A: Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph.
- Control-E: Move to the end of a line or paragraph.
- Control-F: Move one character forward.
- Control-B: Move one character backward.
- Control-L: Center the cursor or selection in the visible area.
- Control-P: Move up one line.
- Control-N: Move down one line.
- Control-O: Insert a new line after the insertion point.
- Control-T: Swap the character behind the insertion point with the character in front of the insertion point.
- Command–Left Curly Bracket ({): Left align.
- Command–Right Curly Bracket (}): Right align.
- Shift–Command–Vertical bar (|): Center align.
- Option-Command-F: Go to the search field.
- Option-Command-T: Show or hide a toolbar in the app.
- Option-Command-C: Copy Style: Copy the formatting settings of the selected item to the Clipboard.
- Option-Command-V: Paste Style: Apply the copied style to the selected item.
- Option-Shift-Command-V: Paste and Match Style: Apply the style of the surrounding content to the item pasted within that content.
- Option-Command-I: Show or hide the inspector window.
- Shift-Command-P: Page setup: Display a window for selecting document settings.
- Shift-Command-S: Display the Save As dialog, or duplicate the current document.
- Shift–Command–Minus sign (-): Decrease the size of the selected item.
- Shift–Command–Plus sign (+): Increase the size of the selected item. Command–Equal sign (=) performs the same function.
- Shift–Command–Question mark (?): Open the Help menu.
30 KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS MAC USERS NEED TO KNOW
Esc
Never underestimate the power of the Esc key to get you out of trouble. Say you're taking a screen shot and managed to select part of your screen for that shot, only to discover it's the wrong part – tap Esc and you won't need to worry about it. That's basically the principle of Esc. Use it to cancel a previous command. Another example: Web page won't load and is sucking up your system resources?
Tap Esc....
Command-W
Closes the active window you are currently in. Use Option-Command-W to close all currently active app windows.
[ Further reading: 40 tips to get the most from your Mac (and macOS 'High Sierra') ]
Command-Y
A lot of people use QuickLook to preview items they're looking for. To use QuickLook, select an item in Finder, press the Space bar and a preview will appear. There’s also a keyboard shortcut — select an item (you can even use the Up and Down arrows to navigate to it in Finder view) and then press Command-Y.
Command – Comma (,)
This is one of the least-known keyboard commands on a Mac, but it’s super useful. It works like this: You are working in an app, and you want to open the application’s Preferences. You can navigate to the Menu bar if you like and scroll through to access the Preferences. Or you can simply press Command-, (comma) to get to them in the fastest possible time.
Command-G
I'm sure you use Command-F to find items, such as words in a document or on a webpage. Command-G is its lesser-known relative. Use it to navigate through each instance of the item you want to find. This means that if you use Command-F to find all the mentions of 'Command' on this page, and then tap Command-G, you'll be able to navigate through each one. Oh, and you can also press Shift-Command-G to move back to the previous mention.
Command-M
Press this combination to minimize the front app window to Dock, or press Command-Option-M to minimize all the windows belonging to the front app.
Command and Option
If you can’t see your desktop for all the open applications, just hold Command and Option down and click anywhere on your desktop. You may just want to get to all the open windows for a specific app, in which case hold down the same keys and click on any available window for that app.
Command-Shift-A
Select this combination when in Finder/Desktop view to get to your Applications folder, or replace the A with U to open your Utilities folder in a new Finder window (or D for Desktop, H for Home or I to access iCloud Drive).
Command-Space
The combination that can change your life, Command-Space invokes Spotlight, just depress these keys and start typing your query. (I guess you know about Command-tab already?)
Command-L
The fastest way to make a search or navigate to a Website in Safari, Command-L instantly selects the address bar: start typing your query, and select the appropriate choice using the up/down arrows on the keyboard.
Command-Tab
Open application switcher, keeping Command pressed, use Tab to navigate to the app you hope to use.
Command-Option-D
Show or hide the Dock from within most apps.
Fn-left arrow (or right arrow)
Jump directly to the top or bottom of a web page using the Function key and the right (to the bottom of the page) or left (to the top of the page) arrows on the keyboard. You can achieve a similar result using Command-Up or Command-Down. A third way is to use Control-Tab and Control-Shift-Tab.
Command-left/right arrows
Hit Command and the left arrow to go back a page in the browser window. Hit Command right to go forward again.
Tab nav
Navigate between multiple tabs using the Command-Shift-] or Command-Shift-[ characters.
Command-Shift-\
The easiest way to see all your open tabs in one Safari window.
Option-Shift-Volume
Press Option-Shift and volume up/down to increase or decrease the volume on your Mac in small increments. You can also use Option-Shift to change display brightness in small amounts. Read even more Option secrets here.
Fn twice
Press the function (fn) key twice to launch Dictation on your Mac, start speaking, and press fn once you’ve finished. Here are some other ideas on controlling your Mac with your voice. NB: macOS Catalina now offers the far more powerful Voice Control, which lets you manage everything on your Mac using only your voice. Find out more about this here.
Option-File
In Safari, pressing the Option key while selecting the File menu lets you access the ‘Close Other Tabs’ command. Try the other Safari menu items with Option depressed to find other commands you probably weren’t aware of.
Option-Brightness Up (or down)
Use this command to quickly launch Displays preferences. Or press Option with the Mission Control or Volume (up/down) buttons to access preferences for Mission Control and Sounds.
Command – Backtick `
This is one of the least well-known keyboard commands on a Mac, but it’s super useful. Use this combination to move between open windows in your currently active app. It's so useful you'll wonder why you hadn't used it before.
Control - Command - Space
Want to insert emoji or other symbols into what you write? Use Control-Command-Space to open the Character Viewer where you can select and use such symbols.
Command-P
Do you open a document before printing it through the File menu? Do this instead: Select the document in Finder and press Command-P. The item will open and the Print dialog will appear. You can also tap Command-P to print the current item when in most any app.
Option + Command + Esc
In the event an application freezes or hangs you may want to try this: Tap Option-Command-Esc to Force Quit the rogue app. It’s not always a magic bullet, but sometimes an application restart is all you need to get your system moving again.
Command + Control + Q
Walking away from your Mac? Tap this shortcut to immediately lock your machine.
Touch Bar tip No. 1
If you use a MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar, you can press Shift-Command-6 to grab an image of what is on your Touch Bar. Want to grab an image to place into the document you're typing in? Just tap Control-Shift-Command-6 and the picture will be saved to your Clipboard for pasting it in.
Touch Bar tip No. 2
This MacBook Pro Touch Bar tip is particularly useful if you find that you often accidentally tap the Siri button: You can change where that button is located so you're less likely to tap it by accident. Open Keyboard Preferences and choose Customize Control Strip. Look at the Touch Bar, and you’ll see the icons are slightly agitated. Move your cursor to the bottom of your screen and keep moving (as if you're moving it off the screen); you should see one of the items in your Touch bar highlighted. Now move your cursor to highlight the Siri button and then drag and drop that button a space or two to the left.
(This is also an excellent way to become familiar with how you can edit other items in your Touch Bar.)
Touch Bar tip No. 3
Do you use the function keys regularly in some apps? You can get to them, of course, by pressing the ‘fn’ character. But it's also possible to set up the Touch Bar so it always shows the function keys in those apps. To do this, open Keyboard System Preferences, select Function Keys, and tap +. You can then select the app(s). Don’t worry if you want to use a regular Control Strip command when you're using one of the apps — just press Fn to get back to that view.
Safari tips
There are lots of keyboard tips for the Safari browser:
- Command + I: Open new email message with content of a page.
- Command + Shift + I: Open new email message containing only the URL of a page.
- Spacebar: To move your window down one screen.
- Shift+Spacebar: To move your window up one screen.
- Command + Y: Open/close the History window.
Command + Shift + T
This web browser tip can sometimes be a lifesaver. Command + Shift + T will open your last closed tab, which helps a lot if you are researching something and close a window without saving the URL.
You can also take a look at Apple’s own extensive collection of keyboard shortcuts for more great ideas.
Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic'sKool Aid Corner community and join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple?
Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I'd like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when fresh items are published here first on Computerworld.
Leif Johnson 30-keyboard-shortcuts-mac-users-need-to-know
39 OF THE MOST USEFUL MAC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Mac command keys
Simply press the command key and the other specified key at the same time.
COMMAND |
ACTION |
Command-C |
Copies selected (highlighted) text or other items |
Command-X |
Cuts selected text or other items |
Command-V |
Pastes the selected items |
Command-Z |
Undoes your most recent action (Shift-Command-Z redoes your most recent action) |
Command-A |
Selects all items |
Command-F |
Finds specific text or a symbol within a document or open window |
Command-H |
Hides the front/active window |
Command-M |
Minimizes the front/active window |
Command-O |
Opens the selected item or opens the finder to select a file |
Command-P |
Prints your document |
Command-S |
Saves your work |
Command-T |
Opens a new tab |
Command-W |
Closes the active window |
Command-Q |
Quits the active program/application |
Mac function keys
The Mac function keys run across the top of your keyboard. The F1-F12 keys can be used for built-in Mac features or as standard function keys. The function keys may look slightly different depending on what model of Mac you have, but each key shows a self-explanatory image that tells you what the built-in Mac feature is. If you’re not sure what all of the icons mean, here’s how to decode them.
COMMAND |
ACTION |
F1 |
Lower brightness |
F2 |
Increase brightness |
F3 |
Open Mission Control |
F4 |
Open Launchpad |
F5 |
Lower keyboard brightness |
F6 |
Increase keyboard brightness |
F7 |
Skip back (audio) |
F8 |
Pause/Play |
F9 |
Skip forward (audio) |
F10 |
Mute |
F11 |
Increase volume |
F12 |
Decrease volume |
You can also use the F1-F12 keys on your Mac as standard function keys. These will work differently depending on the app you’re using and the keyboard shortcuts that you have set up. To use the function keys as standard function keys hold down the Function (fn) key and then press a function key. For example, when you press the fn key and F11, it will perform the action assigned to that key instead of lowering the volume. If you also have a Windows computer at home too, you’ll want to know these Windows keyboard shortcuts or if you have Windows 10, you’ll want the Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts.
Function keys using Touch Bar
Before we dive into Mac Shortcuts, you may have noticed (if you have a newer MacBook) that you don’t have the function keys F1-F12 on your Mac. In order to find these keys, hold down the Fn (Function) key and you should see F1-F12 appear on the Touch Bar at the top of your keyboard. If you would like these keys to appear on your Touch Bar automatically when opening a specific app, go to the Apple Menu. Open System Preferences, then click Keyboard. Navigate to Shortcuts at the top of the window and click Function Keys from the list on your left. Click the “+” and add as many apps as you’d like. Now when you open these apps, the Function Keys should appear automatically in your Touch Bar.
Combination Mac keyboard shortcuts
Some keyboard shortcuts require more than just one or two keys. You might need to use two hands for these MacBook keyboard shortcuts or just have really long fingers. Here are the shortcuts we think you’ll use the most.
COMMAND |
ACTION |
Option-Command-Esc |
Forces the open app to quit |
Space bar or Fn-Down Arrow |
Scrolls down the page |
Command-Option-M |
Minimizes all windows |
Command-Space bar |
Brings up the spotlight search bar to find items on your Mac |
Fn-Left and Right arrow keys |
Brings you to the beginning (left arrow) or end (right arrow) of a document or web page |
Command-Control-Space bar |
Opens character viewer, allowing you to choose emojis and other symbols |
Control-Command-F |
Moves current page or app to full-screen view |
Shift-Command-N |
Creates a new folder in the finder |
Control–Shift–Power button |
Puts the computer display to sleep |
Control-Command-Q |
Locks the screen |
Command-Shift-4 |
Allows you to take a screenshot |
Command-Control-D |
Defines the selected (highlighted) word |
Command-Shift-Delete |
Empties the trash |
Now that you know how to navigate your keyboard like a true tech pro with these Mac shortcuts, check out these Zoom shortcuts that’ll make your life easier as well.
Morgan Cutolo Mac-keyboard-shortcuts/
WORK FASTER AND SMARTER
Control, Option and Command
The three most important keys on your Mac can be found to the left and right of the spacebar (for right- and left-handed use). Unfortunately these keys seem to cause more confusion than any others. So our shortcuts guide will begin by clearing up the mystery of, Control, Option and Command.
The most important keys on a Mac keyboard: Control, Option (sometimes called Alt) and Command.
The Command key
macOS has many shortcuts, but there are a few that everyone should know. They start with the ⌘ symbol found on the Command key (cmd). Command has a legacy that leads to confusion – many older Mac users will refer to it as the Apple key, because in the past there used to be an Apple logo on it, but this logo stopped appearing a while ago when if was decided that there were a few too many Apple logos on Apple products. Read: Where is the Command key?
The logo you will still find on this key looks like a squiggly square, or a four petalled flower. It was designed by Susan Kare for the original iMac (and based on the Scandinavian icon for place of interest).
The Command (cmd) key works in a similar way to the Control key on a PC. On a Mac you use the Command key where on a PC you would use Control (or Ctrl).
In the following examples “⌘+A” means you need to hold down the Command button and press A or press both at the same time.
The Option / Alt key
There is a great deal of confusion over what Apple refers to as the Option key. If you’re using a UK or European keyboard this key might be labelled as the Alt key, so it’s no wonder most people don’t know where it is.
The Alt (aka Option) key can be found between Control and Command. It has an icon that looks like a slope and a dip with a line above it.
Chances are the first time you hear mention of Option/Alt you are following a tutorial and trying to fix something on your Mac. The Alt/Option key is the one you use if you wish to start an Intel-powered Mac in Recovery mode, you also press it when typing certain characters on your keyboard, such as Option+3 or Option+4.
The Option key also enables you to enable the Save As option in Mac apps. Just press it when you click on the File menu and you’ll see the new options.
You may be wondering whether you can use the Alt key, along with Ctrl and Delete, to shut down an unresponsive Mac – the famour Ctrl-Alt-Delete combo from the Windows PC. Force-quitting on a Mac is slightly different to on a PC: here’s how to Force Quit on a Mac.
The Control key
With the Command key doing the job on Mac that the Control key does on PC, you may be wondering why there’s also a Control key on a Mac keyboard.
The most common use of Control is to mimic the right-click on a mouse or when using the mouse pad (since some Apple mice don’t have the right click option).
If you are using the MacBook trackpad the Control key is useful when you want to right-click.
Use Quick Look to preview files
Click+Space Bar: If you want to see what a file looks like but you don’t want to waste time opening the associated app, select the file in a Finder folder and then press the space bar. (This also works with files on the desktop.) A full-page preview will pop up—and with Markup options, too. This works for everything from images and PDFs to Microsoft Excel files.
You can also select multiple files to preview at once by holding down the Command key as you select them and then pressing ⌘+Y. (⌘+Y also works for single files, but in that case it’s less convenient.) Once that window is open, you can navigate between the files with the arrow keys in the upper left.
Trouble shooting shortcuts
If you are having trouble with a faulty Mac the following key combinations could be useful.
Shutting down a Mac
- Ctrl+Eject: Show the restart / sleep / shutdown dialog
- Shift+Control+Eject: Will put your displays to sleep
- Command+Option+Eject: Will put the computer to sleep
- Command+Control+Eject: Save/Quit all applications then restarts Mac
- Command+Option+Control+Eject: Quit all applications then shuts down the Mac
- Command+Shift+Q: Log out of your OS X user account (you’ll be asked to confirm action)
- Command+Shift+Option+Q: Log out of your OS X user account immediately (you won’t be asked to confirm action)
- Command+Option+Esc: Force Quit
- Command+Shift+Option+Esc (for three seconds): Force-quit the front-most application
Startup keyboard commands
Apple has a set of keyboard commands you can use to make your Mac do certain tasks at startup. For example, if you want to zap the Mac’s NVRAM, reset the SMC, or boot into Recovery mode, there are keyboard combinations that you hold down while booting your Mac.
These keyboard combinations might be different depending on whether you are using an Intel-powered Macs or an M1-series Mac. We have a guide to help you find the troubleshooting modes on Apple M1 Macs.
- Safe mode: Press and hold Shift at start up (Intel Macs). On M1 Macs the process is different see How to start a Mac in Safe mode
- Recovery mode: Hold down Command+R at Start up (Intel Macs). On M1 Macs the process is different see How to start a Mac in Recovery mode.
- Resetting NVRAM: Hold down Option+Command+P+R (Intel Macs). There isn’t an equivalent on M1 Macs because NVRAM works differently. See How to reset NVRAM.
- Apple Diagnostic Mode: Intel Macs, hold down the D key when rebooting to enter this mode. For M1 devices, hold down the power key when rebooting until you see the startup options appear, then immediately press Command+D.
If you don’t have an Apple Keyboard these key combos should still, work – sometimes you have to hit a Windows key instead of Command.
Basic Apple keyboard shortcuts
For Mac newbies and oldies alike, these keyboard shortcuts will probably be the ones you use the most:
- Command+Q: Quit
- Command+W: Close window
- Command+N: Open a new document
- Command+W: Close the current window
- Control+Command+Power button will restart your Mac
- Control+Shift+Power button: Puts your display to sleep
- Control+Option+Command+Power button: Quits all your apps and shuts your Mac
- Option+Shift+Command+Q: Log out of your user account
- F1/F2: Brightness Up and Down
- F4: A shortcut to all the apps you have on your Mac
- F10/F11/F12: Sound
Text editing commands
When editing text work smarter with these key combos, which work in most of the word processors we have used:
- Command+A: Select all
- Command+I: Italic
- Command+B: Bold
- Command+Z: Undo
- Command+P: Print
- Command+S: Save
- Command+C: Copy
- Command+X: Cut
- Command+V: Paste
- Command+F: Find
- Command+G: Find again
- Command+T: Show or hide Fonts window
- Command+Left Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the line
- Command+Right Arrow: Move the cursor to the end of the line
- Command+Up Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the document
- Command+Down Arrow: Move the cursor to the end of the document. (Press shift to select the text between the insertion point and the destination in each of these scenarios)
- Command+T: will open a new tab if you’re in the Finder or in a web browser, or any other app that supports Tabs
- Shift+Command+P: Page setup (for checking how the page will print)
- Shift+Command+S: Save As or duplicate the document
- Shift+Command+|: Centre
- Shift+Command+(-) (minus sign): Decrease font size
- Shift+Command+(+) (plus sign): Increase font size
- Control+H: Delete the character on the left
- Control+D: Delete the character on the right
- Control+K: Delete the text from where your curser is to the end of the line
- Control+A: Move to the beginning of the line (more here: How to find End and Home on a Mac keyboard)
- Control+E: Move to the end of a line or paragraph
- Control+F: Move forward one character
- Control+B: Move backward one character
- Option+Left Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word, add Shift to this to highlight the text
- Option+Right Arrow: Move the cursor to the end of the next word. (Add Shift to highlight the text)
- If you are selecting large sections of text, you can do so by moving the curser to the end of the section you wish to select and pressing Option+Shift+Up Arrow until all the text is selected. (This only works in some apps)
- Similarly, Option+Shift+Down Arrow lets you highlight the text below the cursor
- Option+Command+F will open the Find and Replace feature if your application has it
- Option+Command+Twill show or hide the toolbar
- Option+Command+C is the key combo to use if you wish to copy a style, or copy the formatting settings to the clipboard
- And Option+Command+V will paste those formatting settings on to the text you wish to change
- Option+Shift+Command+V will paste and match style – so that the text you paste in has the same style as the text around it, rather than the style brought over from the place you copied it from
- Option+Delete: Delete the word to the left of the cursor
Finder commands
In the Finder you could try the following:
- Command+D – Duplicate the file
- Command+E – Eject the volume
- Command+F – Search
- Command+I – Get Info
- Command+K – Connect to the server
- Command+L – Make an alias
- Command+Delete – sends the selected item to the Trash
- Shift+Command+D – Open the Desktop folder
- Shift+Command+F – Open the All My Files folder
- Shift+Command+H – Open the Home folder
- Shift+Command+G – Open a Go To folder window
- Shift+Command+I – Open your iCloud Drive
- Shift+Command+K – Browse the network
- Shift+Command+O – Open the Documents folder
- Shift+Command+R – Shortcut to the AirDrop window
- Shift+Command+Delete – Empty the Trash (add the Alt key if you don’t want to see the confirmation dialogue)
- In the Finder, Alt+Command+L is a handy shortcut to open the Downloads folder
- Also in the Finder, pressing Alt+Command+P will show the path so you can see the precise location of what you’re looking at
- Option+Command+S will show or hide the Sidebar in the Finder
- Option+Command+N will start a new Smart Folder in the Finder
- If you select a few files in the Finder, you can press Option+Command+Y to see a full-screen slideshow of those files
- To duplicate/copy an item in the Finder or on your Desktop, press Option while dragging it
- To create an Alias (a shortcut to a file) you press Option+Command together while dragging the file from the location in the Finder to another location, an arrow sign will appear indicating that this is a link to the file rather than a copy of it
Other commands and preferences
- Command+, (comma): Open preferences for the app you are using
- Shift+Command+? (question mark): Open Help menu
- A shortcut to the Display preferences is to press Option+Brightness Up (or Brightness Down, aka F1 or F2)
Leif Johnson and Karen Haslam 10-most-useful-macos-keyboard-shortcuts
For more shortcuts, check the shortcut abbreviations shown in the menus of your apps. Every app can have its own shortcuts, and shortcuts that work in one app might not work in another.
- Accessibility shortcuts
- Safari shortcuts
- Spotlight shortcuts
- Startup shortcuts
- Apple Music shortcuts: Choose Help > Keyboard shortcuts from the menu bar in the Music app.
- Other shortcuts: Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Keyboard, then click Shortcuts.
Article if you are looking for the key combination to type characters like °$€@®©# £€¢™.
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