These helpful Mac keyboard shortcuts will enable you work sooner and smarter

Keyboard shortcuts are a superb time-saver; it’s a lot simpler to faucet two or three keys without delay than to go looking by means of nested menus. But shortcuts rely on data and muscle reminiscence – you want to put within the time to study them earlier than you’ll be able to profit in the long term.

That’s why we’re right here. This information to the important keyboard shortcuts for Mac customers covers essentially the most helpful hotkey combos that may prevent time and stress. We run although essentially the most helpful Mac keyboard shortcuts you didn’t know you didn’t know.

Just in case you’re new to the Mac, we additionally cowl the important thing combos for saving, copying and pasting, printing, closing a window, closing or hiding an app, and much extra. We additionally cowl key mixture that allow you to troubleshoot issues together with your Mac. For instance, if you wish to begin your Mac in Safe Mode you want to know which key mixture you want.

If these shortcuts get you hooked, you’ll be able to even make your personal for every part from the system to particular apps by going to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts after which selecting one of many choices on the left. We have a separate article in case you are searching for the important thing mixture to kind characters like °$€@®©# £€¢™.

Control, Option and Command

The three most essential keys in your Mac will be discovered to the left and proper of the spacebar (for right- and left-handed use). Unfortunately these keys appear to trigger extra confusion than any others. So our shortcuts information will start by clearing up the thriller of, Control, Option and Command. 

The Command key

macOS has many shortcuts, however there are just a few that everybody ought to know. They begin with the ⌘ image discovered on the Command key (cmd). Command has a legacy that results in confusion – many older Mac customers will seek advice from it because the Apple key, as a result of up to now there was once an Apple brand on it, however this brand stopped showing some time in the past when if was determined that there have been just a few too many Apple logos on Apple merchandise. Read: Where is the Command key?

The brand you’ll nonetheless discover on this key seems to be like a squiggly sq., or a 4 petalled flower. It was designed by Susan Kare for the unique iMac (and based mostly on the Scandinavian icon for place of curiosity).

The Command (cmd) key works in the same option to the Control key on a PC. On a Mac you employ the Command key the place on a PC you’d use Control (or Ctrl).

In the next examples “⌘+A” means you want to maintain down the Command button and press A or press each on the identical time.

The Option / Alt key

There is a substantial amount of confusion over what Apple refers to because the Option key. If you’re utilizing a UK or European keyboard this key may be labelled because the Alt key, so it’s no marvel most individuals don’t know the place it’s.

The Alt (aka Option) key will be discovered between Control and Command. It has an icon that appears like a slope and a dip with a line above it.

Chances are the primary time you hear point out of Option/Alt you’re following a tutorial and attempting to repair one thing in your Mac. The Alt/Option key’s the one you employ if you happen to want to begin an Intel-powered Mac in Recovery mode, you additionally press it when typing sure characters in your keyboard, similar to Option+3 or Option+4.

The Option key additionally lets you allow the Save As possibility in Mac apps. Just press it once you click on on the File menu and also you’ll see the brand new choices.

You could also be questioning whether or not you should utilize the Alt key, together with Ctrl and Delete, to close down an unresponsive Mac – the famour Ctrl-Alt-Delete combo from the Windows PC. Force-quitting on a Mac is barely totally different to on a PC: right here’s the way 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 could be questioning why there’s additionally a Control key on a Mac keyboard.

The most typical use of Control is to imitate the right-click on a mouse or when utilizing the mouse pad (since some Apple mice don’t have the proper click on possibility).

11 actually helpful Mac shortcuts

Now that you realize the place to seek out the keys we are going to share a few of the most helpful key combos we use on our Macs. We’ll additionally embrace a listing of all the important thing combos you want to know on the backside of this text.

Open the Spotlight search software

⌘+Space bar: This might be essentially the most helpful shortcut of all. Whenever you need to discover a file in your Mac, simply faucet this shortcut and sort the title of the file you’d just like the discover within the immediate that pops up. The outcomes are immediate. Spotlight will even search by means of issues like iMessages, bookmarks, and the total textual content of information in your exhausting drive. It’s additionally a fast option to discover and open apps you don’t maintain in your dock.

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Immediately stop any app

⌘+Q: Use this command to close down any app instantly. This command doesn’t simply reduce the app (as typically occurs once you hit the pink “X” button on the high of any Mac app)—it utterly shuts it down.

Take screenshots or file the display

As you’ll be able to in all probability think about, we use these shortcuts rather a lot right here at Macworld. There are literally a number of methods you’ll be able to take a screenshot on a Mac.

⌘+Shift+3: Screenshot the whole seen window. If you’ll be able to see it in your Mac’s display, it’ll present up within the screenshot.

⌘+Shift+4: Screenshot a selected space of the display with the assistance of an oblong cropping software. This is the one I exploit essentially the most, and it’s additionally nice for sharing photos or snippets of textual content on social media.

⌘+Shift+5: Beginning with macOS Mojave, Apple made it straightforward to see all of the screenshot instruments without delay with this shortcut. Press it, and also you’ll see a toolbar that provides you choices for capturing the whole display, capturing a selected window, or capturing a selected portion of a window. You may also use it to file both the whole display or a portion of it and select the place to save lots of the picture or video file. (By default, screenshots save to the desktop.)

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Hide apps immediately

⌘+H: Here’s one for sneaky of us. If you’re taking a look at one thing you don’t need an approaching boss, dad or mum, or buddy to see, faucet this shortcut and the lively open window will vanish. To begin utilizing the app once more, press the app’s icon on both the dock or the App Switcher.

You can do that for all lively apps by holding down ⌘+Option and urgent your mouse on any seen a part of your desktop. Every app will “Hide.” It’s a good way to declutter your desktop. 

If you merely need to reduce an app, press ⌘+M, however its preview will nonetheless present up on the proper facet of your dock.

You may additionally need to conceal your home windows so you’ll be able to see the Desktop on a Mac. Apple has Mission Control for this:

• F3 will open Mission Control (which supplies you an summary of all operating functions, grouping home windows from the identical software, and your Spaces)
• You can open Mission Control preferences by urgent Option+F3 (Mission Control)
• You can set different F keys to do Mission Control actions. Go to System Preferences > Mission Control and add unused F keys to do features similar to Show Desktop or Dashboard

Hide the Dock

Not content material with hiding all of your open apps and home windows? Go a step additional and conceal your Dock:

• Option+Command+D will present or conceal the Dock on the backside of your display.

Quickly change between lively apps

⌘+Tab: Holding ⌘ after which tapping Tab opens the App Switcher, which helps you to simply change between all lively apps by tapping Tab till you land on the one you need.

There are some variations of this key combo:

• Command+Tab: Move to the following most lately used software out of your open functions
• Command+Shift+Tab: Move backward by means of a listing of open functions (sorted by latest use)
• Command+~ (Tilde): Move backward by means of a listing of open functions (solely when Application switcher is lively)

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Switch between totally different home windows in an app

⌘+~:This one makes analysis a heck of rather a lot simpler. Let’s say you’ve gotten two paperwork open from Apple’s Pages app: one together with your notes and one together with your draft. This shortcut allows you to simply change between the 2 (or extra) paperwork. I discover it’s significantly useful if I’m engaged on a MacE book with a smaller display the place the split-view interface would possibly really feel too cramped. (If you’ll be able to’t discover the ~ signal it’s subsequent to the Z on an English keyboard).

Quickly entry the search/tackle bar in Safari

⌘+L: Reaching to your mouse to activate Safari’s search bar wastes loads of time. Press this shortcut whilst you’re utilizing Safari, and the cursor will soar as much as the search bar, the place you’ll be able to kind out both a search time period or an URL. This shortcut additionally works with Google Chrome. (You may also apply it to Windows with the Control key.)

Safari has another nice keyboard shortcuts, too: ⌘+T opens a brand new tab, and ⌘+Z reopens the final tab you (presumably by chance) closed. If you need to reopen an by chance closed tab in Chrome or Opera, you’ll be able to press ⌘+Shift+T.

Force-quit an App

⌘+Option+Q: If an app is locked up (and ⌘+Q isn’t working for no matter cause), use this shortcut to pressure the app to stop.

You may also select a number of apps to force-quit by urgent ⌘+Option+Esc (Escape), which is very similar to utilizing Control-Alt+Delete on a PC. Instead of the Task Manager, although, you’ll get a window that claims Force Quit Applications and you’ll select which app you need to shut from there.

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Immediately lock your Mac

⌘+Control+Q: If you’re stepping away out of your desk at residence or the workplace and also you don’t need somebody snooping round in your Mac, press this shortcut and your Mac will instantly change to the lock display. It’s a heck of rather a lot sooner than doing it by means of the menu bar.

Use Quick Look to preview information

Click+Space Bar: If you need to see what a file seems to be like however you don’t need to waste time opening the related app, choose the file in a Finder folder after which press the area bar. (This additionally works with information on the desktop.) A full-page preview will pop up—and with Markup choices, too. This works for every part from photos and PDFs to Microsoft Excel information.

You may also choose a number of information to preview without delay by holding down the Command key as you choose them after which urgent ⌘+Y. (⌘+Y additionally works for single information, however in that case it’s much less handy.) Once that window is open, you’ll be able to navigate between the information with the arrow keys within the higher left.

Trouble capturing shortcuts

If you’re having bother with a defective Mac the next key combos may very well be helpful.

Shutting down a Mac

• Ctrl+Eject: Show the restart / sleep / shutdown dialog
• Shift+Control+Eject: Will put your shows to sleep
• Command+Option+Eject: Will put the pc to sleep
• Command+Control+Eject: Save/Quit all functions then restarts Mac
• Command+Option+Control+Eject: Quit all functions then shuts down the Mac
• Command+Shift+Q: Log out of your OS X person account (you’ll be requested to verify motion)
• Command+Shift+Option+Q: Log out of your OS X person account instantly (you received’t be requested to verify motion)
• Command+Option+Esc: Force Quit
• Command+Shift+Option+Esc (for 3 seconds): Force-quit the front-most software

Startup keyboard instructions

Apple has a set of keyboard instructions you should utilize to make your Mac do sure duties at startup. For instance, if you wish to zap the Mac’s NVRAM, reset the SMC, or boot into Recovery mode, there are keyboard combos that you simply maintain down whereas booting your Mac. 

These keyboard combos may be totally different relying on whether or not you’re utilizing an Intel-powered Macs or an M1-series Mac. We have a information that will help you discover the troubleshooting modes on Apple M1 Macs.

• Safe mode: Press and maintain Shift at begin up (Intel Macs). On M1 Macs the method is totally different see How to start out a Mac in Safe mode
• Recovery mode: Hold down Command+R at Start up (Intel Macs). On M1 Macs the method is totally different see How to start out a Mac in Recovery mode.
• Resetting NVRAM: Hold down Option+Command+P+R (Intel Macs). There isn’t an equal on M1 Macs as a result of NVRAM works in a different way. See How to reset NVRAM.
• Apple Diagnostic Mode: Intel Macs, maintain down the D key when rebooting to enter this mode. For M1 units, maintain down the facility key when rebooting till you see the startup choices seem, then instantly press Command+D.

Basic Apple keyboard shortcuts

For Mac newbies and oldies alike, these keyboard shortcuts will in all probability be those you employ essentially the most:

• Command+Q: Quit
• Command+W: Close window
• Command+N: Open a brand new doc
• Command+W: Close the present window
• Control+Command+Power button will restart your Mac
• Control+Shift+Power button: Puts your show to sleep
• Control+Option+Command+Power button: Quits all of your apps and shuts your Mac
• Option+Shift+Command+Q: Log out of your person account
• F1/F2: Brightness Up and Down
• F4: A shortcut to all of the apps you’ve gotten in your Mac
• F10/F11/F12: Sound

Text modifying instructions

When modifying textual content work smarter with these key combos, which work in a lot of the phrase processors we have now 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 once more
• Command+T: Show or conceal Fonts window
• Command+Left Arrow: Move the cursor to the start of the road
• Command+Right Arrow: Move the cursor to the tip of the road
• Command+Up Arrow: Move the cursor to the start of the doc
• Command+Down Arrow: Move the cursor to the tip of the doc. (Press shift to pick the textual content between the insertion level and the vacation spot in every of those eventualities)
• Command+T: will open a brand new tab if you happen to’re within the Finder or in an internet browser, or another app that helps Tabs
• Shift+Command+P: Page setup (for checking how the web page will print)
• Shift+Command+S: Save As or duplicate the doc
• Shift+Command+|: Centre
• Shift+Command+(-) (minus signal): Decrease font dimension
• Shift+Command+(+) (plus signal): Increase font dimension
• Control+H: Delete the character on the left
• Control+D: Delete the character on the proper
• Control+Okay: Delete the textual content from the place your curser is to the tip of the road
• Control+A: Move to the start of the road (extra right here: How to seek out End and Home on a Mac keyboard)
• Control+E: Move to the tip of a line or paragraph
• Control+F: Move ahead one character
• Control+B: Move backward one character
• Option+Left Arrow: Move the cursor to the start of the earlier phrase, add Shift to this to spotlight the textual content
• Option+Right Arrow: Move the cursor to the tip of the following phrase. (Add Shift to spotlight the textual content)
• If you’re choosing massive sections of textual content, you are able to do so by shifting the curser to the tip of the part you want to choose and urgent Option+Shift+Up Arrow till all of the textual content is chosen. (This solely works in some apps)
• Similarly, Option+Shift+Down Arrow allows you to spotlight the textual content beneath the cursor
• Option+Command+F will open the Find and Replace function in case your software has it
• Option+Command+T will present or conceal the toolbar
• Option+Command+C is the important thing combo to make use of if you happen to want to copy a method, or copy the formatting settings to the clipboard
• And Option+Command+V will paste these formatting settings on to the textual content you want to change
• Option+Shift+Command+V will paste and match fashion – in order that the textual content you paste in has the identical fashion because the textual content round it, relatively than the fashion introduced over from the place you copied it from
• Option+Delete: Delete the phrase to the left of the cursor

Finder instructions

In the Finder you can strive the next:

• Command+D – Duplicate the file
• Command+E – Eject the amount
• Command+F – Search
• Command+I – Get Info
• Command+Okay – Connect to the server
• Command+L – Make an alias
• Command+Delete – sends the chosen merchandise 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+Okay – Browse the community 
• 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 happen to don’t need to see the affirmation dialogue)
• In the Finder, Alt+Command+L is a helpful shortcut to open the Downloads folder
• Also within the Finder, urgent Alt+Command+P will present the trail so you’ll be able to see the exact location of what you’re taking a look at
• Option+Command+S will present or conceal the Sidebar within the Finder
• Option+Command+N will begin a brand new Smart Folder within the Finder
• If you choose just a few information within the Finder, you’ll be able to press Option+Command+Y to see a full-screen slideshow of these information
• To duplicate/copy an merchandise within the Finder or in your Desktop, press Option whereas dragging it
• To create an Alias (a shortcut to a file) you press Option+Command collectively whereas dragging the file from the situation within the Finder to a different location, an arrow signal will seem indicating that this can be a hyperlink to the file relatively than a duplicate of it

Other instructions and preferences

• Command+, (comma): Open preferences for the app you’re utilizing
• Shift+Command+? (query mark): Open Help menu
• A shortcut to the Display preferences is to press Option+Brightness Up (or Brightness Down, aka F1 or F2)