Programs · 65 shortcuts

Mac keyboard shortcuts

The shortcuts that every Mac user leans on, grouped by task. If you have come from Windows, start with the section on the modifier keys, because the main key is different.

The Mac's modifier keys

Key	Symbol on menus	Roughly equal to, on Windows
Command (Cmd)	⌘	Ctrl, for most shortcuts
Option	⌥	Alt
Control (Ctrl)	⌃	used far less than on Windows
Shift	⇧	Shift
Fn or the globe key		Fn

The rule of thumb for switchers: where Windows uses Ctrl, the Mac uses Command. Copy is Cmd + C, paste is Cmd + V, save is Cmd + S. Menus on a Mac show each command's shortcut beside it, using the symbols above, so the menus are also the best cheat sheet.

Find a shortcut on this page

The ten to learn first

Cmd + Space opens Spotlight, the search that also starts apps and does sums.
Cmd + Tab switches between open apps.
Cmd + Q quits the app. Closing a window with Cmd + W usually leaves the app running.
Cmd + C, Cmd + V, Cmd + X, Cmd + Z copy, paste, cut and undo.
Cmd + Shift + 4 captures part of the screen.
Cmd + Option + Esc opens Force Quit for an app that has frozen.
Cmd + , (comma) opens the settings of whichever app is in front.
Space on a selected file in Finder shows a quick preview.
Cmd + Delete moves the selected file to the Bin.
Ctrl + Cmd + Q locks the screen.

Keys	What it does
`Cmd` + `Space`	Open Spotlight search
`Cmd` + `Tab`	Switch to the next app
`Cmd` + `	Switch between windows of the same app
`Cmd` + `Q`	Quit the app
`Cmd` + `W`	Close the window or tab
`Cmd` + `M`	Minimise the window to the Dock
`Cmd` + `H`	Hide the app
`Cmd` + `Option` + `H`	Hide every other app
`Cmd` + `N`	New window or document
`Cmd` + `T`	New tab
`Cmd` + `,`	Open the app's settings
`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `F`	Full screen on or off
`Cmd` + `Option` + `Esc`	Force an app to quit
`Ctrl` + `Up arrow`	Mission Control: see all open windows
`Ctrl` + `Left arrow` or `Ctrl` + `Right arrow`	Move between desktops (Spaces)
`Cmd` + `Option` + `D`	Show or hide the Dock
`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `Q`	Lock the screen
`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `Space`	Open the emoji and symbols viewer

Keys	What it does
`Cmd` + `C`	Copy
`Cmd` + `X`	Cut
`Cmd` + `V`	Paste
`Cmd` + `Option` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste and match the surrounding style, in many apps
`Cmd` + `Z`	Undo
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Z`	Redo
`Cmd` + `A`	Select all
`Cmd` + `F`	Find
`Cmd` + `G`	Find the next match
`Cmd` + `S`	Save
`Cmd` + `P`	Print
`Cmd` + `O`	Open

Keys	What it does
`Cmd` + `N`	New Finder window
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `N`	New folder
`Space`	Quick Look: preview the selected file
`Return`	Rename the selected file
`Cmd` + `O` or `Cmd` + `Down arrow`	Open the selected item
`Cmd` + `Up arrow`	Go to the folder that contains this one
`Cmd` + `[`	Go back
`Cmd` + `]`	Go forward
`Cmd` + `Delete`	Move to the Bin
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Delete`	Empty the Bin
`Cmd` + `D`	Duplicate the selected item
`Cmd` + `I`	Show the Get Info window
`Cmd` + `Option` + `V`	Move the files you copied to this folder, instead of copying them
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `.`	Show or hide hidden files
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `G`	Go to a folder by typing its path
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `H`	Open your Home folder
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `D`	Open the Desktop folder
`Cmd` + `Option` + `L`	Open the Downloads folder
`Cmd` + `1`, `2`, `3`, `4`	View as icons, list, columns or gallery
`Cmd` + `F`	Search in Finder

Keys	What it does
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `3`	Capture the whole screen
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `4`	Capture a part of the screen that you drag over
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `4` then `Space`	Capture one window
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `5`	Open the screenshot and screen recording panel
`Add Ctrl to any of these`	Copy the picture to the clipboard instead of saving a file

Keys	What it does
`Cmd` + `Left arrow` or `Cmd` + `Right arrow`	Go to the start or end of the line
`Cmd` + `Up arrow` or `Cmd` + `Down arrow`	Go to the start or end of the document
`Option` + `Left arrow` or `Option` + `Right arrow`	Move one word left or right
`Shift` + `any movement key`	Select as the cursor moves
`Option` + `Delete`	Delete the word to the left
`Cmd` + `Delete`	Delete to the start of the line
`Fn` + `Delete`	Delete the character to the right
`Cmd` + `B`	Bold
`Cmd` + `I`	Italic
`Cmd` + `U`	Underline

Things that surprise people coming from Windows

Cut and paste for files works differently. Finder has no Cmd + X for files. Copy the file with Cmd + C, go to the new place, and press Cmd + Option + V. That moves it.

Return renames, it does not open. To open the selected file from the keyboard, press Cmd + O or Cmd + Down arrow.

The Delete key deletes backwards. It does what Backspace does on a Windows keyboard. Hold Fn with it to delete forwards.

Closing the last window does not quit most apps. The app stays in the Dock with a dot under it. Cmd + Q quits it properly.

Home and End are missing from laptop keyboards. Cmd with the left and right arrows does their job. Fn with the left and right arrows scrolls to the top and bottom of a page.

Screenshots are saved to the Desktop by default. The panel opened by Cmd + Shift + 5 has an Options menu to choose another place.

Finding any shortcut

Open the Help menu of any app and type the name of a command. The Mac shows where the command lives in the menus, and its shortcut. Custom shortcuts for menu commands can be added in System Settings, under Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts.

This is an independent reference site. It is not connected with Microsoft, Apple, Google or any other maker of the programs named here. Product names belong to their owners and are used only to say where a shortcut works. Programs change; if a shortcut does not work for you, check the program's own help.