TL;DR
Common Mac keyboard shortcuts to work faster and smarter:
- Use basic keyboard shortcuts like Command ⌘ + X, Command ⌘ + C, and Command ⌘ + V to cut, copy, and paste.
- Use Finder shortcuts like Command ⌘ + N to open a new Finder window or Command ⌘ + W to close the current window.
- Use Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + 4 to take the screenshot of the selected are.
- Use Command ⌘ + Space Bar to open Spotlight Search.
I’ve been using my Mac for a while now, and I’ve learned that the keyboard is really handy for more than just typing. It’s full of shortcuts that make things faster and easier. Once you get the hang of these shortcuts, you’ll see how much they help, especially for stuff you do a lot. Let me show you some super helpful Mac keyboard shortcuts that have really helped me out.
Mac Keyboard Shortcuts
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For years, I’ve gathered and refined a collection of useful shortcuts, and I’m thrilled to share them with you. I’ve personally tested these keyboard shortcuts on my MacBook Air M2, 2022 running on macOS Sonoma, but most of them should also work on older versions of macOS.
The shortcuts mentioned in this article work on most latest macOS versions. You can consult Apple Support to find out which macOS version is the latest.
Let’s get started.
Mac Keyboard Symbols
| Symbol | Name on Keyboard |
|---|---|
| ⌘ | Command (⌘) (formerly known as Apple key) |
| ⌥ | Option (⌥) |
| ⇧ | Shift |
| ⌃ | Control (⌃) |
 | fn |
Basic Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac
These Mac keyboard shortcuts are the ones you’ll be using the most, so it’s worth committing them to memory. Here are just a few examples to get you started:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + X | Copy the selected item to the Clipboard |
| Command ⌘ + C | Paste Clipboard contents into the current document or app |
| Command ⌘ + V | Undo the previous command |
| Command ⌘ + Z | Redo the previous command |
| Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + Z | Find the next occurrence of previously found item |
| Command ⌘ + A | Select all items |
| Command ⌘ + F | Find items in a document or open a Find window |
| Command ⌘ + G | Hide windows of the front app. Press Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + H to view front app but hide others |
| Command ⌘ + H | Minimize the front window to the Dock. Press Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + M to minimize all windows of front app |
| Command ⌘ + M | Open the selected item or a dialog to select a file to open |
| Command ⌘ + O | Close the front window. Press Option-Command-W to close all windows of app |
| Command ⌘ + P | Print current document |
| Command ⌘ + S | Save current document |
| Command ⌘ + T | Open a new tab |
| Command ⌘ + W | Close the front window. Press Option-Command-W to close all windows of the app |
| Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + Esc | Force quit an app |
| Command ⌘ + Space bar | Show or hide the Spotlight search field. Press Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + Space bar to perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window |
| 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 |
| Command ⌘ + Grave accent (`) | Switch between the windows of the app you’re using |
| Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + 5 | Take a screenshot or make a screen recording (macOS Mojave or later). Use Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + 3 or Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + 4 for screenshots |
| Command ⌘ + Comma (,) | Open preferences for the front app |
Keyboard Shortcuts for Finder
Whether you’re looking to navigate through Finder folders, copy and paste files, or search for specific items, Mac keyboard shortcuts can help you get things done more quickly. Here are some useful keyboard shortcuts for Finder:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + N | Create a new Finder window |
| Command ⌘ + T | Show or hide the tab bar in a Finder window |
| Command ⌘ + ↓ | Open the selected item |
| Command ⌘ + ↑ | Open the folder containing the current file or folder |
| Command ⌘ + O | Open the selected item or a dialog to select a file |
| Command ⌘ + W | Close the current window |
| Command ⌘ + I | Show the Get Info window for the selected item |
| Command ⌘ + F | Open a Spotlight search window |
| Command ⌘ + Space bar | Show or hide the Spotlight search field |
| Command ⌘ + Delete | Move the selected item to the Trash |
| Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + W | Close all windows of the app |
| Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + L | Open the Downloads folder |
| Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + D | Show/hide the Desktop folder |
| Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + P | Show/hide the path bar in Finder windows |
| Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + H | View the front app and hide other apps |
| Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + G | Open the Go to Folder dialog |
| Shift ⇧ + Command ⌘ + N | Create a new folder in the current folder |
Mac Keyboard Shortcuts for Screenshots
Mac keyboard shortcuts for screenshots guarantee quick and easy screen captures at your fingertips. Whether you’re trying to capture an epic gaming moment or just need to save an important image, these shortcuts have got you covered.
Here are some essential keyboard shortcuts for taking screenshots on your Mac:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + 3 | Open the screenshot toolbar to choose from different screenshots and save the resulting capture to Clipboard |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + 4 | Take a screenshot of the selected area of the screen |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + 5 | Open the screenshot toolbar to choose from various screenshot options such as taking a screenshot or recording the screen |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + 6 | Take a screenshot of the touch bar |
| Control ^+ Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + 3 | Take a screenshot of the entire screen and save it to Clipboard |
| Control ^ + Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + 4 | Take a screenshot of a selected area and save it to Clipboard |
| Control ^ + Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + 5 | Open the screenshot toolbar to choose from different screenshot and save the resulting capture to Clipboard |
| Control ^ + Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + 6 | Take a screenshot of the touch bar and save it to Clipboard |
Safari Keyboard Shortcuts
Here are some Safari keyboard shortcuts to take your browsing game to the next level:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + N | Opens a new window in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + T | Opens a new tab in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + W | Closes the current window in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + T | Reopens the last closed tab in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + R | Reloads the current webpage in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + R | Reloads the current webpage without using the cache in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + L | Highlights the URL/address bar in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + F | Shows or hides the Favorites bar in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + D | Adds the current webpage to your bookmarks in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + D | Adds all open tabs to a new bookmark folder in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + E | Opens a search bar to search for text on the current webpage in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + Z | Reopen the last tab you closed |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + Click | Opens a link in a new tab and switches to that tab in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + Click | Opens a link in a new tab in Safari |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + Click | Downloads the linked file in Safari |
App Switcher Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + tab | Quickly switch to the last used app |
| Command ⌘ + Q | Quit an app in the app switcher |
| Command ⌘ + H | Hide an app in the app switcher |
| Command ⌘ + Esc or period (.) | Cancel the app switcher |
Mac Keyboard Shortcuts to Manage Windows & Dialogs
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + Tilde (~) | Switch to the next window |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + Tilde (~) | Switch to the previous window |
| Command ⌘ + click the window name in the titlebar | See where the file/folder is located |
| Command ⌘ + drag the window’s titlebar without switching to it | Move a window in the background |
| Command ⌘ + D or Command ⌘ + Delete | Choose “Don’t Save” in a Dialog |
Dock Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ click an app’s icon | Hide all apps except the one you’re clicking |
| Option ⌥ click another app’s icon | Hide the app you’re leaving |
| Command ⌘ click a Dock item’s icon | Reveal the item’s location in the Finder |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ while dragging the file onto an app’s icon in the Dock | Force a file to open in a specific app |
| Hold Shift ⇧ and drag Dock divider | Move Dock to left, right, or bottom of the screen |
| Command ⌘ + plus(+) or Command ⌘ + minus(–) | Change the icon size of a stack |
| Hold Control ^ + Shift ⇧ | Turn magnification on/off |
| Hold Option ⌥ while dragging Dock separator | Force the Dock to only resize to non-interpolated icon sizes |
Keyboard Shortcuts for Apple Mail
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + N | Create a new email |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + N | Create a new email in a new window |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + D | Send the selected email |
| Command ⌘ + R | Reply to the selected email |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + R | Reply all recipients |
| Command ⌘ + F | Search the current email |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + F | Search all emails |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + J | Move the selected email to the Junk mailbox |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + J | Mark the selected email as junk |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + U | Mark the selected email as unread |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + T | Add the selected email sender to your contacts |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + L | Apply a flag to the selected email |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + L | Remove a flag from the selected email |
| Command ⌘ + 1 | Open the inbox in Apple Mail |
| Command ⌘ + 2 | Open the drafts mailbox |
| Command ⌘ + 3 | Open the sent mailbox |
| Command ⌘ + 4 | Open the junk mailbox |
| Command ⌘ + 5 | Open the trash mailbox |
Document Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + N | Creates a new document |
| Command ⌘ + O | Opens an existing document |
| Command ⌘ + S | Saves the current document |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + S | Saves the current document with a new name or in a new location |
| Command ⌘ + P | Prints the current document |
| Command ⌘ + Z | Undoes the last action |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + Z | Redoes the last action |
| Command ⌘ + X | Cuts the selected text or object |
| Command ⌘ + C | Copies the selected text or object |
| Command ⌘ + V | Pastes the previously cut or copied text or object |
| Command ⌘ + A | Selects all text or objects in the current document |
| Command ⌘ + F | Opens a search bar to search for text in the current document |
| Command ⌘ + G | Finds the next occurrence of the search term in the current document |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + G | Finds the previous occurrence of the search term in the current document |
| Command ⌘ + B | Makes the selected text bold |
| Command ⌘ + I | Makes the selected text italic |
| Command ⌘ + U | Underlines the selected text |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + V | Pastes text without any formatting |
Some of these keyboard shortcuts may vary depending on the specific application and version of macOS you are using.
Spotlight Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command ⌘ + Space | Opens Spotlight search |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + Space | Opens Spotlight search in a new window |
| Command ⌘ + Return | Opens the top hit in the Spotlight search results |
| Command ⌘ + B | Opens a new Spotlight search in the default web browser |
| Command ⌘ + L | Shows the location of the selected result in Finder |
| Command ⌘ + I | Shows information about the selected result |
| Command ⌘ + Delete | Removes the selected result from Spotlight search |
| Command ⌘ + Up Arrow ↑ | Shows the Spotlight search result in Finder |
| Command ⌘ + Down Arrow ↓ | Shows the next result in the Spotlight search results |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + T | Shows and hides the location path bar in Spotlight |
Mac Keyboard Shortcuts for Mission Control
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Mission Control | |
| F3 or Control ⌃ + Up Arrow ↑ | Activates Mission Control |
| Control ⌃ + Down Arrow ↓ | Shows all open windows for the current app in Mission Control |
| Control ⌃ + Left Arrow ← | Moves to the desktop on the left in Mission Control |
| Control ⌃ + Right Arrow → | Moves to the desktop on the right in Mission Control |
| Spaces | |
| Control ⌃ + Up Arrow ↑ | Shows all Mission Control spaces |
| Control ⌃ + Down Arrow ↓ | Shows all windows in the current Mission Control space |
| Control ⌃ + Left Arrow ← | Moves to the space on the left |
| Control ⌃ + Right Arrow → | Moves to the space on the right |
| Control ⌃ + [number] | Activates the Mission Control space with the corresponding number |
| Application Windows | |
| Command ⌘ + Up Arrow ↑ | Shows all open windows for the current app |
| Command ⌘ + Down Arrow ↓ | Hides all open windows for the current app |
| Option ⌥ + Up Arrow ↑ | Temporarily shows the desktop and any open windows in Mission Control |
| Option ⌥ + Click | Hides all windows except the one clicked |
Troubleshooting Keyboard Shortcuts
Whether you’re trying to force quit a frozen app or need to reset your PRAM, Mac keyboard shortcuts can be really helpful. Here are a few easy-to-remember shortcuts for fixing common issues with your Mac:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Option ⌥ at startup | Display the Startup Manager to choose a startup disk |
| Shift ⇧ at startup | Boot your Mac in Safe Mode |
| D at startup | Run Apple Diagnostics |
| Command ⌘ + R at startup | Boot your Mac into Recovery Mode |
| Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + R at startup | Boot your Mac into Internet Recovery Mode |
| Command ⌘ + Option ⌥ + P + R at startup | Reset NVRAM |
| Control ⌃ + Command ⌘ + Power button | Restart the Mac immediately |
| Control ⌃ + Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + Power button | Shut down your Mac immediately |
| Option ⌥ + Command ⌘ + Power button | Put the Mac to sleep immediately |
| Shift ⇧ + Control ⌃ + Power button | Put the display to sleep |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + Q | Log out of your user account |
| Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + Option ⌥ + Q | Log out of your user account immediately, without a confirmation prompt |
Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts on a Mac
Did you know that you can customize your Mac keyboard shortcuts? You can create shortcuts for your most frequently used apps or features and save yourself a ton of time.
So let’s see how to create your own custom shortcuts on Mac:
- Click the Apple icon and select System Settings.
- Click Keyboard in the left sidebar and tap the Keyboard Shortcuts button.
- You’ll see different options in the left sidebar. When you click one, you’ll see different keyboard shortcuts.
- To customize the keyboard shortcut, double-click the key combination, type the new keys, and press Done.
- If you want to assign a keyboard shortcut to a specific application, click App Shortcuts in the left sidebar and tap the little + icon on the right side.
- A new window will appear. Click the All Applications button and choose the application for which you want to customize keyboard shortcuts.
- Type the Menu Title, Keyboard Shortcut, and click Done to save the shortcut.
Use Mac Keyboard Shortcuts to Maximize Productivity
By memorizing a few key combinations, customizing your shortcuts, and taking the time to learn app-specific shortcuts, you can save time and effort every day. If you want to maximize your productivity further, here are a few tips:
- Organize your Mac files to find the ones you’re looking for easily.
- Declutter your Mac desktop and folders to save time and improve focus.
- Improve your system’s performance by cleaning junk files on your Mac regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I learn keyboard shortcuts for Mac?
You can learn keyboard shortcuts for Mac by memorizing the basic ones and gradually adding more advanced and application-specific shortcuts as you need them. There are also many online resources, such as cheat sheets and video tutorials, that can help you learn keyboard shortcuts.
Can I create my own keyboard shortcuts on Mac?
Yes, you can create your own keyboard shortcuts on Mac by going to System Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts. Then, select the application and action for which you want to create a new shortcut.
What should I do if I forget a keyboard shortcut on Mac?
If you forget a keyboard shortcut on Mac, you can always look it up online or in the application’s help menu. You can also create your own cheat sheet or reference guide to remember frequently used shortcuts.
