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Mac Keyboard Shortcuts

macOS shortcuts grouped by the job you are doing. Verified against Apple's own support documentation.

108 shortcuts · macOS on Apple silicon and Intel Macs

Learn these ten first

ShortcutWhat it does
Cmd + CCopy the selected item to the clipboard
Cmd + VPaste the contents of the clipboard
Cmd + ZUndo the previous command
Cmd + SSave the current document
Cmd + SpaceShow or hide the Spotlight search field
Cmd + TabSwitch to the next most recently used app
Cmd + WClose the front window
Cmd + QQuit the current app
Cmd + FFind items in a document, or open a find window
Shift + Cmd + 5Take a screenshot or make a screen recording

The essentials

ShortcutWhat it does
Cmd + XCut the selection and copy it to the clipboard
Cmd + ASelect everything
Shift + Cmd + ZRedo, reversing the previous undo
Cmd + GFind again: jump to the next match
Cmd + OOpen the selected item, or choose a file to open
Cmd + PPrint the current document
Shift + Cmd + SSave As, or duplicate the document
Cmd + CommaOpen settings for whichever app is in front
Option + Cmd + EscForce quit an app that has stopped responding
SpaceQuick Look: preview the selected item without opening it
Control + Cmd + SpaceOpen the character viewer for emoji and symbols

Finder and files

ShortcutWhat it does
Cmd + NNew Finder window
Shift + Cmd + NNew empty folder
Control + Cmd + NNew folder containing the selected items
Cmd + DDuplicate the selected files
Cmd + IGet Info on the selected file
Cmd + DeleteMove the selection to the Trash
Shift + Cmd + DeleteEmpty the Trash
Cmd + EEject the selected disk or volume
Cmd + RShow the original file an alias points to
Cmd + YQuick Look the selected files
Cmd + 1View as icons
Cmd + UpOpen the folder containing this one
Cmd + DownOpen the selected item
Shift + Cmd + GGo to a folder by typing its path
Shift + Cmd + DOpen the Desktop folder
Shift + Cmd + HOpen your Home folder
Option + Cmd + LOpen the Downloads folder
Shift + Cmd + ROpen AirDrop
Option + Cmd + SHide or show the sidebar
Shift + Cmd + PeriodShow or hide hidden files

Windows, apps and spaces

ShortcutWhat it does
Cmd + MMinimise the front window to the Dock
Cmd + HHide the windows of the app in front
Option + Cmd + HHide every other app
Control + Cmd + FEnter or leave full screen
Cmd + Grave accentCycle through the windows of the current app
Control + UpOpen Mission Control
Control + DownShow every window of the app in front
Control + LeftMove to the space on the left
Control + RightMove to the space on the right
Fn + CShow or hide Control Centre
Fn + NShow or hide Notification Centre
Control + Cmd + QLock the screen
Shift + Cmd + QLog out

Screenshots and recording

ShortcutWhat it does
Shift + Cmd + 3Capture the whole screen
Shift + Cmd + 4Capture a selected portion
Shift + Cmd + 4 then SpaceCapture one window or the menu bar
Shift + Cmd + 5Open the screenshot and recording tools
Control + Shift + Cmd + 3Copy the whole screen to the clipboard
Control + Shift + Cmd + 4Copy a selected portion to the clipboard

Text editing

ShortcutWhat it does
Cmd + BBold
Cmd + IItalic
Cmd + UUnderline
Option + Shift + Cmd + VPaste and match the surrounding style
Cmd + SemicolonJump to the next misspelled word
Option + DeleteDelete the whole word to the left
Fn + DeleteForward delete, on keyboards with no delete key
Cmd + LeftGo to the start of the line
Cmd + RightGo to the end of the line
Cmd + UpGo to the beginning of the document
Cmd + DownGo to the end of the document
Option + LeftMove back one word
Option + RightMove forward one word
Shift + Cmd + LeftSelect to the start of the line
Shift + Cmd + RightSelect to the end of the line
Fn + UpPage up
Fn + DownPage down

Safari

ShortcutWhat it does
Cmd + LJump to the address bar
Cmd + RReload the page
Cmd + FSearch within the page
Cmd + TNew tab
Cmd + WClose the tab
Shift + Cmd + TReopen the tab you just closed
Shift + Cmd + Right BracketNext tab
Shift + Cmd + Left BracketPrevious tab
Cmd + 1 to Cmd + 8Jump straight to one of the first eight tabs
Cmd + Left BracketBack
Cmd + Right BracketForward
Shift + Cmd + NNew private window
Cmd + DBookmark this page
Cmd + YShow history
Option + Cmd + LShow downloads
Shift + Cmd + ROpen the page in Reader

Accessibility and dictation

ShortcutWhat it does
Cmd + F5Turn VoiceOver on or off
Option + Cmd + F5Open the accessibility shortcuts panel
Option + Cmd + 8Turn screen zoom on or off
Option + Cmd + PlusZoom in
Control + Option + Cmd + 8Invert the screen colours
Fn + DStart or stop dictation
Control + F2Move keyboard focus to the menu bar
Control + F3Move keyboard focus to the Dock
Control + SpaceSwitch to the next input source

Startup

ShortcutWhat it does
Hold the power buttonApple silicon: open the startup options window
Cmd + RIntel: start from the built-in macOS Recovery
OptionIntel: open Startup Manager to pick a disk
ShiftIntel: start in safe mode
Option + Cmd + P + RIntel: reset NVRAM or PRAM
DIntel: start Apple Diagnostics