MAC keyboard shortcuts

To use a keyboard shortcut, press and hold one or more modifier keys while pressing the last key of the shortcut key. For example, to use the shortcut key command-c (copy), hold down the Command key and press the C key, and then release both keys at the same time. Mac menus and keyboards typically use symbols to represent certain keys, including the following modifier keys:

• Command?
• Shift?

• Option?
• Control?

• Caps Lock?
• Fn

If you are using a Windows PC-only keyboard, use the ALT key instead of the Option key to replace the Command key with the Windows flag key. Some MAC keyboards have special keys in the top row and they are used in shortcut keys, which have volume icons, display brightness icons, and other function icons. Press the key to perform the function and combine it with the Fn key to use as F1, F2, F3, or other standard function keys.

To learn more about shortcut keys, see the menu for the app you're using. Each app has its own shortcut key, and the shortcut keys used in one app may not apply to another.

Cut, copy, paste, and other common shortcut keys

shortcut Keys	Description
Command-x	cut : Deletes the selected item and copies it to the Clipboard.
Command-c	copies the selected items to the Clipboard. The same applies to files in the Finder.
Command-v	Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. The same applies to files in the Finder.
Command-z	undo the previous command. You can then press Command-shift-z to redo the reverse execution of the Undo command. In some apps, you can undo and redo multiple commands.
Command-a	Select all items.
Command-f	Find : Open the Find window, or find an item in your document.
Command-g	Find again : Find the next location where the item you found earlier appears. To find the previous location where it appears, press COMMAND-SHIFT-G.
Command-h	hides The window of the most front-end app. To view the most front-end apps but hide all other apps, press command-option-h.
Command-m	minimizes the front-end window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front-end app, press COMMAND-OPTION-M.
Command-n	new : Opens a new document or window.
Command-o	Open The selected item, or open a dialog box to select the file you want to open.
Command-p	Prints the current document.
Command-s	stores the current document.
Command-w	Close The front-most window. To close all windows for the app, press COMMAND-OPTION-W.
Command-q	exit the app.
Option-command-esc	Force exit : Select the app you want to force quit. Alternatively, press and hold Command-shift-option-esc for 3 seconds to force only the most front-end app to exit.
command– Space Key	Spotlight: Shows or hides the Spotlight search bar. To perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window, press command–option– SPACEBAR. If you use multiple input sources to type content in different languages, these shortcuts change the input source instead of the Spotlight display.
Space key	Quick View : Use Quick View to preview the selected item.
Command-tab	switch Apps : Switch to the next most recently used app in an open app.
shift-command-wave number (~)	Toggle Window : Switches to the next most recently used window in the most front-end app.
Shift-command-3	Screen shot: Take a screenshot of the entire screen. Learn more about screen-shot shortcut keys.
command-comma (,)	Preferences : Open preferences for the most-front-end apps.

Sleep, Logoff, and shutdown shortcut keys

shortcut Keys	Description
power button	Tap to turn on your Mac or wake your Mac from sleep.
	When your Mac is awake, press and hold this button for 1.5 seconds, a dialog box appears asking if you want to restart, sleep, or shut down. If you do not want to wait 1.5 seconds, press the control– power button or the control– media eject key.
	Pressing and holding this button for 5 seconds forces the MAC to shut down.
control–command– power button	Force the MAC to restart.
control–shift– (power button or media eject key)	Put the monitor to sleep.
control–command– Media Eject Key	Quit all apps, and then restart your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked if you want to store those changes.
control–option–command– (power button or media eject key)	Quit all apps, and then turn off your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked if you want to store those changes.
Shift-command-q	Log out of your OS X user account. You will be prompted to confirm.
Option-shift-command-q	Log off your OS X user account immediately, and you are not prompted for confirmation.

Document shortcut keys

shortcut Keys	Description
Command-b	Displays the selected text in bold, or turns on or off the bold display feature.
Command-i	Displays the selected text in italics, or turns the italic display on or off.
Command-u	Underlines the selected text, or turns the underline feature on or off.
Command-t	Displays or hides the Fonts window.
Command-d	Select the Desktop folder from the Open dialog box or the Storage dialog box.
Control-command-d	Shows or hides the definition of the selected word.
shift-command-Colon (:)	Displays the Spelling and grammar window.
command-semicolon (;)	Find misspelled words in your document.
Option-delete	Deletes the word to the left of the insertion point.
Control-h	Deletes the character to the left of the insertion point. You can also use the Delete key.
Control-d	Deletes the character to the right of the insertion point. You can also use Fn-delete.
Fn-delete	Remove forward on the keyboard without a forward delete key. You can also use control-d.
Control-k	Deletes the text between the insertion point and the end of the line or paragraph.
Command-delete	Select Delete or do not store in the dialog box that contains the delete or do not store button.
fn– Up ARROW	Pages up: Scrolls up one page.
fn– DOWN ARROW	Pages down: Scrolls down one page.
Fn– LEFT Arrow	Start: Scroll to the beginning of the document.
fn– RIGHT Arrow	End: Scrolls to the end of the document.
command– Up ARROW	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document.
command– DOWN ARROW	Moves the insertion point to the end of the document.
Command– LEFT Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the current line.
command– RIGHT Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the end of the line at the current line.
Option– LEFT Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
option– RIGHT Arrow	Moves the insertion point to the ending 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 line.
shift– Up ARROW	Expands the text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal position as the previous line.
shift– DOWN ARROW	Expands the text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal position as the next line.
Shift– LEFT Arrow	Extends the text selection one character to the left.
shift– RIGHT Arrow	Extends the text selection one character to the right.
option–shift– Up ARROW	Extend the text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, and then to the beginning of the next paragraph by pressing once.
option–shift– DOWN ARROW	Extend the text selection to the end of the current paragraph, and then to the end of the next paragraph by pressing once.
Option–shift– LEFT Arrow	Extend the text selection to the beginning of the current word, and then to the beginning of the next word by pressing once.
option–shift– RIGHT Arrow	Expands the text selection to the ending of the current word and then to the ending of the latter word.
Control-a	Move to the beginning of a line or paragraph.
Control-e	Move to the end of a line or paragraph.
Control-f	Moves forward one character.
Control-b	Moves backward one character.
Control-l	Places the cursor or selection in the center of the visible area.
Control-p	Moves up one row.
Control-n	Moves down one line.
Control-o	Inserts a row after the insertion point.
Control-t	Swaps the character after the insertion point with the character in front of the insertion point.
command– left Curly brace ({)	aligned to the left.
command– right curly brace (})	Align to the right.
shift–command– Vertical bar (|)	Center alignment.
Option-command-f	Go to the search bar.
Option-command-t	Shows or hides the toolbar in your app.
Option-command-c	Copy style: Copies the formatting of the selected item to the Clipboard.
Option-command-v	Paste Style: Applies the copied style to the selected item.
Option-shift-command-v	Paste and Match style: applies the style of the surrounding content to the items that are pasted in the content.
Option-command-i	Shows or hides the Inspector window.
Shift-command-p	Page Setup: Displays the window used to select document settings.
Shift-command-s	Displays the Save As dialog box or copies the current document.
shift–command– Minus SIGN (-)	Shrinks the selected item.
shift–command– Plus (+)	Enlarges the selected item. The command– equals sign (=) performs the same function.
shift–command– Question mark (?)	Open the Help menu.

Finder shortcut keys

shortcut Keys	Description
Command-d	Copies the selected files.
Command-e	Eject the selected disk or volume.
Command-f	Start Spotlight Search in the Finder window.
Command-i	Displays the Show Info window for the selected file.
Shift-command-c	Open the Computer window.
Shift-command-d	Open the Desktop folder.
Shift-command-f	Open the My All Files window.
Shift-command-g	Open the Go to Folder window.
Shift-command-h	Open the Personal folder of the current OS X user account.
Shift-command-i	Open ICloud Drive.
Shift-command-k	Open the Network window.
Option-command-l	Open the Downloads folder.
Shift-command-o	Open the Documents folder.
Shift-command-r	Open the AirDrop window.
Shift-command-t	Add the selected Finder item to the Dock (OS X Mountain Lion or earlier)
Control-shift-command-t	Add the 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. This shortcut is usually valid even if you do not have the Finder open.
Control-command-t	Add the selected item to the sidebar (OS X Mavericks or later).
Option-command-p	Hides or displays the path bar in a Finder window.
Option-command-s	Hides or displays a sidebar in a Finder window.
command– Slash (/)	Hides or displays the status bar in a Finder window.
Command-j	Bring up the "display" option.
Command-k	Open the Connect to server window.
Command-l	Create an alias for the selected item.
Command-n	Opens a new Finder window.
Shift-command-n	Create a new folder.
Option-command-n	Create a new Smart folder.
Command-r	Displays the original file for the selected alias.
Command-t	Shows or hides the tab bar when a single label is opened in the current Finder window.
Shift-command-t	Show or hide Finder labels.
Option-command-t	Shows or hides the toolbar when a single label is opened in the current Finder window.
Option-command-v	Move: Moves the file in the Clipboard from its original position to the current position.
Option-command-y	View a quick View slideshow of the selected files.
Command-y	Use Quick view to preview the selected file.
Command-1	Displays the items in the Finder window as icons.
Command-2	Displays items in a Finder window in a list.
Command-3	Displays items in a Finder window in columns.
Command-4	Displays items in a Finder window in Cover Flow mode.
command– left bracket ([)	Go to the previous folder.
command– right bracket (])	Down a 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.
Command–mission Control	Displays the desktop. This shortcut is valid even if you do not have the Finder open.
command– High Brightness	Turns the target display mode on or off.
command– Lowering brightness	Turn on or off the display mirroring feature when your MAC is connected to multiple monitors.
Right Arrow	Open the selected folder. This shortcut is only valid in List view.
Left Arrow	Close the selected folder. This shortcut is only valid in List view.
option-Double Press	Open the folder in a separate window and close the current window.
Command-Double Press	Open the folder in a separate label or window.
Command-delete	Move the selected item to the Trash.
Shift-command-delete	Empty the wastepaper basket.
Option-shift-command-delete	Empty the Trash (the confirmation dialog box is not displayed).
Command-y	Use Quick view to preview the file.
option– High Brightness	Open Display preferences. This shortcut can be used with any luminance key.
Option–mission Control	Open the "Mission Control" preference setting.
option– Increase Volume	Open sound preferences. This shortcut can be used in conjunction with any volume key.
Press the Command key while dragging	Move the dragged item to another volume or location. The pointer changes as you drag the item.
Press the Option key while dragging	Copy the dragged item. The pointer changes as you drag the item.
Press Option-command when dragging	Create an alias for the dragged item. The pointer changes as you drag the item.
option-Click on the triangle	Open all folders within the selected folder. This shortcut is only valid in List view.
command-Click the window title	View the folder that contains the current folder.

MAC keyboard shortcuts