Keyboard shortcuts are a brainy time - recoverer ; it ’s much easy to tap two or three keys at once than to go hunt through nested menus . But shortcut depend on cognition and muscle memory – you need to put in the fourth dimension to learn them before you may benefit in the tenacious test .
That ’s why we ’re here . This guide to the essential keyboard crosscut for Mac drug user covers the most useful hotkey combinations that will save you time and stress . We go though the most useful Mac keyboard crosscut you did n’t know you did n’t know .
Just in font you are new to the Mac , we also wrap up the fundamental combinations for saving , copying and pasting , printing , close down a window , conclusion or shroud an app , and lots more . We also pass over key combination that enable you to trouble-shoot problem with your Mac . For example , if you desire to part your Mac in Safe Mode you call for to screw which central combination you need .
The most important keys on a Mac keyboard: Control, Option (sometimes called Alt) and Command.
If these shortcuts get you hooked , you may even make your own for everything from the organisation to specific apps by going toSystemPreferences > Keyboard > Shortcutsand then pick out one of the options on the left field . We have a freestanding clause if you are looking for the cardinal combination totype character like ° $ € @ ® © # £ € ¢ ™ .
Control, Option and Command
The three most important key on your Mac can be find to the unexpended and right of the spacebar ( for right- and leftover - handed use ) . alas these keys seem to cause more confusion than any others . So our shortcuts guide will begin by clearing up the mystery of , Control , Option and Command .
Apple
The Command key
macOS has many shortcuts , but there are a few that everyone should screw . They start with the ⌘ symbol rule on the Command key ( cmd ) . Command has a bequest that leads to confusion – many erstwhile Mac users will refer to it as the Apple winder , because in the past tense there used to be an Apple logo on it , but this logo halt appearing a while ago when if was resolve that there were a few too many Apple logos on Apple products . Read : Where is the Command cay ?
The logotype you will still find on this key looking like a squiggly square , or a four petalous efflorescence . It was design by Susan Kare for the original iMac ( and found on the Scandinavian ikon for property of interest ) .
The Command ( cmd ) key works in a standardised fashion to the Control Francis Scott Key on a personal computer . On a Mac you use the Command key where on a personal computer you would use Control ( or Ctrl ) .
If you are using the MacBook trackpad the Control key is useful when you want to right-click.
In the following instance “ ⌘ + A ” entail you necessitate to restrain down the Command button and insistence A or press both at the same time .
The Option / Alt key
There is a not bad deal of confusion overwhat Apple refers to as the alternative headstone . If you ’re using a UK or European keyboard this tonality might be labelled as the Alt Florida key , so it ’s no wonderment most masses do n’t jazz where it is .
The Alt ( aka Option ) samara can be found between Control and Command . It has an icon that look like a incline and a drop with a demarcation above it .
probability are the first time you find out mention of Option / Alt you are following a tutorial and trying to fix something on your Mac . The Alt / Option key is the one you use if you wish well to start an Intel - power Mac in Recovery mode , you also urge on it when typecast certain characters on your keyboard , such as Option+3 or Option+4 .
Command+spacebar: It’ll change the way you work.
The Option Francis Scott Key also enables you to turn on the Save As choice in Mac apps . Just press it when you tap the File menu and you ’ll see the new options .
You may be wondering whether you may utilize the Alt winder , along with Ctrl and Delete , to shut down an unresponsive Mac – the famour Ctrl - Alt - Delete combo from the Windows PC . Force - quitting on a Mac is slightly unlike to on a personal computer : here ’s how toForce Quit on a Mac .
The Control key
With the Command Francis Scott Key doing the job on Mac that the Control key does on PC , you may be wondering why there ’s also a Control key on a Mac keyboard .
The most rough-cut use of Control is to mimic the right - press a mouse or when using the mouse pad ( since some Apple black eye do n’t have the right-hand click option ) .
11 really useful Mac shortcuts
Now that you know where to find the keys we will portion out some of the most useful central combinations we employ on our Macs . We ’ll also admit a list of all the primal combos you need to have intercourse at the bottom of this article .
Open the Spotlight search tool
⌘ + Space bar : This is probably the most useful crosscut of all . Whenever you want to find a filing cabinet on your Mac , just tap this shortcut and type the name of the file cabinet you ’d like the find in the prompt that bug out up . The upshot are instant . Spotlight will also explore through things like iMessages , bookmarker , and the full text of file on your hard movement . It ’s also a quick way to find and capable apps you do n’t keep on your wharf .
Command+spacebar : It ’ll change the elbow room you knead .
IDG
The toolbar for screenshots allows you to shoot specific areas of the screen,
Immediately quit any app
⌘ + Q : Use this command to shut down any app right away . This command does n’t just minimize the app ( as sometimes encounter when you hit the scarlet “ X ” button at the top of any Mac app)—it totally exclude it down .
Take screenshots or record the screen
As you may probably guess , we use these shortcuts a lot here at Macworld . There are really severalways you could take a screenshot on a Mac .
⌘ + Shift+3 : Screenshot the entire seeable window . If you could see it on your Mac ’s cover , it ’ll show up in the screenshot .
⌘ + Shift+4 : Screenshot a specific region of the screen door with the service of a orthogonal cropping tool . This is the one I use the most , and it ’s also great for share images or snippets of school text on societal media .
Honestly, I tend to just click on apps from the dock, but many Mac userslovethis feature.
⌘ + Shift+5 : Beginning with macOS Mojave , Apple made it well-heeled to see all the screenshot tools at once with this cutoff . crusade it , and you ’ll see a toolbar that gives you options for get the integral screen , capture a specific windowpane , or capturing a specific portion of a window . you’re able to also use it to immortalise either the full screen or a portion of it and select where to economise the icon or video file . ( By default , screenshots preserve to the desktop . )
The toolbar for screenshots allows you to shoot specific areas of the screen ,
Hide apps instantly
⌘ + atomic number 1 : Here ’s one for sneaky folk . If you ’re looking at something you do n’t require an come near chief , parent , or friend to see , tap this shortcut and the active undefendable window will disappear . To start using the app again , press the app ’s icon on either the dockage or the App Switcher .
you may do this forallactive apps by holding down ⌘ +Optionand pressing your computer mouse on any visible part of your background . Every app will “ hide out . ” It ’s a great way to declutter your desktop .
If you simply want to denigrate an app , press ⌘ +M , but its preview will still show up on the ripe side of your bobtail .
It’s also just a convenient way to shut down a lot of apps at once.
You might also want tohide your windows so you may see the background on a Mac . Apple has Mission Control for this :
Hide the Dock
Not content with hide all your capable apps and windows ? Go a step further and hide your wharf :
Quickly switch between active apps
⌘ + Tab : Holding ⌘ and then tapping Tab opens the App Switcher , which lets you easily switch between all active apps by tapping Tab until you land on the one you desire .
There are some variation of this key combo :
Honestly , I tend to just sink in on apps from the bobtail , but many Mac userslovethis characteristic .
If you don’t have an Apple Keyboard these key combos should still, work – sometimes you have to hit a Windows key instead of Command.
Switch between different windows in an app
⌘ + ~:This one make research a heck of a lot easier . Let ’s say you have two document clear from Apple ’s Pages app : one with your notes and one with your selective service . This shortcut lets you easily switch between the two ( or more ) documents . I find it ’s particularly helpful if I ’m work on a MacBook with a smaller screenland where the rent - view port might feel too cramped . ( If you ca n’t get the ~ preindication it ’s next to the Z on an English keyboard ) .
Quickly access the search/address bar in Safari
⌘ + L : Reaching for your mouse to activate Safari ’s search bar wastes a band of fourth dimension . Press this shortcut while you ’re using Safari , and the cursor will jump off up to the search bar , where you may type out either a lookup term or an URL . This cutoff also works with Google Chrome . ( you’re able to also use it on Windows with the Control key . )
Safari has some other with child keyboard cutoff , too: ⌘ +Topens a young lozenge , and ⌘ +Zreopens the last tab you ( maybe accidentally ) shut . If you need to reopen an accidentally closed tab in Chrome or Opera , you could press ⌘ +Shift+T.
Force-quit an App
⌘ + Option+Q : If an app is locked up ( and ⌘ +Qisn’t working for whatever reason ) , use this shortcut to squeeze the app to lay off .
you may also prefer multiple apps to force - quit by beseech ⌘ +Option+Esc ( Escape ) , which is much like using Control - Alt+Delete on a PC . Instead of the Task Manager , though , you ’ll get a windowpane that says Force Quit Applications and you could prefer which app you want to close from there .
It ’s also just a convenient way to shut down a draw of apps at once .
Immediately lock your Mac
⌘ + Control+Q : If you ’re stepping away from your desk at home or the spot and you do n’t desire someone snoop around on your Mac , press this shortcut and your Mac will immediately exchange to the lock filmdom . It ’s a heck of a lot faster than doing it through the menu bar .
Use Quick Look to preview files
Click+Space saloon : If you require to see what a file looks like but you do n’t want to waste time opening the associated app , select the file cabinet in a Finder folder and then beseech the space bar . ( This also works with files on the background . ) A full - Thomas Nelson Page preview will pour down up — and with Markup selection , too . This work for everything from images and PDFs to Microsoft Excel filing cabinet .
you could also select multiple file to preview at once by holding down the Command cay as you select them and then pressing ⌘ +Y. ( ⌘ + Y also works for exclusive file cabinet , but in that character it ’s less commodious . ) Once that windowpane is open , you may sail between the file cabinet with the arrow keys in the upper left hand .
Trouble shooting shortcuts
If you are having trouble with a faulty Mac the conform to key combinations could be useful .
Shutting down a Mac
Startup keyboard commands
Apple has a set of keyboard commands you’re able to utilize to make your Mac do certain tasks at inauguration . For instance , if you want to micro-cook the Mac ’s NVRAM , reset the SMC , or boot into Recovery mode , there are keyboard combinations that you confine down while bring up your Mac .
These keyboard combinations might be different look on whether you are using an Intel - power Macs or an M1 - series Mac . We have aguide to aid you find the troubleshooting way on Apple M1 Macs .
Basic Apple keyboard shortcuts
For Mac freshman and oldies alike , these keyboard crosscut will probably be the ones you expend the most :
Text editing commands
When editing textbook work smarter with these key combos , which form in most of the word processors we have used :
Finder commands
In the Finder you could try the following :
