macOS keyboard shortcuts
These work in the Finder and, with few exceptions, in every app that follows Apple's conventions. Modifiers are drawn the way the menu bar draws them, so what you read here is what you will see next to the command when you go looking for it.
Checked against Apple — Mac keyboard shortcuts and Apple — Use emoji and symbols on Mac. Version: macOS 26 and later, with notes where a key changed.
156 shortcuts
The top 20 are the macOS shortcuts this page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear here. The drill asks the marked ones first too, shuffled. Or tick your own and print those.
The 20 to learn first: the shortcuts the macOS page marks as the ones to learn first, in the order they appear on it.
Your own sheet: the macOS shortcuts you ticked.
The eight you use every day
If you only ever learn eight, learn these. They work in almost every Mac app there is.
Practise thesePasting without dragging the formatting along
The single most useful thing on this page. Pasted text that keeps its old font is the reason most documents look the way they do.
Practise thesePaste, and match the style of the text around it # Apple calls this Paste and Match Style. A few apps use Shift+Cmd+V instead.Option plusShift plusCommand plusV
Copy just the formatting of the selection #Option plusCommand plusC
Apply the formatting you copied #Option plusCommand plusV
Move the files on the clipboard here, rather than copying them # In the Finder, after Cmd+C on a file. This is how you cut and paste a file on a Mac.Option plusCommand plusV
Apps and windows
Practise theseSwitch to the app you used before this one #Command plusTab
Cycle through the windows of the app you are in # Generally the key above Tab, though it varies by keyboard. Shift+Cmd+` goes the other way.Command plusBacktick
Open a new window #Command plusN
Open a new tab #Command plusT
Close the front window #Command plusW
Close every window of this app #Option plusCommand plusW
Quit the app #Command plusQ
Force an app to quit #Option plusCommand plusEscape
Hide this app #Command plusH
Hide every other app #Option plusCommand plusH
Send the window to the Dock #Command plusM
Send every window of this app to the Dock #Option plusCommand plusM
Fill the screen with this app # Press it again to leave full screen. Only in apps that support it.Control plusCommand plusF
Open this app's settings #Command plusComma
Open Mission Control #Control plusUp arrow
Show every window of the app you are in #Control plusDown arrow
Show the desktop # Fn+F11 works too. Opt with Mission Control opens its settings instead.Command plusMission ControlorFunction key plusH
Show or hide the Dock #Option plusCommand plusDorFunction key plusA
Show or hide Notification Centre #Function key plusN
Show or hide Control Centre #Function key plusC
Show Apps # Launchpad on macOS versions before Tahoe 26.Function key plusShift plusA
Print #Command plusP
Open a file #Command plusO
Show the Save As dialogue, or duplicate the document #Shift plusCommand plusS
Open page setup #Shift plusCommand plusP
Open a new Finder window #Command plusN
Make a new folder #Shift plusCommand plusN
Make a folder from the files you have selected #Control plusCommand plusN
Rename the selected file #Return
Open the selected file #Command plusDown arroworCommand plusO
Show Get Info for the selection #Command plusI
Get info on several files in one window #Control plusCommand plusI
Preview the selection with Quick Look # Cmd+Y does the same.Space bar
Quick Look as a slideshow #Option plusCommand plusY
Duplicate the selected files # In an Open or Save dialogue, Cmd+D jumps to the Desktop folder instead.Command plusD
Make an alias of the selection # Or hold Opt+Cmd while you drag the file.Control plusCommand plusA
Move the selection to the Trash #Command plusDelete
Empty the Trash #Shift plusCommand plusDelete
Empty the Trash without being asked #Option plusShift plusCommand plusDelete
Eject the selected disk #Command plusE
Go to a folder by typing its path #Shift plusCommand plusG
Open the folder this folder is in # Add Ctrl to open it in a new window.Command plusUp arrow
Go back a folder #Command plusLeft bracket
Go forward a folder #Command plusRight bracket
See the folders above this one #Command plusclick the window title
Open the Home folder #Shift plusCommand plusH
Open the Desktop folder #Shift plusCommand plusD
Open Documents #Shift plusCommand plusO
Open Downloads #Option plusCommand plusL
Open Utilities #Shift plusCommand plusU
Open iCloud Drive #Shift plusCommand plusI
Open AirDrop #Shift plusCommand plusR
Open Recents #Shift plusCommand plusF
Open the Computer window #Shift plusCommand plusC
Open the Network window #Shift plusCommand plusK
Connect to a server #Command plusK
Search from the Finder #Command plusF
View as icons #Command plus1
View as a list #Command plus2
View as columns #Command plus3
View as a gallery #Command plus4
Show view options #Command plusJ
Show or hide the sidebar #Option plusCommand plusS
Show or hide the path bar #Option plusCommand plusP
Show or hide the status bar #Command plusSlash
Show or hide the preview pane #Shift plusCommand plusP
Show or hide the tab bar # With a single tab open, Cmd+T does it too.Shift plusCommand plusT
Show or hide the toolbar # Only when the window has a single tab open.Option plusCommand plusT
Add the selection to the sidebar # Add Shift to put it in the Dock instead.Control plusCommand plusT
Copy a dragged file instead of moving it #Option plusdrag
Move a dragged file to another volume instead of copying it #Command plusdrag
Open every folder inside the selected one # List view only.Option plusclick the triangle
Spotlight and search
Practise theseOpen Spotlight # In some macOS versions, with more than one input language set up, this switches input source instead.Command plusSpace bar
Run a Spotlight search in a Finder window #Option plusCommand plusSpace bar
Jump to the search field of the app you are in #Option plusCommand plusF
Find the next match #Command plusG
Find the previous match #Shift plusCommand plusG
Show the emoji and symbol picker # Pressing Fn twice opens it too. Apple calls it the Character Viewer.Control plusCommand plusSpace barorFunction key plusE
Editing text
Held by the system rather than by any one app, so they work in Mail, in Notes, in a text field on a web page, and in most editors, though Apple warns that some apps change them.
Practise theseBold #Command plusB
Italic #Command plusI
Underline #Command plusU
Add a link #Command plusK
Show the Fonts window #Command plusT
Make the selection bigger # Cmd+= does the same.Shift plusCommand plusPlus
Make the selection smaller #Shift plusCommand plusMinus
Align left #Command plus{
Align right #Command plus}
Centre #Shift plusCommand plus|
Look up the selected word #Control plusCommand plusD
Check spelling and grammar #Shift plusCommand plusSemicolon
Find the next misspelling #Command plusSemicolon
Delete the word to the left #Option plusDelete
Delete the character to the right # Fn+Backspace is for keyboards with no Forward Delete key.Function key plusDeleteorControl plusD
Cut to the end of the paragraph # Onto a clipboard only this app can see, not the usual one. Ctrl+Y pastes it back.Control plusK
Moving the cursor
Practise theseTo the start of the line #Command plusLeft arrow
To the end of the line #Command plusRight arrow
To the start of the document #Command plusUp arrow
To the end of the document #Command plusDown arrow
Back one word #Option plusLeft arrow
Forward one word #Option plusRight arrow
Scroll up a page # Apple describes these four as scrolling the page. Cmd+Up and Cmd+Down are the ones that move the cursor to the start or the end.Function key plusUp arrow
Scroll down a page #Function key plusDown arrow
Scroll to the top of the document #Function key plusLeft arrow
Scroll to the bottom of the document #Function key plusRight arrow
To the start of the line # The Unix binding, and it works in most Mac text fields.Control plusA
To the end of the line #Control plusE
Up one line #Control plusP
Down one line #Control plusN
Swap the two characters either side of the cursor #Control plusT
Extend the selection one character #Shift plusLeft arroworShift plusRight arrow
Extend the selection one line #Shift plusUp arroworShift plusDown arrow
Extend the selection one word # Press again to take in the next word.Option plusShift plusLeft arroworOption plusShift plusRight arrow
Extend the selection one paragraph # Press again to take in the next paragraph.Option plusShift plusUp arroworOption plusShift plusDown arrow
Select to the start of the line #Shift plusCommand plusLeft arrow
Select to the end of the line #Shift plusCommand plusRight arrow
Select to the start of the document #Shift plusCommand plusUp arrow
Select to the end of the document #Shift plusCommand plusDown arrow
Screenshots and recording
Capture part of the screen #Shift plusCommand plus4
Capture the whole screen #Shift plusCommand plus3
Capture one window # Press Space after the crosshair appears, then click the window.Shift plusCommand plus4thenSpace bar
Open the screenshot and recording bar # Where the recording controls and the save location live.Shift plusCommand plus5
Copy the capture to the clipboard instead of saving a file # Add Ctrl to any of the capture shortcuts above.Control plusShift plusCommand plus4
Sleep, lock and log out
Some of these need holding a moment longer, so that you do not press them by accident. The power-button ones work only on a built-in keyboard without Touch ID; with Touch ID, the power button locks the screen.
Lock the screen #Control plusCommand plusQ
Log out, with a confirmation #Shift plusCommand plusQ
Log out immediately # Or hold Opt while you choose Log Out from the Apple menu.Option plusShift plusCommand plusQ
Put the Mac to sleep # Or press and hold the power button for a second and a half.Option plusCommand plusPower
Put the displays to sleep #Control plusShift plusPower
Show the restart, sleep and shut down dialogue #Control plusPower
Force a restart # Unsaved work is lost.Control plusCommand plusPower
Quit everything and shut down # You are asked to save anything unsaved first.Control plusOption plusCommand plusPower
Start or stop dictation # You may be able to set a different key in Keyboard settings.Function key plusD
Make a Quick Note #Function key plusQ
Moving around without a mouse
Some of these need switching on first, under System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts. If the top row of keys sets brightness and volume, add Fn: Fn+Ctrl+F2.
Practise theseMove focus to the Dock #Control plusF3
Move focus to the next window #Control plusF4
Move focus to the window toolbar #Control plusF5
Move to the next control #Tab
Move to the previous control #Shift plusTab
Change what Tab moves between # Switches between every control on screen and only text boxes and lists.Control plusF7
Show the Accessibility Shortcuts panel # Or press Touch ID three times.Option plusCommand plusF5
Invert the screen colours # Switch it on in Keyboard Shortcuts first.Control plusOption plusCommand plus8
Switch back to the previous input source # Ctrl+Opt+Space steps to the next one. Only if you type in more than one language.Control plusSpace bar
Next
Windows
These are the system shortcuts: they work on the desktop and inside almost any app, because Windows handles them before the app ever sees the key press.
Chrome
Most of these hold in Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi too, because they all share the same engine and the same conventions.
VS Code
VS Code has more shortcuts than anyone can hold in their head, so this page is ordered by how often you would actually reach for one.
Excel
Excel rewards the keyboard more than any other program on this site: the difference between a competent user and a fast one is almost entirely in this list.
macOS keyboard shortcuts — comboshelf.com. Checked 25 September 2026 against Apple — Mac keyboard shortcuts.