The ultimate guide to Mac keyboard shortcuts
This guide shows all the tricks to let your fingers do the walking around your Mac.
Whether you're a newbie or an experienced Apple user, this guide will show you how to let your fingers do the walking around your Mac.
The fastest way to navigate a Mac is to learn the glut of OS X keyboard shortcuts available at your fingertips.
With just a few keystrokes users can save files, switch between different applications or documents, and even create screenshots on the fly. It's easy, if you know the keys.
Most Apple shortcuts are executed using one, or a combination of the above keyboard commands, so it's useful to get familar with them. For example, in most applications it's common to use the Command + S key to save a document you're working on. To find the correct keyboard shortcut for your favourite application simply use the mouse and click on the file menu. There you will see the corresponding shortcut next to the mouse click. See screenshot below.
Where's my Windows keys?
Looking to alt-tab, copy to clipboard, or print screen like you did in Windows? Now that you've ctrl-alt-deleted from Windows the good news is the Mac has all of those options and more, but you may just have to learn a few different keys to press. Here's some common shortcuts you probably used in Windows and its comparable alternative on a Mac.
| Name | Symbol | Abbreviation |
| Command |  | cmd |
| Control |  | ctrl |
| Shift |  | shft |
| Option |  | opt |
| Function | F | fn5 |
| Escape |  | esc |
Right, that's the basics out of the way. The above commands will get you around your Mac a lot faster than pointing and clicking with a mouse or trackpad. However, the shortcuts don't end there. Let's get into some more specific keyboard shortcuts that will turn you into a Mac whiz in no time.
Finder
The Finder is the default file management program used on Mac OS X. While it is intuitive to use with a mouse there are some useful keyboard shortcuts which can save users time opening files and moving them around. Here's some of the more useful shortcuts:
| Action | Windows | Mac |
| Copy a folder or file | Control + C | Command + C |
| Paste a folder or file | Control + V | Command + V |
| Cut to clipboard | Control + X | Command + X |
| Search or Find | Control + F | Command + F |
| Force quit an application | Control + Alt + Delete | Command + Option + Esc |
| Capture screen | Print Screen | Command + Control + Shift + 3 |
| Find properties | Alt + Enter | Command + I |
| Control + P | Command + P | |
| Quit a program | Alt + 4 | Command + Q |
| Save a file | Control + S | Command + S |
| Toggle between applications | Alt + Tab | Command + Tab |
| Swith to next window | Control + F6 | Command + ~ |
| Undo | Control + Z | Command + Z |
| Select all items | Control + A | Command + A |
| Rename a folder | Select item + F2 | Select item + Enter |
| New folder | Control + N | Command + N |
Screengrabs
One of the most handy keyboard shortcuts on a Mac is taking screenshots. Here are the options available:
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
| Preview a file | Click Spacebar on a selected item |
| New Finder window | Command + N |
| Close window | Command + W |
| Go directly to a folder or file | Command + Shift + G |
| Connect to a server | Command + K |
| Find the properties of a file or application | Command + Option + I |
| Delete Trash without prompt | Option + Shift+ Command + Delete |
| Delete Trash | Command + Option + Delete |
| Edit Filename | Press Enter on selected file |
| Move a file instead of copying | Command + drag file to new destination |
| Go to "Computer" | Shift + Command + C |
| Go to "Home" | Shift + Command + H |
| Go to "iDisk" | Shift + Command + I |
| Go to "Applications" | Shift + Command + A |
| Minimise window | Command + M |
| Minimise all windows | Option + Command + M |
| Open help | Command + ? |
| Go to "Favorites" | Shift + Command + F |
| Undo last action | Command + Z |
| Change Finder views | Command + 1 or + 2 or + 3 or + 4 |
Eject, Eject!
Is an application not responding or you need to shut down quickly? Don't move your hand towards the power switch before trying these keyboard shortcuts:
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
| Take a picture of the whole screen | Command + Shift + 3 |
| Take a picture of a selected area | Command + Shift + 4 |
| Take a picture of a selected window | Command + Shift + 4 + Spacebar |
| Take a picture and place it in Clipboard | Command + Shift+ 4 + Control |
Exposé
Expose' is a feature of OS X which allows users to quickly open or hide a window quickly. It can also find the desktop with ease.
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
| Force Quit an application | Option + Command + Esc |
| Quit all applications and restart | Control + Command + Eject |
| Prompt Restart, Sleep, Shutdown box | Control + Eject |
| Sleep mode | Option + Command + Eject |
Dashboard
Dashboard is the widget mode in Mac OS X. If you're widget crazy then here's how to manoeuvre around them:
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
| Expose all open windows | F9 (on some keyboards fn+F9) |
| Expose all windows in one application | F10 (on some keyboards fn+F10) |
| Reveal the desktop | F11 |
| Cycle through Exposéd Windows | Press Tab after selecting F9 or F10 |
| Slow motion Exposé keys | Press Shift while using the above commands |
| Action | Shortcut |
| Open Dashboard | F12 |
| Open and close widget dock | Command + Plus (+) |
| Cycle to next page of widgets | Command + Left or Right arrows |
| Reload or refresh widget | Command + R |
Spaces
Spaces is the virtual desktop feature in Mac OS X Leopard designed to unclutter your desktop. If you use this feature then this will help clean the clutter faster:
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
| Hide applications other than the one you're working on | Command + Option while clicking on the Dock application |
| Turn magnification on or off | Command + Shift |
| Reveal where an application is located in Finder | Command + Application in Dock |
| Move the dock to the right, left, or bottom | Hold Shift on Dock divider and drag |
| Remove item from Dock | Press Control + "Remove item from Dock" |
| Quit or Force Quit | Press Control + "Quit" or "Force Quit" |
Spotlight
Spotlight is the search functionality inside your Mac that finds files and applications fast. You can easily access it on the top right of your screen but here are a few extra keyboard shortcuts:
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
| Show all Spaces | F8 (fn + F8 on some keyboards) |
| Move between Spaces | Control + up, down, left, or right |
| Move to a specific Space | Control + 1, 2, 3, 4 ... |
| Move all Spaces into one | F8 then C |
| Move an application to another Space | F8 then Command and drag to another Space |
Front Row
Front Row is the feature which can turn your Mac into a media centre. Normally the easiest way to navigate to Front Row us using the Apple Remote, but if it's stuck in the vortex of the couch cushions here's how to open and close the application fast:
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
| Open Spotlight | Command + Space |
| Open Spotlight Window | Command + Option + Space |
| Launch first result | Enter |
| First result in each category | Command + up or down |
| Clear Spotlight search | Esc |
Start-up/boot commands
These commands are useful for advanced users who need keyboard shortcuts during the boot process. Only click on these if you know what you are doing:
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
| Open Front Row | Command + esc |
| Close Front Row | Esc |
| Menu actions | Up, down, left, right |
| Play or Pause | Space |
| Volume | Command + up or down |
Customising shortcuts
While the above keyboard shortcuts will increase efficiency they might also bring on hand cramping, especially around the bottom left side of the keyboard. The good news is that many of the system-wide shortcuts can be customised for personal preference. To do this, simply click on Systems Preferences ->Keyboard & Mouse ->Keyboard Shortcuts and simply double-click the shortcut you want to change. If at any time you want to change back to the original preferences shipped by Apple, simply click on the "Restore Defaults" button found in this dialog box.
| Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
| Boot from disc | C |
| Start in Firewire target disc mode | T |
| Safe boot | Shift |
| Choose start-up disc | Option |
| Seek a different start-up volume | Command + Option + Shift + Delete |
| Start-up in single-user mode | Command + S |
| Start-up in Verbose mode | Command + V |