Mac OS

macOS, Apple’s operating system for Macs, is known for its sleek design, stability, and seamless integration with other Apple devices. Launched in 1984, it pioneered graphical interfaces and has evolved with features like Spotlight, Mission Control, and the Dock. Fun fact: macOS names once featured big cats like Tiger before shifting to California landmarks like Monterey. Beloved by creatives and professionals, macOS combines elegance and power for a smooth user experience.

Shortcuts

General

Window	Mac	Description
❌	`⌘S`	Save the current document
❌	`⌘X`	Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard
❌	`Space`	Use Quick Look to preview the selected item
❌	`⌘C`	Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder
❌	`⌘,`	Open preferences for the front app
❌	`⌘M`	Minimize the front window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front app, press Option-Command-M
❌	`⌘V`	Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also works for files in the Finder
❌	`⌃⌘F`	Use the app in full screen, if supported by the app
❌	`⌘``	Switch between the windows of the app you're using. (The character on the second key varies by keyboard. It's generally the key above the Tab key and to the left of the number 1.)
❌	`⌘Z`	Undo the previous command. You can then press Shift-Command-Z to Redo, reversing the undo command. In some apps, you can undo and redo multiple commands
❌	`⌘H`	Hide the windows of the front app. To view the front app but hide all other apps, press Option-Command-H
❌	`⌘P`	Print the current document
❌	`⌘⇥`	Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps
❌	`⇧⌘N`	Create a new folder in the Finder
❌	`⌘Space`	Show or hide the Spotlight search field. To perform a Spotlight search from a Finder window, press Command–Option–Space bar
❌	`⌘O`	Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open
❌	`⌘G`	Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the previous occurrence, press Shift-Command-G
❌	`⌘F`	Find items in a document or open a Find window
❌	`⇧⌘5`	In macOS Mojave or later, take a screenshot or make a screen recording. Or use Shift-Command-3 or Shift-Command-4 for screenshots
❌	`⌘A`	Select All items
❌	`⌘T`	Open a new tab
❌	`⌥⌘⎋`	Force quit an app
❌	`⌘W`	Close the front window. To close all windows of the app, press Option-Command-W

Sleep, log out, and shut down

Window	Mac	Description
❌	`⌃⌘Q`	Immediately lock your screen
❌	`⌃⌘Power button`	Force your Mac to restart, without prompting to save any open and unsaved documents
❌	`⌃⌥⌘Power button`	Quit all apps, then shut down your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them
❌	`⌥⌘Power button`	Put your Mac to sleep
❌	`⌃Power button`	Display a dialog asking whether you want to restart, sleep, or shut down
❌	`⌃⌘`	Quit all apps, then restart your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them
❌	`⌃⇧Power button`	Put your displays to sleep
❌	`Power button`	Press to turn on your Mac or wake it from sleep. Press and hold for 1.5 seconds to put your Mac to sleep.* Continue holding to force your Mac to turn off
❌	`⇧⌘Q`	Log out of your macOS user account. You will be asked to confirm. To log out immediately without confirming, press Option-Shift-Command-Q

Finder and system

Window	Mac	Description
❌	`⌥⌘Y`	View a Quick Look slideshow of the selected files
❌	`⌥⌘V`	Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location to the current location
❌	`⌘Y`	Use Quick Look to preview the selected files
❌	`⌃⌘T`	Add the selected item to the sidebar
❌	`⌘K`	Open the Connect to Server window
❌	`⌥F3`	Open Mission Control preferences
❌	`⌘I`	Show the Get Info window for a selected file
❌	`⌥F12`	Open Sound preferences. This works with any of the volume keys
❌	`⇧⌘Del`	Empty the Trash
❌	`⇧⌘C`	Open the Computer window
❌	`⌥⌘S`	Hide or show the Sidebar in Finder windows
❌	`⌘E`	Eject the selected disk or volume
❌	`⇧⌘D`	Open the desktop folder
❌	`⇧⌘N`	Create a new folder
❌	`⇧⌘O`	Open the Documents folder
❌	`⌥⇧⌘Del`	Empty the Trash without confirmation dialog
❌	`⌥⌘N`	Create a new Smart Folder
❌	`⌘F3`	Show the desktop
❌	`⌥F2`	Open Displays preferences. This works with either Brightness key
❌	`⌃⇧⌘T`	Add selected Finder item to the Dock
❌	`⌘↓`	Open the selected item
❌	`⌥⌘P`	Hide or show the path bar in Finder windows
❌	`⇧⌘H`	Open the Home folder of the current macOS user account
❌	`⇧⌘P`	Show or hide the Preview pane in Finder windows
❌	`⇧⌘K`	Open the Network window
❌	`⌘J`	Show View Options
❌	`⌘3`	View the items in a Finder window in columns
❌	`⇧⌘R`	Open the AirDrop window
❌	`⌘F1`	Turn video mirroring on or off when your Mac is connected to more than one display
❌	`⇧⌘G`	Open a Go to Folder window
❌	`⌘]`	Go to the next folder
❌	`→`	Open the selected folder. This works only when in list view
❌	`⌃⌘A`	Make an alias of the selected item
❌	`⌘N`	Open a new Finder window
❌	`⌘4`	View the items in a Finder window in a gallery
❌	`⌘R`	(1) When an alias is selected in the Finder: show the original file for the selected alias. (2) In some apps, such as Calendar or Safari, refresh or reload the page. (3) In Software Update, check for software updates again
❌	`⌥⌘T`	Show or hide the toolbar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window
❌	`⇧⌘I`	Open iCloud Drive
❌	`⇧⌘U`	Open the Utilities folder
❌	`⌘Del`	Move the selected item to the Trash
❌	`⌥⌘D`	Show or hide the Dock
❌	`⌘T`	Show or hide the tab bar when a single tab is open in the current Finder window
❌	`⇧⌘T`	Show or hide the tab bar in Finder windows
❌	`⌘↑`	Open the folder that contains the current folder
❌	`⌘D`	Duplicate the selected files
❌	`⌘1`	View the items in the Finder window as icons
❌	`⌘F`	Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window
❌	`⇧⌘F`	Open the Recents window, showing all of the files you viewed or changed recently
❌	`⌘[`	Go to the previous folder
❌	`⌘/`	Hide or show the status bar in Finder windows
❌	`⌘2`	View the items in a Finder window as a list
❌	`⌥⌘L`	Open the Downloads folder
❌	`←`	Close the selected folder. This works only when in list view
❌	`⌥⇧F12`	Adjust the sound volume in smaller steps
❌	`⌃↓`	Show all windows of the front app
❌	`⌘⌃↑`	Open the folder that contains the current folder in a new window

Document

Window	Mac	Description
❌	`⌘I`	Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off
❌	`Fn↓`	Page Down: Scroll down one page
❌	`⌃H`	Delete the character to the left of the insertion point. Or use Delete
❌	`⌘K`	Add a web link
❌	`⇧⌘\`	Center align
❌	`⇧⌘←`	Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line
❌	`⌘U`	Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off
❌	`⌥→`	Move the insertion point to the end of the next word
❌	`Fn→`	End: Scroll to the end of a document
❌	`⌘B`	Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off
❌	`⌘←`	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line
❌	`⌃N`	Move down one line
❌	`⌘↑`	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document
❌	`⌃P`	Move up one line
❌	`⇧⌘→`	Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line
❌	`⇧⌘S`	Display the Save As dialog, or duplicate the current document
❌	`⌥⇧←`	Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if pressed again
❌	`⌥←`	Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
❌	`⇧→`	Extend text selection one character to the right
❌	`⌘D`	Select the Desktop folder from within an Open dialog or Save dialog
❌	`FnDel`	Forward delete on keyboards that don't have a Forward Delete key. Or use Control-D
❌	`⇧⌘/`	Open the Help menu
❌	`⌥⌘T`	Show or hide a toolbar in the app
❌	`⌥⇧↑`	Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again
❌	`Fn↑`	Page Up: Scroll up one page
❌	`⇧⌘;`	Display the Spelling and Grammar window
❌	`⌥⌘V`	Paste Style: Apply the copied style to the selected item
❌	`⌥⌘F`	Go to the search field
❌	`⌃E`	Move to the end of a line or paragraph
❌	`⌃⌘D`	Show or hide the definition of the selected word
❌	`⌘↓`	Move the insertion point to the end of the document
❌	`⇧⌘↑`	Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document
❌	`⌘T`	Show or hide the Fonts window
❌	`⌘;`	Find misspelled words in the document
❌	`⇧⌘]`	Right align
❌	`⇧⌘-`	Decrease the size of the selected item
❌	`⇧⌘P`	Page setup: Display a window for selecting document settings
❌	`⌃O`	Insert a new line after the insertion point
❌	`⇧⌘+`	Increase the size of the selected item. Command–Equal sign (=) performs the same function
❌	`⇧⌘[`	Left align
❌	`⌥Del`	Delete the word to the left of the insertion point
❌	`⌃D`	Delete the character to the right of the insertion point. Or use Fn-Delete
❌	`⇧↓`	Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line below
❌	`⌘→`	Move the insertion point to the end of the current line
❌	`⇧←`	Extend text selection one character to the left
❌	`⌃B`	Move one character backward
❌	`⇧↑`	Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line above
❌	`⌥⇧→`	Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again
❌	`⌃T`	Swap the character behind the insertion point with the character in front of the insertion point
❌	`⌃F`	Move one character forward
❌	`⌥⇧⌘V`	Paste and Match Style: Apply the style of the surrounding content to the item pasted within that content
❌	`⌥⌘C`	Copy Style: Copy the formatting settings of the selected item to the Clipboard
❌	`⌃L`	Center the cursor or selection in the visible area
❌	`⌥⌘I`	Show or hide the inspector window
❌	`Fn←`	Home: Scroll to the beginning of a document
❌	`⌥⇧↓`	Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if pressed again
❌	`⇧⌘↓`	Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document
❌	`⌃K`	Delete the text between the insertion point and the end of the line or paragraph
❌	`⌃A`	Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph

Accessibility

Window	Mac	Description
❌	`⌃F2`	Move focus to the menu bar. You can then use the arrow keys to navigate the menu, press Return to open a selected menu or choose a selected menu item, or type the menu item's name to jump to that item in the selected menu
❌	`⌃F3`	Move focus to the Dock
❌	`⌃⌥⌘.`	Increase contrast
❌	`⌃F7`	Change the way Tab moves focus—between navigation of all controls on the screen, or only text boxes and lists
❌	`⌃F4`	Move focus to the active window or next window
❌	`⇧⇥`	Move to previous control
❌	`⌥⌘``	Move the focus to the window drawer
❌	`⌃F5`	Move focus to the window toolbar
❌	`⌃F6`	Move focus to the floating window
❌	`⌥⌘F5`	Show the Accessibility Shortcuts panel
❌	`⌃⌥⌘8`	Invert colors
❌	`⌃⇧⇥`	Move to the previous grouping of controls
❌	`⌃⇥`	Move to the next control when a text field is selected
❌	`⇧⌘``	Activate the previous open window in the front app
❌		Move to the adjacent item in a list, tab group, or menu, or move sliders and adjusters (Up Arrow to increase values, Down Arrow to decrease values)
❌	`⌃⇧F6`	Move focus to the previous panel
❌	`⌃F8`	Move focus to the status menu in the menu bar
❌	`⌃`	Move to a control adjacent to the text field
❌	`⌃⌥⌘,`	Reduce contrast
❌	`⌘``	Activate the next open window in the front app
❌	`⇥`	Move to next control