Mac Shortcuts

Learn about common Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts. A keyboard shortcut is a way to invoke a function in Mac OS X by pressing a combination of keys on your keyboard.

To use a keyboard shortcut, or key combination, you press a modifier key with a character key. For example, pressing the Command key and the "c" key at the same time copies whatever is currently selected (text, graphics, and so forth) into the Clipboard. This is also known as the Command-C key combination (or keyboard shortcut).

A modifier key is a part of many key combinations. A modifier key alters the way other keystrokes or mouse clicks are interpreted by Mac OS X. Modifier keys include: Command, Control, Option, Shift, Caps Lock, and (on portable Macs) the fn key.

Here are the modifier key symbols you can see in Mac OS X menus:

(Command key) - Sometimes called "Apple key"; on Apple keyboards this key also has an Apple logo

(Control key)

(Option key) - "Alt" may also appear on this key

(Shift key)

(Caps Lock) - Toggles Caps Lock on or off

fn (Function key) - Located in the lower left corner of built-in keyboards on portable Macs

Products Affected

Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.3, Mac OS X 10.2, Mac OS X 10.1, Mac OS X 10.0, Mac OS X 10.5

Startup keyboard shortcuts

Press the key or key combination until the expected function occurs/appears (for example, hold Option during startup until Startup Manager appears, or Shift until "Safe Boot" appears). Tip: If a startup function doesn't work and you use a third-party keyboard, connect an Apple keyboard and try again.

Key or key combination What it does

Option Display all bootable volumes (Startup Manager)

Shift Perform Safe Boot (start up in Safe Mode)

C Start from a bootable disc

T Start in FireWire target disk mode

N Start from NetBoot server

X Force Mac OS X startup (if non-Mac OS X startup volumes are present)

Command-V Start in Verbose Mode

Command-S Start in Single User Mode

Finder keyboard shortcuts

Key combination What it does

Command-A Select all items in the front Finder window (or desktop if no window is open)

Option-Command-A Deselect all items

Shift-Command-A Open the Applications folder

Command-C Copy selected item/text

Shift-Command-C Open the Computer window

Command-D Duplicate selected item

Shift-Command-D Open desktop folder

Command-E Eject

Command-F Find any matching Spotlight attribute

Shift-Command-F Find Spotlight file name matches

Option-Command-F Navigate to the search field in an already-open Spotlight window

Shift-Command-G Go to Folder

Shift-Command-H Open the Home folder of the currently logged-in user account

Command-I Get Info

Option-Command-I Show Inspector

Control-Command-I Get Summary Info

Shift-Command-I Open iDisk

Command-J Show View Options

Command-K Connect to Server

Shift-Command-K Open Network window

Command-L Make alias of the selected item

Command-M Minimize window

Option-Command-M Minimize all windows

Command-N New Finder window

Shift-Command-N New folder

Option-Command-N New Smart Folder

Command-O Open selected item

Shift-Command-Q Log Out

Option-Shift-Command-Q Log Out immediately

Command-R Show original (of alias)

Command-T Add to Sidebar

Shift-Command-T Add to Favorites

Option-Command-T Hide Toolbar / Show Toolbar in Finder windows

Shift-Command-U Open Utilities folder

Command-V Paste

Command-W Close window

Option-Command-W Close all windows

Command-X Cut

Option-Command-Y Slideshow (Mac OS X 10.5 or later)

Command-Z Undo / Redo

Command-1 View as Icon

Command-2 View as List

Command-3 View as Columns

Command-4 View as Cover Flow (Mac OS X 10.5 or later)

Command-, (Command and the comma key) Open Finder preferences

Command-` (the Grave accent key--above Tab key on a US English keyboard layout) Cycle through open Finder windows

Command-Shift-? Access Mac Help

Option-Shift-Command-esc Force Quit Finder

Command-[ Back

Command-] Forward

Command-Up Arrow Open enclosed folder

Control-Command-Up Arrow Open enclosed folder in a new window

Command-Down Arrow Open highlighted item

Command-Tab Switch application--cycle forward

Shift-Command-Tab Switch application--cycle backward

Command-Delete Move to Trash

Shift-Command-Delete Empty Trash

Option-Shift-Command-Delete Empty Trash without confirmation dialog

Spacebar (or Command-Y) Quick Look (Mac OS X 10.5 or later)

Command key while dragging Move dragged item to other volume/location (pointer icon changes while key is held--see this article)

Option key while dragging Copy dragged item (pointer icon changes while key is held--see this article)

Option-Command key combination while dragging Make alias of dragged item (pointer icon changes while key is held--see this article)

Application and other Mac OS X keyboard commands

Note: Some applications may not support all of the below application key combinations.

Key combination What it does

Command-Space Show or hide the Spotlight search field (if multiple languages are installed, may rotate through enabled script systems)

Option-Command-Space Show the Spotlight search results window (if multiple languages are installed, may rotate through keyboard layouts and input methods within a script)

Command-Tab Move forward to the next most recently used application in a list of open applications

Shift-Command-Tab Move backward through a list of open applications (sorted by recent use)

Shift-Tab Navigate through controls in a reverse direction

Control-Tab Move focus to the next grouping of controls in a dialog or the next table (when Tab moves to the next cell)

Shift-Control-Tab Move focus to the previous grouping of controls

Command-esc Open Front Row (if installed)

Option-Eject Eject from secondary optical media drive (if one is installed)

Control-Eject Show shutdown dialog

Option-Command-Eject Put the computer to sleep

Control-Command-Eject Quit all applications (after giving you a chance to save changes to open documents), then restart the computer

Control Option-Command-Eject Quit all applications (after giving you a chance to save changes to open documents), then shut down the computer

fn-Delete Forward Delete (on portable Macs' built-in keyboard)

Control-F1 Toggle full keyboard access on or off

Control-F2 Move focus to the menu bar

Control-F3 Move focus to the Dock

Control-F4 Move focus to the active (or next) window

Shift-Control-F4 Move focus to the previously active window

Control-F5 Move focus to the toolbar.

Control-F6 Move focus to the first (or next) panel

Shift-Control-F6 Move focus to the previous panel

Control-F7 Temporarily override the current keyboard access mode in windows and dialogs

F9 Tile or untile all open windows

F10 Tile or untile all open windows in the currently active application

F11 Hide or show all open windows

F12 Hide or display Dashboard

Command-` Activate the next open window in the frontmost application

Shift-Command-` Activate the previous open window in the frontmost application

Option-Command-` Move focus to the window drawer

Command- - (minus) Decrease the size of the selected item

Command-{ Left-align a selection

Command-} Right-align a selection

Command-| Center-align a selection

Command-: Display the Spelling window

Command-; Find misspelled words in the document

Command-, Open the front application's preferences window (if it supports this keyboard shortcut)

Option-Control-Command-, Decrease screen contrast

Option-Control-Command-. Increase screen contrast

Command-? Open the application's help in Help Viewer

Option-Command-/ Turn font smoothing on or off

Shift-Command-= Increase the size of the selected item

Shift-Command-3 Capture the screen to a file

Shift-Control-Command-3 Capture the screen to the Clipboard

Shift-Command-4 Capture a selection to a file

Shift-Control-Command-4 Capture a selection to the Clipboard

Command-A Highlight every item in a document or window, or all characters in a text field

Command-B Boldface the selected text or toggle boldfaced text on and off

Command-C Duplicate the selected data and store on the Clipboard

Shift-Command-C Display the Colors window

Option-Command-C Copy the style of the selected text

Control-Command-C Copy the formatting settings of the selected item and store on the Clipboard

Option-Command-D Show or hide the Dock

Command-Control D Display the definition of the selected word in the Dictionary application

Command-E Use the selection for a find

Command-F Open a Find window

Option-Command-F Move to the search field control

Command-G Find the next occurrence of the selection

Shift-Command-G Find the previous occurrence of the selection

Command-H Hide the windows of the currently running application

Option-Command-H Hide the windows of all other running applications

Command-I Italicize the selected text or toggle italic text on or off

Option-Command-I Display an inspector window

Command-J Scroll to a selection

Command-M Minimize the active window to the Dock

Option-Command-M Minimize all windows of the active application to the Dock

Command-N Create a new document in the frontmost application

Command-O Display a dialog for choosing a document to open in the frontmost application

Command-P Display the Print dialog

Shift-Command-P Display a dialog for specifying printing parameters (Page Setup)

Command-Q Quit the frontmost application

Command-S Save the active document

Shift-Command-S Display the Save As dialog

Command-T Display the Fonts window

Option-Command-T Show or hide a toolbar

Command-U Underline the selected text or turn underlining on or off

Command-V Paste the Clipboard contents at the insertion point

Option-Command-V Apply the style of one object to the selected object (Paste Style)

Option-Shift-Command-V Apply the style of the surrounding text to the inserted object (Paste and Match Style)

Control-Command-V Apply formatting settings to the selected object (Paste Ruler Command)

Command-W Close the frontmost window

Shift-Command-W Close a file and its associated windows

Option-Command-W Close all windows in the application without quitting it

Command-X Remove the selection and store in the Clipboard

Command-Z Undo previous command (some applications allow for multiple Undos)

Shift-Command-Z Redo previous command (some applications allow for multiple Redos)

Control-Right Arrow Move focus to another value or cell within a view, such as a table

Control-Left Arrow Move focus to another value or cell within a view, such as a table

Control-Down Arrow Move focus to another value or cell within a view, such as a table

Control-Up Arrow Move focus to another value or cell within a view, such as a table

Shift-Command-Right Arrow Select text between the insertion point and the end of the current line (*)

Shift-Command-Left Arrow Select text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line (*)

Shift-Right Arrow Extend text selection one character to the right (*)

Shift-Left Arrow Extend text selection one character to the left (*)

Shift-Command-Up Arrow Select text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document (*)

Shift-Command-Down Arrow Select text between the insertion point and the end of the document (*)

Shift-Up Arrow Extend text selection to the line above, to the nearest character boundary at the same horizontal location (*)

Shift-Down Arrow Extend text selection to the line below, to the nearest character boundary at the same horizontal location (*)

Shift-Option-Right Arrow Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again (*)

Shift-Option-Left Arrow Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if pressed again (*)

Shift-Option-Down Arrow Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if pressed again (*)

Shift-Option-Up Arrow Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again (*)

Control-Space Toggle between the current and previous input sources

Option-Control-Space Toggle through all enabled input sources

Command-Left Arrow Change the keyboard layout to current layout of system script

Command-Right Arrow Change the keyboard layout to current layout of Roman script

Option-Command-esc Force Quit

(*) Note: If no text is selected, the extension begins at the insertion point. If text is selected by dragging, then the extension begins at the selection boundary. Reversing the direction of the selection deselects the appropriate unit.

Universal Access - VoiceOver keyboard commands

Key combination What it does

Command-F5 or fn Command-F5 Turn VoiceOver on or off

Control Option-F8 or fn Control Option-F8 Open VoiceOver Utility

Control Option-F7 or fn Control Option-F7 Display VoiceOver menu

Control Option-; or fn Control Option-; Enable/disable VoiceOver Control Option-lock

Option-Command-8 or fn Command-F11 Turn on Zoom

Option-Command-+ Zoom In

Option-Command- - (minus) Zoom Out

Option-Control-Command-8 Invert/revert the screen colors

Control Option-Command-, Reduce contrast

Control Option-Command-. Increase contrast

Note: You may need to enable "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard keys" in Keyboard preferences for the VoiceOver menu and utility to work.

Universal Access - Mouse Keys

When Mouse Keys is turned on in Universal Access preferences, you can use the keyboard or numeric keypad keys to move the mouse pointer. If your computer doesn't have a numeric keypad, use the Fn (function) key.

Key combination What it does

8 Move Up

2 Move Down

4 Move Left

6 Move Right

1 Move Diagonally Bottom Left

3 Move Diagonally Bottom Right

7 Move Diagonally Top Left

9 Move Diagonally Top Right

5 Press Mouse Button

0 Hold Mouse Button

. (period on number pad) Release Hold Mouse Button

See also: Shortcuts for Mouse Keys.