70 Mac Keyboard Shortcuts for Power Users
Mac keyboard symbols explained and a massive collection of 70 shortcuts. Use them to improve your productivity and complete tasks faster.
Strange-looking symbols on the Mac keyboard everywhere! Right? Ever wondered what those Mac keyboard symbols mean?
Mac symbols are just awesome and super helpful!
I’m sure that a user knows that Command+C (⌘+C) means copy and Command+V (⌘+V) means paste, but there are far more than these. Many useful shortcuts will make your life much easier.
By pressing certain key combinations on your keyboard, you can do things that normally need a mouse, trackpad, or other input devices. Using Mac keyboard shortcuts can help you do many things much faster on your Mac. You can control your system, work with documents, and navigate faster and easier than you probably think.
In this article, I will explain the basics about Mac keyboard symbols and also I have gathered a massive list of 70 Mac keyboard shortcuts, which you need to work fast and efficiently on the Mac.
Mac Keyboard Symbols
The standard keyboard symbols you’ll encounter on most Mac and Apple keyboards are as follows:
Basic Mac keyboard symbol list:
⌘ is the Command or Cmd () key
⌃ is the Control or Ctrl key
⌥ is the Option or Alt key
⇧ is the Shift key
⇪ is the Caps Lock key
fn is the Function key
The above list is the standard keyboard symbols, that you will find on most Mac and Apple keyboards and you will use them for most keyboard shortcuts.
Below is a bigger list of Mac symbols that appear elsewhere in menus:
Full Mac keyboard symbol list:
⌘ is command (or Cmd. Like the Control key on Windows/PC)
⌥ is option (like Alt on Windows/PC)
⌃ is control (Control-click=Right-click)
⇧ is shift
⇪ is caps lock
← is left arrow
→ is right arrow
↑ is up arrow
↓ is down arrow
⇥ is tab
⇤ is backtab
↩ is return (or Enter)
⌫ is delete (like Backspace on Windows/PC)
⌦ is forward delete (fn+Delete. Also called Forward Delete)
⇞ is page up (fn+Up Arrow on compact keyboards)
⇟ is page down (fn+Down Arrow on compact keyboards)
↖ is home (fn+Left Arrow on compact keyboards)
↘ is end (fn+Right Arrow on compact keyboards)
⎋ is escape (or esc)
⏏ is eject
The symbols in the key combinations represent special keyboard keys, called modifier keys.
70 Mac Keyboard Shortcuts to Increase your Productivity
Listed below are 70 Mac keyboard shortcuts to help you fully utilize your Mac device.
Try to remember the basics:
⌘ = Command | ⌥ = Option/Alt | ⇧ = Shift | ⌃ = Control
To use a keyboard shortcut, press and hold one or more modifier keys and then press the last key of the shortcut.
Shortcuts for cut, copy, paste, and other actions
Some of the most useful and common shortcuts that you will need.
- Command+X (⌘ X): Cut the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard.
- Command+C (⌘+C): Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.
- Command+V (⌘+V): Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also works for files in the Finder.
- Command+Z (⌘+Z): Undo the previous command. You can then press Shift+Command+Z (⇧+⌘+Z) to Redo, reversing the undo command.
- Command+A (⌘+A): Select all items.
- Command+F (⌘+F): Find items in a document or open a Find window.
- Command+G (⌘+G): Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the previous occurrence, press Shift+Command+G (⇧+⌘+G).
- Command+H (⌘+H): Hide the windows of the front app. To view the front app but hide all other apps, press Option+Command+H (⌥+⌘+H).
- Command+M (⌘+M): Minimize the front window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front app, press Option+Command+M (⌥+⌘+M).
- Command+O (⌘+O): Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open.
- Command+P (⌘+P): Print the current document.
- Command+S (⌘+S): Save the current document.
- Command+T (⌘+T): Open a new tab.
- Command+W (⌘+W): Close the front window. To close all windows of the app, press Option+Command+W (⌥+⌘+W).
- Option+Command+Esc (⌥+⌘+⎋): Force quit an app.
Shortcuts for sleep, log out and shut down
You might need to press and hold some of these shortcuts for slightly longer than other shortcuts. This helps you to avoid using them unintentionally.
- Option+Command+Esc (⌥+⌘+⎋) or Option+Command+Eject (⌥+⌘+⏏): Put your Mac to sleep.
- Control+Shift+Esc (⌃+⇧+⎋) or Control+Shift+Eject (⌃+⇧+⏏): Put your displays to sleep.
- Control+Esc (⌃+⎋) or Control+Eject (⌃+⏏): Display a dialog asking whether you want to restart, sleep, or shut down.
- Control+Command+Eject (⌃+⌘+⎋): Force your Mac to restart, without prompting to save any open and unsaved documents.
- Control+Command+Eject (⌃+⌘+⏏): Quit all apps, then restart your Mac. If any open documents have unsaved changes, you will be asked whether you want to save them.
- Control+Option+Command+Esc (⌃+⌥+⌘+⎋) or Control+Option+Command+Eject (⌃+⌥+⌘+⏏): 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.
- Control+Command+Q (⌃+⌘+Q): Immediately lock your screen.
- Shift+Command+Q (⇧+⌘+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 (⌥+⇧+⌘+Q).
Shortcuts for finder and system preferences
Some useful find, open and hide shortcuts that will save you time.
- Command+D (⌘+D): Duplicate the selected files.
- Command+E (⌘+E): Eject the selected disk or volume.
- Command+F (⌘+F): Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window.
- Command+I (⌘+I): Show the Get Info window for a selected file.
- Option+Command+L (⌥+⌘+L): Open the Downloads folder.
- Shift+Command+N (⇧+⌘+N): Create a new folder.
- Shift+Command+O (Shift+Command+O): Open the Documents folder.
- Option+Command+D (⌥+⌘+D): Show or hide the Dock.
- Command+N (⌘+N): Open a new Finder window.
- Command+Delete (⌘+Delete): Move the selected item to the Trash.
- Shift+Command+Delete (⇧+⌘+Delete): Empty the Trash.
- Option+Volume Up (⌥+Volume Up): Open Sound preferences. This works with any of the volume keys.
Shortcuts for document editing
Please note that the behaviour of these shortcuts may vary with the app you’re using.
- Command+B (⌘+B): Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off.
- Command+I (⌘+I): Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off.
- Command+K (⌘+K): Add a web link.
- Command+U (⌘+U): Underline the selected text, or turn underlining on or off.
- Function key+Up Arrow (Fn+↑): Page Up: Scroll up one page.
- Function key+Down Arrow (Fn+↓): Page Down: Scroll down one page.
- Function key+Left Arrow (Fn+←): Home: Scroll to the beginning of a document.
- Function key+Right Arrow (Fn+→): End: Scroll to the end of a document.
- Command+Up Arrow (⌘+↑): Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document.
- Command+Down Arrow (⌘+↓): Move the insertion point to the end of the document.
- Command+Left Arrow (⌘+←): Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line.
- Command+Right Arrow (⌘+→): Move the insertion point to the end of the current line.
- Option+Left Arrow (⌥+←): Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
- Option+Right Arrow (⌥+→): Move the insertion point to the end of the next word.
- Shift+Command+Up Arrow (⇧+⌘+↑): Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the document.
- Shift+Command+Down Arrow (⇧+⌘+↓): Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the document.
- Shift+Command+Left Arrow (⇧+⌘+←): Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of the current line.
- Shift+Command+Right Arrow (⇧+⌘+→): Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the current line.
- Shift+Up Arrow (⇧+↑): Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line above.
- Shift+Down Arrow (⇧+↓): Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same horizontal location on the line below.
- Shift+Left Arrow (⇧+←): Extend text selection one character to the left.
- Shift+Right Arrow (⇧+→): Extend text selection one character to the right.
- Option+Shift+Up Arrow (⌥+⇧+↑): Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph, then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed again.
- Option+Shift+Down Arrow (⌥+⇧+↓): Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to the end of the following paragraph if pressed again.
- Option+Shift+Left Arrow (⌥+⇧+←): Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then to the beginning of the following word if pressed again.
- Option+Shift+Right Arrow (⌥+⇧+→): Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the end of the following word if pressed again.
- Command+L(⌘+L): Left align.
- Command+R (⌘+R): Right align.
- Command+E (⌘+E): Center align.
- Command+Option+1 (⌘+⌥+1): Apply the Heading 1 style.
- Command+Option+2 (⌘+⌥+2): Apply the Heading 2 style.
- Command+Option+3 (⌘+⌥+3): Apply the Heading 3 style.
- Shift+Command+S (⇧+⌘+S): Display the Save As dialog, or duplicate the current document.
- Shift+Command+Left Angle Bracket (⇧+⌘+<): Decrease the size of the selected item.
- Shift+Command+Right Angle Bracket (⇧+⌘+>): Increase the size of the selected item.
Conclusion
I have been a Mac user for years and by using extensively the Mac keyboard shortcuts, from basics to more complex, I have increased my productivity.
Mac keyboard shortcuts are great pro-knowledge and once you get used to them, you’ll find yourself using them without even thinking about it. Use them to improve your productivity and complete tasks faster on your Mac device.
And a small surprise for you!
I have saved for the end a bonus Mac keyboard shortcut:
Command+Control+Space (⌘+⌃+space) to show Emoji picker with a search input 🏔🌲
I hope that all the above Mac keyboard shortcuts will help you become the power user that lies within you.
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