Mac keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet (55 essentials)

Macs reward keyboard users more than most computers. Almost every menu item has a shortcut, and Finder, Spotlight and the screenshot tools are designed to be driven from the keys. This cheat sheet covers the ones that save the most time, grouped by task.

A quick legend: Cmd is the Command key (⌘), Option is ⌥ (Alt on some keyboards), Ctrl is Control (⌃), and Fn is the Function or Globe key in the bottom-left corner of newer Mac keyboards.

The everyday essentials

Shortcut	What it does
`Cmd` + `Space`	Spotlight: open apps, find files, do quick maths and conversions
`Cmd` + `Tab`	Switch between open apps
`Cmd` + `	Switch between windows of the same app
`Cmd` + `Q`	Quit the app completely
`Cmd` + `W`	Close the window or tab, leaving the app open
`Cmd` + `H`	Hide the current app
`Cmd` + `Option` + `H`	Hide every app except the current one
`Cmd` + `M`	Minimise the window to the Dock
`Cmd` + `,`	Open the app's settings
`Cmd` + `Option` + `Esc`	Force Quit a frozen app
`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `Q`	Lock the screen
`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `Space`	Emoji and symbols picker (also `Fn` + `E`)

Windows users notice the difference between Cmd + W and Cmd + Q quickly. Closing the last window on a Mac usually leaves the app running in the background. If an app should really stop, quit it.

Screenshots and screen recording

Shortcut	What it does
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `3`	Screenshot of the whole screen
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `4`	Drag to capture part of the screen
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `4`, then `Space`	Capture one window, with its shadow
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `5`	Screenshot toolbar with screen recording and a timer
Add `Ctrl` to any of the above	Copy to the clipboard instead of saving a file

In the Cmd + Shift + 5 toolbar, the Options menu lets you change where screenshots are saved. Pointing it at a "Screenshots" folder instead of the Desktop keeps the Desktop clean.

Window tiling (macOS Sequoia and later)

macOS Sequoia added proper window tiling. With the window you want to move active:

Shortcut	What it does
`Fn` + `Ctrl` + `Left`/`Right`	Tile the window to the left or right half
`Fn` + `Ctrl` + `Up`/`Down`	Tile to the top or bottom half
`Fn` + `Ctrl` + `F`	Fill the screen without entering full screen
`Fn` + `Ctrl` + `C`	Centre the window
`Fn` + `Ctrl` + `R`	Return the window to its previous size
`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `F`	Real full screen (also `Fn` + `F`)

You will find the same commands, with their shortcuts listed, in the Window menu under Move & Resize.

Mission Control and Spaces

Shortcut	What it does
`Ctrl` + `Up`	Mission Control: every open window and Space
`Ctrl` + `Down`	Show all windows of the current app
`Ctrl` + `Left`/`Right`	Move between Spaces (desktops)
`Cmd` + `Option` + `D`	Show or hide the Dock

Finder

Shortcut	What it does
`Cmd` + `N`	New Finder window
`Cmd` + `T`	New Finder tab
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `N`	New folder
`Return`	Rename the selected file
`Space`	Quick Look preview of the selected file
`Cmd` + `I`	Get Info
`Cmd` + `D`	Duplicate the selected file
`Cmd` + `Delete`	Move to Trash
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `Delete`	Empty the Trash
`Cmd` + `C`, then `Cmd` + `Option` + `V`	Move a file instead of copying it
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `.`	Show or hide hidden files
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `G`	Go to a folder by typing its path
`Cmd` + `Up`	Go to the enclosing folder
`Cmd` + `Down`	Open the selected item
`Cmd` + `[` / `]`	Back and forward
`Cmd` + `1` to `4`	Icon, list, column or gallery view
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `A`	Applications folder
`Cmd` + `Option` + `L`	Downloads folder
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `D`	Desktop folder
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `O`	Documents folder
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `H`	Home folder
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `R`	AirDrop

The move shortcut answers the most common question from people who come from Windows: there is no "cut" for files in Finder. You copy with Cmd + C and then hold Option when you paste.

Text editing

Shortcut	What it does
`Option` + `Left`/`Right`	Jump a word
`Cmd` + `Left`/`Right`	Start or end of the line
`Cmd` + `Up`/`Down`	Start or end of the document
Add `Shift` to any of the above	Select instead of moving
`Option` + `Delete`	Delete the previous word
`Cmd` + `Delete`	Delete to the start of the line
`Fn` + `Delete`	Forward delete (the character to the right)
`Cmd` + `Option` + `Shift` + `V`	Paste without formatting in most apps
`Ctrl` + `Cmd` + `D`	Look up the word under the pointer in the dictionary
`Cmd` + `Shift` + `/`	Search the app's Help menu, which also finds menu commands

That last one is underused. When you cannot remember where a command lives, press Cmd + Shift + /, type part of its name, and macOS highlights it in the menus.

Make your own shortcuts

If a menu command you use daily has no shortcut, you can add one. Open System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, App Shortcuts, click the plus button, choose the app, and type the menu title exactly as it appears. It is a five-minute job that pays off for years.

Common questions

What is the Mac equivalent of Ctrl + Alt + Delete?

Cmd + Option + Esc opens Force Quit. For a full view of what is using memory and CPU, open Activity Monitor from Spotlight.

How do I right-click on a Mac?

Click with two fingers on the trackpad, or hold Ctrl while you click.

Why don't the window tiling shortcuts work?

They need macOS Sequoia (version 15) or later. On older versions, hover over the green button in a window's top-left corner to see the tiling options.

Working on Windows too? Our Windows 11 shortcut list covers the equivalents.

Mac keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet: 55 every Mac user should know