Cut, copy, paste, and other common shortcuts

Shortcut Description

Command-X Cut: Remove the selected item and copy it to the Clipboard.

Command-C Copy the selected item to the Clipboard. This also works for files in the Finder.

Paste the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app. This also
Command-V
works for files in the Finder.

Undo the previous command. You can then press Command-Shift-Z to Redo,
Command-Z reversing the undo command. In some apps, you can undo and redo multiple
commands.

Command-A Select All items.

Command-F Find: Open a Find window, or find items in a document.

Find Again: Find the next occurrence of the item previously found. To find the
Command-G
previous occurrence, press Command-Shift-G.

Hide the windows of the front app. To view the front app but hide all other
Command-H
apps, press Command-Option-H.

Minimize the front window to the Dock. To minimize all windows of the front
Command-M
app, press Command-Option-M.

Command-N New: Open an new document or window.

Command-O Open the selected item, or open a dialog to select a file to open.

Command-P Print the current document.

Command-S Save the current document.

Close the front window. To close all windows of the app, press Command-
Command-W
Option-W.

Command-Q Quit the app.

Option- Force Quit: Choose an app to force quit. Or press Command-Shift-Option-Esc

Command-Esc and hold for 3 seconds to force just the front app to quit.

Spotlight: Show or hide the Spotlight search field. To perform a Spotlight

Command search from a Finder window, press CommandOptionSpace bar. If you use
Space bar multiple input sources to type in different languages, these shortcuts change
input sources instead of showing Spotlight.

Space bar Quick Look: Use Quick Look to preview the selected item.

Command-
Switch apps: Switch to the next most recently used app among your open apps.
Tab

Shift-
Switch windows: Switch to the next most recently used window of the front
Command-
app.
Tilde (~)

Shift- Screenshot: Take a screenshot of the entire screen. Learn more screenshot
Command-3 shortcuts.

Command-
Preferences: Open preferences for the front app.
Comma (,)
Sleep, log out, and shut down shortcuts

Shortcut Description

Power button Tap to turn on your Mac or wake your Mac from sleep.

Hold for 1.5 seconds while your Mac is awake to display a

dialog asking if you want to restart, sleep, or shut down. If
you don't want to wait 1.5 seconds, press ControlPower
button or ControlMedia Eject .

Hold for 5 seconds to force your Mac to turn off.

ControlCommandPower button Force your Mac to restart.

ControlShift(Power Put your displays to sleep.

button or Media Eject )

ControlCommandMedia Quit all apps, then restart your Mac. If any open documents
Eject have unsaved changes, you'll be asked whether you want to
save them.

ControlOptionCommand Quit all apps, then shut down your Mac. If any open
(Power button or Media Eject ) documents have unsaved changes, you'll be asked whether
you want to save them.

Shift-Command-Q Log out of your macOS user account. You'll be asked to

confirm.

Option-Shift-Command-Q Log out of your macOS user account immediately, without

being asked to confirm.
Document shortcuts

Shortcut Description

Command-B Boldface the selected text, or turn boldfacing on or off.

Command-I Italicize the selected text, or turn italics on or off.

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

Command-T Show or hide the Fonts window.

Command-D Select the Desktop folder from within an Open dialog or Save
dialog.

Control-Command-D Show or hide the definition of the selected word.

Shift-Command-Colon (:) Display the Spelling and Grammar window.

Command-Semicolon (;) Find misspelled words in the document.

Option-Delete Delete the word to the left of the insertion point.

Control-H Delete the character to the left of the insertion point. Or use
Delete.

Control-D Delete the character to the right of the insertion point. Or use
Fn-Delete.

Fn-Delete Forward delete on keyboards that don't have a Forward

Delete key. Or use Control-D.
Control-K Delete the text between the insertion point and the end of the
line or paragraph.

Command-Delete Select Delete or Don't Save in a dialog that contains a Delete or

Don't Save button.

FnUp Arrow Page Up: Scroll up one page.

FnDown Arrow Page Down: Scroll down one page.

FnLeft Arrow Home: Scroll to the beginning of a document.

FnRight Arrow End: Scroll to the end of a document.

CommandUp Arrow Move the insertion point to the beginning of the document.

CommandDown Arrow Move the insertion point to the end of the document.

CommandLeft Arrow Move the insertion point to the beginning of the current line.

CommandRight Arrow Move the insertion point to the end of the current line.

OptionLeft Arrow Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.

OptionRight Arrow Move the insertion point to the end of the next word.

ShiftCommandUp Arrow Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of
the document.

ShiftCommand Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the
Down Arrow document.

ShiftCommandLeft Arrow Select the text between the insertion point and the beginning of
 the current line.

ShiftCommandRight Arrow Select the text between the insertion point and the end of the
current line.

ShiftUp Arrow Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same
horizontal location on the line above.

ShiftDown Arrow Extend text selection to the nearest character at the same
horizontal location on the line below.

ShiftLeft Arrow Extend text selection one character to the left.

ShiftRight Arrow Extend text selection one character to the right.

OptionShiftUp Arrow Extend text selection to the beginning of the current paragraph,
then to the beginning of the following paragraph if pressed
again.

OptionShiftDown Arrow Extend text selection to the end of the current paragraph, then to
the end of the following paragraph if pressed again.

OptionShiftLeft Arrow Extend text selection to the beginning of the current word, then
to the beginning of the following word if pressed again.

OptionShiftRight Arrow Extend text selection to the end of the current word, then to the
end of the following word if pressed again.

Control-A Move to the beginning of the line or paragraph.

Control-E Move to the end of a line or paragraph.

Control-F Move one character forward.

Control-B Move one character backward.

Control-L Center the cursor or selection in the visible area.

Control-P Move up one line.

Control-N Move down one line.

Control-O Insert a new line after the insertion point.

Control-T Swap the character behind the insertion point with the character
in front of the insertion point.

Command Left align.

Left Curly Bracket ({)

Command Right align.

Right Curly Bracket (})

ShiftCommand Center align.

Vertical bar (|)

Option-Command-F Go to the search field.

Option-Command-T Show or hide a toolbar in the app.

Option-Command-C Copy Style: Copy the formatting settings of the selected item to
the Clipboard.

Option-Command-V Paste Style: Apply the copied style to the selected item.

Option-Shift-Command-V Paste and Match Style: Apply the style of the surrounding
content to the item pasted within that content.
Option-Command-I Show or hide the inspector window.

Shift-Command-P Page setup: Display a window for selecting document settings.

Shift-Command-S Display the Save As dialog, or duplicate the current document.

ShiftCommand Decrease the size of the selected item.

Minus sign (-)

ShiftCommand Increase the size of the selected item. CommandEqual sign (=)
Plus sign (+) performs the same function.

ShiftCommand Open the Help menu.

Question mark (?)

Finder shortcuts

Shortcut Description

Command-D Duplicate the selected files.

Command-E Eject the selected disk or volume.

Command-F Start a Spotlight search in the Finder window.

Command-I Show the Get Info window for a selected file.

Shift-Command-C Open the Computer window.

Shift-Command-D Open the desktop folder.

Shift-Command-F Open the All My Files window.

Shift-Command-G Open a Go to Folder window.

Shift-Command-H Open the Home folder of the current macOS user account.

Shift-Command-I Open iCloud Drive.

Shift-Command-K Open the Network window.

Option-Command-L Open the Downloads folder.

Shift-Command-O Open the Documents folder.

Shift-Command-R Open the AirDrop window.

Shift-Command-T Add selected Finder item to the Dock (OS X Mountain Lion or
earlier)

Control-Shift-Command-T Add selected Finder item to the Dock (OS X Mavericks or later)

Shift-Command-U Open the Utilities folder.

Option-Command-D Show or hide the Dock. This often works even when you're not in
the Finder.

Control-Command-T Add the selected item to the sidebar (OS X Mavericks or later).

Option-Command-P Hide or show the path bar in Finder windows.

Option-Command-S Hide or show the Sidebar in Finder windows.

CommandSlash (/) Hide or show the status bar in Finder windows.

Command-J Show View Options.

Command-K Open the Connect to Server window.

Command-L Make an alias of the selected item.

Command-N Open a new Finder window.

Shift-Command-N Create a new folder.

Option-Command-N Create a new Smart Folder.

Command-R Show the original file for the selected alias.

Command-T Show or hide the tab bar when a single tab is open in the current
Finder window.

Shift-Command-T Show or hide a Finder tab.

Option-Command-T Show or hide the toolbar when a single tab is open in the current
Finder window.

Option-Command-V Move: Move the files in the Clipboard from their original location
to the current location.

Option-Command-Y View a Quick Look slideshow of the selected files.

Command-Y Use Quick Look to preview the selected files.

Command-1 View the items in the Finder window as icons.

Command-2 View the items in a Finder window as a list.

Command-3 View the items in a Finder window in columns.

Command-4 View the items in a Finder window with Cover Flow.

CommandLeft Bracket ([) Go to the previous folder.

Command Go to the next folder.

Right Bracket (])

CommandUp Arrow Open the folder that contains the current folder.

CommandControl Open the folder that contains the current folder in a new window.
Up Arrow

CommandDown Arrow Open the selected item.

CommandMission Control Show the desktop. This works even when you're not in the Finder.

CommandBrightness Up Turn Target Display Mode on or off.

Command Turn display mirroring on or off when your Mac is connected to

Brightness Down more than one display.

Right Arrow Open the selected folder. This works only when in list view.

Left Arrow Close the selected folder. This works only when in list view.

Optiondouble-click Open a folder in a separate window and close the current window.

Commanddouble-click Open a folder in a separate tab or window.

Command-Delete Move the selected item to the Trash.

Shift-Command-Delete Empty the Trash.

Option-Shift-Command- Empty the Trash without confirmation dialog.

Delete

Command-Y Use Quick Look to preview the files.

OptionBrightness Up Open Displays preferences. This works with either Brightness

key.

OptionMission Control Open Mission Control preferences.

OptionVolume Up Open Sound preferences. This works with any of the volume
keys.

Command key while Move the dragged item to another volume or location. The
dragging pointer changes while you drag the item.

Option key while dragging Copy the dragged item. The pointer changes while you drag the
item.

Option-Command while Make an alias of the dragged item. The pointer changes while you
dragging drag the item.

Option-click a disclosure Open all folders within the selected folder. This works only when
triangle in list view.

Command-click a window See the folders that contain the current folder.
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