Knowing keyboard shortcuts on macOS is the difference between clicking through menus all day and actually getting things done. This reference covers every shortcut worth memorizing, organized by category so you can find what you need fast. Whether you just switched from Windows or you’ve been on a Mac for years, there are shortcuts in here you probably don’t know about.
This guide is updated for macOS 15 Sequoia and the upcoming macOS 26 Tahoe, including Stage Manager shortcuts, the new window tiling features, and accessibility improvements. Most shortcuts have worked across macOS versions for years, so this reference applies even if you’re running an older release. For more macOS-related guides, see our walkthrough on installing GNS3 on macOS. Apple’s official keyboard shortcuts page is a good companion reference.
Updated March 2026 for macOS 15 Sequoia and macOS 26 Tahoe
Key Symbols Reference
macOS documentation uses symbols instead of key names. Here’s the translation.
| Symbol | Key | Windows equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| ⌘ | Command (Cmd) | Ctrl (in most cases) |
| ⌥ | Option (Alt) | Alt |
| ⌃ | Control | Ctrl (in terminal contexts) |
| ⇧ | Shift | Shift |
| ⁱ | Fn (Function) | Fn |
| ⏎ | Return / Enter | Enter |
| ⌫ | Delete (Backspace) | Backspace |
| ⎋ | Escape | Escape |
On most Mac keyboards, Command sits on both sides of the spacebar. Option is next to Command. The Fn key is in the bottom-left corner on laptop keyboards and serves double duty as the Globe key on newer Macs.
Essential System Shortcuts
These work everywhere in macOS, regardless of which application is active.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + Space | Open Spotlight search |
| ⌘ + Q | Quit the active application |
| ⌘ + W | Close the active window |
| ⌘ + M | Minimize the active window to the Dock |
| ⌘ + H | Hide the active application |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + H | Hide all other applications |
| ⌘ + Tab | Switch between open applications |
| ⌘ + ` (backtick) | Switch between windows of the same application |
| ⌘ + , | Open Preferences/Settings for the active app |
| ⌃ + ⌘ + Q | Lock the screen |
| ⌃ + ⌘ + F | Toggle full screen for the active window |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + Esc | Open Force Quit dialog |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + D | Show/hide the Dock |
| ⌃ + Space | Switch input source (keyboard language) |
| ⌃ + ⌘ + Space | Open emoji and symbols picker |
| Fn + Q (macOS Sequoia+) | Open iPhone Mirroring |
Spotlight (⌘ + Space) is the fastest way to launch apps, find files, do math, convert units, and search the web. If you only learn one shortcut, make it this one.
Screenshots and Screen Recording
macOS has built-in screenshot tools that are more capable than most people realize.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + ⇧ + 3 | Capture the entire screen |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + 4 | Capture a selected area (crosshair cursor) |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + 4, then Space | Capture a specific window (camera cursor) |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + 5 | Open screenshot toolbar (capture or record) |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + 6 | Capture the Touch Bar (MacBook Pro with Touch Bar) |
Screenshots save to the Desktop by default. To change the save location, press ⌘ + ⇧ + 5 and click Options in the toolbar. You can also hold Control while taking any screenshot to copy it to the clipboard instead of saving a file.
The screenshot toolbar (⌘ + ⇧ + 5) includes screen recording. Click “Record Entire Screen” or “Record Selected Portion” to start. Click the Stop button in the menu bar to end the recording. The video saves as a .mov file.
Finder Shortcuts
Finder is where you spend more time than you think. These shortcuts make file management significantly faster.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + N | Open a new Finder window |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + N | Create a new folder |
| ⌘ + Delete | Move selected items to Trash |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + Delete | Empty the Trash |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + ⇧ + Delete | Empty Trash without confirmation |
| ⌘ + I | Get Info (file properties) |
| ⌘ + D | Duplicate selected files |
| ⌘ + L | Create an alias (shortcut) |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + G | Go to Folder (type a path) |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + H | Go to Home folder |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + D | Go to Desktop folder |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + O | Go to Documents folder |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + L | Go to Downloads folder |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + A | Go to Applications folder |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + U | Go to Utilities folder |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + C | Open the Computer view |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + . (period) | Show/hide hidden files |
| Space | Quick Look (preview selected file) |
| ⌘ + 1 | View as icons |
| ⌘ + 2 | View as list |
| ⌘ + 3 | View as columns |
| ⌘ + 4 | View as gallery |
| ⌘ + T | Open a new Finder tab |
| ⌘ + [ (left bracket) | Go back |
| ⌘ + ] (right bracket) | Go forward |
| ⌘ + Up Arrow | Go to parent folder |
| ⌘ + Down Arrow | Open selected folder |
| Return | Rename selected file |
Quick Look (spacebar) is one of macOS’s best features. Select any file and press Space to preview it instantly: PDFs, images, videos, text files, even some code files. Press Space again to dismiss. No app opens, no waiting. It also works on multiple selected files if you press the arrow keys to browse through them.
The “Go to Folder” shortcut (⌘ + ⇧ + G) accepts full paths with tab completion. Type /etc and press Tab to autocomplete. This is faster than clicking through nested folders.
Text Editing Shortcuts
These work in virtually every text field across macOS, including web browsers, mail apps, and document editors.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + A | Select all |
| ⌘ + C | Copy |
| ⌘ + X | Cut |
| ⌘ + V | Paste |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + V | Paste and match style (plain text paste) |
| ⌘ + Z | Undo |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + Z | Redo |
| ⌘ + F | Find |
| ⌘ + G | Find next |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + G | Find previous |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + F | Find and replace |
| ⌘ + B | Bold |
| ⌘ + I | Italic |
| ⌘ + U | Underline |
Cursor Movement
These cursor movement shortcuts are worth memorizing if you spend any time editing text. They eliminate the need to reach for arrow keys repeatedly.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌃ + A | Move to beginning of line |
| ⌃ + E | Move to end of line |
| ⌘ + Left Arrow | Move to beginning of line |
| ⌘ + Right Arrow | Move to end of line |
| ⌘ + Up Arrow | Move to beginning of document |
| ⌘ + Down Arrow | Move to end of document |
| ⌥ + Left Arrow | Move one word left |
| ⌥ + Right Arrow | Move one word right |
| ⌥ + Delete | Delete the word before the cursor |
| Fn + Delete | Forward delete (delete character after cursor) |
| ⌃ + K | Delete from cursor to end of line |
| ⌃ + H | Delete character before cursor (same as Delete key) |
| ⌃ + D | Delete character after cursor (same as Fn + Delete) |
Add Shift to any cursor movement shortcut to select text. For example, ⌘ + ⇧ + Right Arrow selects from the cursor to the end of the line. ⌥ + ⇧ + Left Arrow selects the previous word. This is much faster than click-dragging with the mouse.
Window Management
macOS Sequoia added native window tiling, which finally brings keyboard-driven window management without third-party tools.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌃ + ⌘ + F | Toggle full screen |
| ⌘ + M | Minimize window |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + M | Minimize all windows of the active app |
| ⌃ + Up Arrow | Mission Control (show all windows) |
| ⌃ + Down Arrow | App Exposé (show windows of active app) |
| ⌃ + Left/Right Arrow | Switch between Spaces (desktops) |
| F11 | Show Desktop |
| Fn + F (macOS Sequoia+) | Toggle full screen |
Window Tiling (macOS 15 Sequoia and later)
Sequoia introduced built-in window tiling. These shortcuts snap windows to screen edges and corners without needing Rectangle, Magnet, or other third-party window managers.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Fn + ⌃ + Left Arrow | Tile window to left half |
| Fn + ⌃ + Right Arrow | Tile window to right half |
| Fn + ⌃ + Up Arrow | Tile window to top half |
| Fn + ⌃ + Down Arrow | Tile window to bottom half |
| Fn + ⌃ + U | Tile to top-left quarter |
| Fn + ⌃ + I | Tile to top-right quarter |
| Fn + ⌃ + J | Tile to bottom-left quarter |
| Fn + ⌃ + K | Tile to bottom-right quarter |
| Fn + ⌃ + F | Fill the entire screen (not full-screen mode) |
| Fn + ⌃ + C | Center window on screen |
| Fn + ⌃ + R | Return to previous size and position |
The “Fill” shortcut (Fn + ⌃ + F) is different from full screen (⌃ + ⌘ + F). Fill maximizes the window to cover the screen but keeps the menu bar and Dock visible. Full screen creates a dedicated Space and hides everything else. Most people want Fill, not full screen.
Stage Manager
Stage Manager organizes windows into groups on the side of the screen. It was introduced in macOS Ventura and refined in Sequoia.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Fn + ⌃ + S | Toggle Stage Manager on/off |
| Click a group on the left edge | Switch to that window group |
Stage Manager works best on larger displays where the side strip doesn’t eat into your workspace. On a 13-inch MacBook screen, it’s often more trouble than it’s worth.
Safari and Browser Shortcuts
These shortcuts work in Safari and are mostly identical in Chrome and Firefox on macOS.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + T | New tab |
| ⌘ + W | Close current tab |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + T | Reopen last closed tab |
| ⌘ + L | Focus the address bar |
| ⌘ + R | Reload page |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + R | Reload page (bypass cache) |
| ⌘ + D | Bookmark current page |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + L | Open Downloads |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + ] (right bracket) | Next tab |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + [ (left bracket) | Previous tab |
| ⌘ + 1 through ⌘ + 9 | Jump to tab by position (1 = first, 9 = last) |
| ⌘ + [ (left bracket) | Go back one page |
| ⌘ + ] (right bracket) | Go forward one page |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + B | Show/hide bookmarks sidebar |
| ⌘ + Y | Show history |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + H | Go to Home page |
| ⌘ + + (plus) | Zoom in |
| ⌘ + – (minus) | Zoom out |
| ⌘ + 0 | Reset zoom to 100% |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + N | Open new Private/Incognito window |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + I | Open Web Inspector (developer tools) |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + U | View page source |
In Safari specifically, ⌘ + ⇧ + T reopens the last closed tab. In Chrome, it reopens recently closed tabs in order. Firefox behaves like Chrome. All three browsers support ⌘ + L to quickly jump to the address bar, which is the fastest way to start a new search or navigate to a URL.
Document and File Operations
Standard operations that work across most macOS applications.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + N | New document/window |
| ⌘ + O | Open file |
| ⌘ + S | Save |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + S | Save As / Duplicate |
| ⌘ + P | |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + P | Page Setup |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + S | Save All (in apps that support it) |
⌘ + S is worth building into muscle memory. macOS apps with auto-save (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) technically don’t need it, but most third-party apps still do. The habit of hitting ⌘ + S every few minutes saves you from losing work.
Terminal Shortcuts
Terminal.app and iTerm2 support these shortcuts. Some are inherited from the Bash/Zsh shell, others are specific to the terminal emulator.
Terminal Emulator Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + T | New tab |
| ⌘ + N | New window |
| ⌘ + D | Split pane horizontally (iTerm2) |
| ⌘ + ⇧ + D | Split pane vertically (iTerm2) |
| ⌘ + W | Close tab or pane |
| ⌘ + K | Clear the terminal screen (Terminal.app) |
| ⌘ + + / ⌘ + – | Increase/decrease font size |
| ⌘ + 1 through ⌘ + 9 | Switch to tab by number |
Shell Shortcuts (Bash/Zsh)
These work at the command line regardless of which terminal emulator you use. They’re inherited from GNU Readline and are the same shortcuts you’d use on any Unix system.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌃ + A | Move cursor to beginning of line |
| ⌃ + E | Move cursor to end of line |
| ⌃ + U | Delete from cursor to beginning of line |
| ⌃ + K | Delete from cursor to end of line |
| ⌃ + W | Delete the word before the cursor |
| ⌃ + Y | Paste (yank) previously deleted text |
| ⌃ + R | Reverse search through command history |
| ⌃ + C | Cancel the current command / send SIGINT |
| ⌃ + Z | Suspend the current process (send SIGTSTP) |
| ⌃ + D | Exit the shell (or send EOF) |
| ⌃ + L | Clear the screen (same as typing clear) |
| ⌃ + T | Swap the two characters before the cursor |
| ⌥ + B | Move back one word |
| ⌥ + F | Move forward one word |
| ⌥ + D | Delete the word after the cursor |
| Tab | Autocomplete file/directory names |
| Tab Tab | Show all autocomplete options |
| Up Arrow | Previous command in history |
| Down Arrow | Next command in history |
| !! (then Enter) | Repeat the last command |
| !$ (then Enter) | Use the last argument of the previous command |
The reverse history search (⌃ + R) is a huge timesaver. Start typing any part of a previous command, and the shell finds the most recent match. Press ⌃ + R again to cycle through older matches. Press Enter to execute the found command, or ⌃ + G to cancel and return to the prompt.
For Option-key shortcuts (⌥ + B, ⌥ + F, ⌥ + D) to work in Terminal.app, you need to enable “Use Option as Meta key” in Terminal Preferences under Profiles. iTerm2 has a similar setting under Profiles, Keys, with “Left Option key acts as Esc+”.
Accessibility Shortcuts
macOS has extensive accessibility features, many controllable via keyboard.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + ⌥ + F5 | Open Accessibility preferences |
| ⌘ + F5 | Toggle VoiceOver on/off |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + 8 | Toggle zoom |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + + / ⌘ + ⌥ + – | Zoom in / Zoom out (when zoom is enabled) |
| ⌃ + ⌥ + ⌘ + 8 | Invert colors |
| ⌃ + F1 | Toggle full keyboard access (tab between all controls) |
| ⌃ + F7 | Toggle tab navigation in all controls |
| Fn + Fn (double-press) | Toggle Dictation (speak to type) |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + ⌃ + T | Toggle reduce transparency |
Full keyboard access (⌃ + F1 or enabled in Settings) lets you tab through buttons, menus, and controls in dialogs without using a mouse. Once enabled, use Tab to move between controls and Space to activate the selected control. This is useful for power users, not just accessibility needs.
Startup Key Combinations
These keys must be held during boot (or immediately after pressing the power button). On Apple Silicon Macs, some of these work differently than on Intel Macs.
Intel Macs
| Key(s) | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘ + R | Boot to macOS Recovery |
| ⌥ | Boot to Startup Manager (choose boot disk) |
| ⇧ | Boot in Safe Mode |
| ⌘ + V | Boot in Verbose Mode |
| ⌘ + S | Boot in Single User Mode (pre-Catalina) |
| T | Boot in Target Disk Mode |
| D | Boot to Apple Diagnostics |
| N | Boot from network (NetBoot) |
| ⌘ + ⌥ + P + R | Reset NVRAM/PRAM |
Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5)
Apple Silicon Macs replaced most startup key combinations with a single recovery entry point.
| Action | How to |
|---|---|
| Recovery Mode | Hold Power button until “Loading startup options” appears, then select Options |
| Startup Manager | Hold Power button until “Loading startup options” appears |
| Safe Mode | Hold ⇧ while clicking the startup disk in Startup Manager |
| Apple Diagnostics | Hold Power button, then press ⌘ + D when startup options appear |
| DFU Mode | Specific button sequence (varies by model, used for firmware recovery) |
Apple Silicon Macs don’t have NVRAM reset, Target Disk Mode (replaced by Mac Sharing Mode), or Single User Mode. The recovery process is simpler but less granular. If you’re troubleshooting a boot issue on Apple Silicon, holding the power button is always the first step.
Spotlight and Search
Spotlight is more powerful than most people use it for.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Open Spotlight | ⌘ + Space |
| Launch an app | Type the app name and press Enter |
| Calculator | Type a math expression (e.g., “45*1.08”) |
| Unit conversion | “100 usd to eur” or “5 km to miles” |
| Definition | Type a word to see its dictionary definition |
| File search | Type a filename or keyword |
| Web search | Type anything and scroll down for web results |
| Open in Finder | Select a file result and press ⌘ + Enter |
| Preview a result | Select it and the preview appears on the right |
| Search specific folder | Open Finder, press ⌘ + F |
You can also type kind:pdf, kind:image, or kind:folder in Spotlight to filter results by file type. Combine with keywords for targeted searches: kind:pdf invoice finds PDF files containing “invoice” in the name.
Mission Control and Spaces
Spaces (virtual desktops) and Mission Control are essential for managing multiple workflows on macOS.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌃ + Up Arrow | Open Mission Control |
| ⌃ + Down Arrow | Show all windows of the current app (App Exposé) |
| ⌃ + Left/Right Arrow | Move between Spaces |
| ⌃ + 1, ⌃ + 2, etc. | Jump to a specific Space (enable in Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Mission Control) |
| F11 | Show Desktop |
| ⌃ + Up Arrow, then drag window to top | Create a new Space |
The numbered Space shortcuts (⌃ + 1, ⌃ + 2) are disabled by default. Enable them in System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Mission Control. Once enabled, you can jump directly to any Space without swiping. Assign specific apps to specific Spaces by right-clicking an app icon in the Dock, selecting Options, then Assign To.
System Preferences and Controls
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌥ + Brightness Up/Down | Open Displays settings |
| ⌥ + Volume Up/Down | Open Sound settings |
| ⌥ + Keyboard Brightness | Open Keyboard settings |
| ⌥ + Mission Control | Open Mission Control settings |
| ⇧ + Volume Up/Down | Adjust volume in smaller increments |
| ⇧ + ⌥ + Volume Up/Down | Adjust volume in even smaller increments |
| ⇧ + Brightness Up/Down | Adjust brightness in smaller increments |
Holding ⇧ while adjusting volume changes it in quarter-step increments instead of full steps. Holding both ⇧ and ⌥ together gives you even finer control. This is useful when you need the volume at a precise level between two standard steps.
Power and Sleep
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌃ + ⌘ + Q | Lock screen |
| ⌃ + ⌘ + Power button | Force restart |
| ⌃ + ⇧ + Power button | Put displays to sleep |
| ⌃ + ⌥ + ⌘ + Power button | Shut down immediately (no confirmation) |
| Power button (press once) | Sleep (laptops), turn off display (desktops) |
| Power button (hold 5 sec) | Force power off |
⌃ + ⌘ + Q is the quickest way to lock your screen when stepping away. It drops you to the login screen instantly. Combine this with requiring a password immediately after sleep (set in System Settings, Lock Screen), and your Mac is secure the moment you walk away.
Drag and Drop Modifiers
These modifier keys change what happens when you drag files in Finder.
| Modifier | Effect when dragging |
|---|---|
| ⌥ (hold while dragging) | Copy the file (instead of move) |
| ⌘ (hold while dragging) | Move the file (even across volumes) |
| ⌘ + ⌥ (hold while dragging) | Create an alias (shortcut) at the destination |
By default, dragging a file within the same volume moves it, while dragging between different volumes copies it. The Option and Command modifiers let you override this behavior when you need the opposite action.
Quick Reference Card
The shortcuts you’ll use most often, condensed into one table.
| Task | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Search anything | ⌘ + Space |
| Switch apps | ⌘ + Tab |
| Switch windows (same app) | ⌘ + ` |
| Close window | ⌘ + W |
| Quit app | ⌘ + Q |
| Lock screen | ⌃ + ⌘ + Q |
| Full screenshot | ⌘ + ⇧ + 3 |
| Area screenshot | ⌘ + ⇧ + 4 |
| Copy | ⌘ + C |
| Paste | ⌘ + V |
| Paste as plain text | ⌘ + ⇧ + V |
| Undo | ⌘ + Z |
| Find | ⌘ + F |
| New tab (browser) | ⌘ + T |
| Force Quit | ⌘ + ⌥ + Esc |
| Emoji picker | ⌃ + ⌘ + Space |
| Show hidden files | ⌘ + ⇧ + . |
| Tile left half | Fn + ⌃ + Left Arrow |
| Tile right half | Fn + ⌃ + Right Arrow |
Print this table or keep it on a second monitor until the shortcuts become muscle memory. Most people find that learning even five or six new shortcuts dramatically speeds up their daily workflow.
