Mac keyboard shortcuts replace most menu clicks with a key combination, and nearly all of them revolve around four modifier keys: Command, Option, Control and Shift. This guide explains what each modifier does, lists the shortcuts by task, and ends with a table that translates common Windows shortcuts to their Mac equivalents.
Key takeaways
- Command (⌘) does what Ctrl does on Windows for most everyday shortcuts: copy, paste, save, find, close.
- Cmd+Space opens Spotlight, Cmd+Tab switches apps, and Cmd+Shift+5 opens screenshot and recording tools.
- Menus show the shortcut next to each command, so you can learn them as you go.
Want to check that your Mac keyboard registers every key? The Mac keyboard tester shows Command, Option and Control labels and lights each key as you press it.
What the Mac modifier keys do
| Key | Symbol | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Command | ⌘ | The main shortcut key. Equivalent to Ctrl in most Windows shortcuts |
| Option (Alt) | ⌥ | Alternate actions, word-level editing and special characters |
| Control | ⌃ | Context menus, Mission Control and a few text-editing shortcuts |
| Shift | ⇧ | Extends selection, or turns a shortcut into its “reverse” or variant |
| Fn / Globe | fn | Unlocks the top row’s special functions and extra keys on compact keyboards. On newer Mac keyboards the Globe key can also switch input sources or open the emoji picker, depending on your settings |
| Delete | ⌫ | Works like Backspace. Fn+Delete deletes forward |
Basic Mac keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cmd+C / Cmd+X / Cmd+V | Copy, cut, paste |
| Cmd+Z | Undo |
| Cmd+Shift+Z | Redo |
| Cmd+A | Select all |
| Cmd+F | Find |
| Cmd+G | Find next |
| Cmd+S | Save |
| Cmd+P | |
| Cmd+N | New window or document |
| Cmd+O | Open |
| Cmd+W | Close the window or tab |
| Cmd+Q | Quit the app |
| Cmd+H | Hide the app |
| Cmd+M | Minimize the window |
| Cmd+, (comma) | Open the app’s settings |
| Option+Cmd+Shift+V | Paste and match style (in many apps) |
Switching apps and managing windows
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cmd+Space | Open Spotlight search |
| Cmd+Tab | Switch to the next app (hold Cmd and keep tapping Tab) |
| Cmd+` (backtick) | Switch between windows of the same app |
| Cmd+Option+H | Hide all other apps |
| Control+Up Arrow | Open Mission Control |
| Control+Left / Right Arrow | Switch between desktops (Spaces) |
| Control+Cmd+F | Enter or exit full screen in many apps |
| Option+Cmd+D | Show or hide the Dock |
| Option+Cmd+Esc | Open Force Quit Applications |
| Control+Cmd+Q | Lock your screen |
Control+Up and Control+Left or Right may also be set to the F3 key and arrow keys depending on your keyboard, and you can change all of these in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts.
Editing text
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Option+Left / Right | Move one word |
| Cmd+Left / Right | Jump to the start or end of the line |
| Cmd+Up / Down | Jump to the start or end of the document |
| Option+Delete | Delete the previous word |
| Cmd+Delete | Delete to the start of the line |
| Fn+Delete | Delete forward |
| Shift plus any move shortcut | Select as you move |
| Cmd+B / Cmd+I / Cmd+U | Bold, italic, underline (in most editors) |
| Cmd+K | Insert a link (in many apps) |
| Control+Cmd+Space | Open the emoji and symbols viewer |
Finder shortcuts
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cmd+Shift+N | New folder |
| Return | Rename the selected item |
| Cmd+Delete | Move to Trash |
| Cmd+Shift+Delete | Empty the Trash (with a confirmation) |
| Cmd+C then Option+Cmd+V | Move the copied item here (a Finder “cut and paste”) |
| Cmd+D | Duplicate |
| Cmd+I | Get Info |
| Space | Quick Look the selected item |
| Cmd+Shift+G | Go to a folder by typing its path |
| Cmd+Shift+A | Open Applications |
| Cmd+Shift+D | Open Desktop |
| Cmd+Shift+H | Open your Home folder |
| Option+Cmd+L | Open Downloads |
| Cmd+Shift+. (period) | Show or hide hidden files |
| Cmd+1 / 2 / 3 / 4 | Icon, list, column or gallery view |
Screenshots and screen recording
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cmd+Shift+3 | Capture the whole screen |
| Cmd+Shift+4 | Capture a selected area |
| Cmd+Shift+4, then Space | Capture a single window |
| Cmd+Shift+5 | Open the screenshot and screen recording toolbar |
| Add Control to any of the above | Copy the capture to the clipboard instead of saving a file |
Browser shortcuts
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| Cmd+T | New tab |
| Cmd+Shift+T | Reopen the last closed tab |
| Cmd+L | Select the address bar |
| Cmd+R | Reload |
| Cmd+[ and Cmd+] | Back and forward (Safari, Chrome) |
| Cmd+Plus / Cmd+Minus | Zoom in or out |
| Cmd+Option+Right / Left | Next or previous tab (Chrome); Safari uses Cmd+Shift+] and [ |
Startup and recovery
Startup shortcuts depend on whether your Mac has Apple silicon or an Intel processor. On Apple silicon, press and hold the power button until startup options appear. On Intel Macs, hold Option at startup to choose a disk, or hold Cmd+R to enter recovery.
Windows to Mac equivalents
Moving from a PC? This table shows the Mac counterpart of common Windows shortcuts. For the Windows originals, see our Windows shortcut keys list.
| Windows | Mac |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+C / X / V | Cmd+C / X / V |
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | Cmd+Z / Cmd+Shift+Z |
| Ctrl+A | Cmd+A |
| Ctrl+F | Cmd+F |
| Ctrl+S | Cmd+S |
| Alt+Tab | Cmd+Tab |
| Alt+F4 | Cmd+Q (quit app) or Cmd+W (close window) |
| Ctrl+Shift+Esc (Task Manager) | Option+Cmd+Esc (Force Quit) |
| Win+L | Control+Cmd+Q |
| Win+D | Command+Mission Control, Fn+F11 or Fn+H, depending on the keyboard and settings; the trackpad spread gesture can also show the desktop |
| Win+E | Cmd+N while Finder is active |
| Win+Shift+S | Cmd+Shift+4 or Cmd+Shift+5 |
| Win+. (emoji) | Control+Cmd+Space |
| Ctrl+Home / End | Cmd+Up / Down |
| Home / End | Cmd+Left / Right (line start and end) |
| Backspace / Delete | Delete / Fn+Delete |
| F2 (rename) | Return |
| Shift+Delete | Option+Cmd+Delete (delete immediately) |
| Win+Tab | Control+Up Arrow |
Mac keyboard keys that look different
The bottom-row order differs between platforms: a Mac keyboard runs Control, Option, Command from the left, while a Windows keyboard runs Ctrl, Win, Alt. That means Command sits where Alt does on a PC. If you plug a Windows keyboard into a Mac, the Windows key normally acts as Command and Alt as Option. A Mac has no Print Screen or Insert key, and laptops often lack Page Up and Page Down; use Fn+Up and Fn+Down instead. For a full picture of how each key group works, see our guide to computer keyboard keys and their functions.
If you are building shortcuts into a web app, the Keycode Finder shows the event.key and event.code values a Mac keypress produces, including the Command key. A browser-based test cannot see the Fn key or every system-level Cmd combination, so some shortcuts will not appear in any tester.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Command key on a Mac?
The Command key (⌘) is the main shortcut modifier on a Mac, sitting on either side of the spacebar. Most shortcuts that use Ctrl on Windows use Command on a Mac, such as Cmd+C to copy and Cmd+S to save.
How do I take a screenshot on a Mac?
Press Cmd+Shift+3 for the full screen, Cmd+Shift+4 to select an area, or Cmd+Shift+5 to open the toolbar with recording options. Hold Control while using any of them to copy the capture to the clipboard instead of saving a file.
What is the Mac equivalent of Ctrl+Alt+Delete?
The closest option is Option+Cmd+Esc, which opens Force Quit Applications so you can close an app that has frozen. For deeper system monitoring, open Activity Monitor from Spotlight with Cmd+Space.
Why are my Mac keyboard shortcuts not working?
Check that the shortcut is enabled in System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts, that a modifier key is not stuck, and that no other app has taken the same combination. On external keyboards, make sure the Mac modifier settings match the keyboard’s layout.
Can I change Mac keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. Go to System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts to change or disable system shortcuts. For an individual app, use App Shortcuts to assign your own combination to any menu command by typing its exact menu name.