Mac keyboard shortcuts
Mac keyboard shortcuts (also known as hotkeys) save you time and improve your workflow. They’re a clever way of doing things you would normally do with a mouse or trackpad pressing just two or three keys. While we’re on the topic, if speeding up your Mac is important to you, why not download our free CCleaner for Mac app which will optimize your machine? We’ll explain more about it at the end of this article.
In the meantime, what exactly can Mac keyboard shortcuts do? Mac has made a keyboard shortcut for nearly every feature and app setting. First, let’s look at the most popular Mac keyboard shortcuts you need in your life and then take Mac keyboard shortcuts to the next level!
Most popular Mac keyboard shortcuts
The most well-known Mac keyboard shortcuts are also the most used, and for good reason. Nailing down these basic shortcuts will save you a bunch of time and dramatically improve your daily workflow.
- Command + X: Cuts the selected text or image and copies it to the Clipboard
- Command + C: Copies the selected text or image to the Clipboard
- Command + V: Pastes the contents of the Clipboard into the current document or app
- Command + Z: Undoes the previous command you applied
- Shift + Command + Z: Redoes what you just undid with the shortcut directly above, reversing the undo command (in most apps, you can undo and redo multiple commands)
- Command + A: Selects all items
- Command + F: Find items in a document, web browser, or open a Finder search window (from the desktop)
- Command + H: Hides the window of the app you’re using but doesn’t close the app
- Option + Command + H: View the app at the front only and closes all app windows behind it
- Command + M: Minimize the front window to the dock for easy retrieval
- Command + O: Opens a file
- Command + P: Opens the print document dialog box
- Command + S: Saves the current document
- Command + T: Opens a new tab in any web browser (Chrome, Safari, etc.)
- Command + B: Makes any selected text bold
- Command + I: Makes any selected text italic
- Command + U: Underlines any selected text
- Command + tab: Toggles between open apps and Finder
Advanced Mac keyboard shortcuts
Mac keyboard shortcuts go far beyond the basic operations with some excellent advanced features simplified into keyboard shortcuts. These shortcuts will not only save you time, they’ll also unlock some advanced app features on your Mac. Here are some of our favorites.
- Option + Command + Esc: Force quit any app (the Esc key is on the top right of your track bar on some Macbooks)
- Command + Space bar: Show or hide the Spotlight search feature
- Control + Command + Space bar: Show the Character Viewer (emoji and other symbols)
- Control + Command + F: Use the app in full-screen mode (if this feature is supported by the app) and the same command to get out of full-screen
- Shift + Command + 3: Take a screenshot of the full screen
- Shift + Command + 4: Take a screenshot of a selected portion of the screen
- Shift + Command + 5: In macOS Mojave or later, take a screenshot or make a screen recording
- Shift + Command + N: Create a new folder on the desktop
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